Mumbai Food: South Indian dishes served with a twist at Khar pop-up

Yam Vepuddu

"If anyone messes with the traditional rasam podi (powder) recipe at home, my folks lose their mind," laughs chef Ashwin Ramachandran, when we confess our recent failed attempt at making rasam using an online recipe.

Flanked by caricatures of lungi-clad men painted on the walls of SamBar Pub & Kitchen, he shares the laborious process his mother undertakes every Sunday for the family to enjoy bowls of the comforting soupy concoction. It includes freshly grinding an aromatic rasam spice mix, simmering it with lentils, tamarind water and drumsticks in a pot and later, tempering it with ghee, cumin, coriander seeds and fresh stems of coriander.

"I've created similar flavours but added coconut milk," says the 29-year-old, referring to his version of Thengai Pal Rasam. Served with Idiyappam or string hoppers, this dish is part of the weeklong Southern Small Plates pop-up that launches today at the South India-themed bar in Khar.

SamBar Signature Dacos

Fusion vs progressive
The pop-up offers a progressive take on South Indian cuisine, marrying flavours from the four states - Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka - with global cooking techniques. For instance, Kozhi Aaru Anju, an orange sauce-spiked take on Chicken 65 uses the Asian stir-fry technique. Meanwhile Unniappam, the Kerala-style fried rice flour balls, are perched on French crème anglaise.

However, it's not fusion food, he clarifies. "That would be assembling two finished products" adds the chef. Like the blasphemous Rasam Risotto, we suggest. He nods, "It may not taste bad. But the idea of this pop-up is to use the country's oldest existing cuisine and show you how it can evolve. South Indian cuisine hasn't received its due. People only know of idli, dosa and bondas. You'd be surprised to learn about the possibilities with the cuisine, and our purpose is to provoke you," says the chef, who has just returned home to Thane after a stint at Avartana, celebrated as Chennai's hottest spot for modern South Indian fare. Before this ITC outing, he has worked in the five-star's kitchens in Mumbai and Delhi, dabbling in cuisines from across the world.

Aatukal Paya, Goli Baje

Flavour burst
The pop-up menu will be available as a la carte small plates (Rs 70 and Rs 90 per vegetarian and non-vegetarian dish respectively) or a set option (Rs 300 onwards). "The concept of small plates is intrinsic to the Indian psyche as nashta, whether it is idli or mathri. So, serving the cuisine as small plates made sense, especially with drinks," he adds.

We know Ramachandran means business when we bite into Yam Vepuddu. It explodes in our mouth with zesty flavours of the Andhra-style spice mix - garlic, coconut and chillies - coated on pieces of fried-till-crisp yam. Served with poppadum salad, it goes well with vodka-spiked Kaapi Madras.

SamBar Signature Dacos is a scrumptious South Indian version of the Mexican taco where a soft tortilla-style crepe, made from dosa batter, heaves with crunchy fish nuggets, pickled onion and two types of homemade sauces - tangy-spicy chilli sauce and spring onion relish.

Chef Ashwin Ramachandran at SamBar Pub & Kitchen. Pics/Pradeep Dhivar

Tale of two states
Maharashtra meets Kerala on our palate as we dig into Bindaas Bondaas. The melt-in-your-mouth balls are stuffed with a delightful mash of sweet potato, coriander, ginger and asparagus. The accompanying spicy peanut and sesame chutney is akin to the one sprinkled on Vada Pav.

Another favourite is Aatukal Paya, Goli Baje featuring a bowl of slow-cooked lamb trotter hidden in a creamy coconut milk gravy along with the Mangalorean fried rice flour dumplings. "Unlike northern cuisine that was influenced by invaders, South Indian cuisine still packs in robust flavours intrinsic to the region. For instance, the paya is refined up north but in the south, it is cooked in a thick broth with cashews and yogurt, and seasoned with a Kerala spice mix," he elaborates as we are lost in the bliss of the soul-warming kadi patta-tempered broth.

Jack of all...
For dessert, we try Jackfruit Cigarillo propped on vanilla ice cream specked with caramel. Stuffed with the traditional Keralite jackfruit halwa, sweet with just the right hint of cinnamon and bits of cashews, the piping hot barrels comfort our frayed nerves.

"Next time, we can have more booze on the side," the chef smiles. And the Thengai Pal Rasam too.

TILL: May 30, 8.30 pm
AT Vora Building, Khar (W).
CALL: 9820907212