Wild and rustic

At Taj Residency's Sri Lankan food fest, it's hard to eat anything in moderation. the food puts you in the mood for a good long nap

At Taj Residency's Sri Lankan food fest, it's hard to eat anything in moderation. the food puts you in the mood for a good long nap

For someone who stirred up a storm on actor Aamir Khan's plate with fiery tuna sambol, got the British monarch addicted to idiappams and earned himself a place in the Guinness Book of Records by stirring up 1,020 kilos of kiri bath on the main street in Colombo, chef T Publis Silva from Sri Lanka wears his celebrity-hood with remarkable ease.

The 74-year-old reigning chef of airwaves in Sri Lanka has taken a break from his talk shows on radio and TV to prove to foodies in Bangalore that Sri Lankan cuisine is nothing like South Indian fare! "We use coconut milk in our curries and stay healthy; you blend coconut with spices in your gravies and give yourselves cholesterol," he declares. He walks me through the buffet at Cafu00e9 Mozaic, where clay pots release rich and pungent aromas.u00a0

"A chef is really a doctor, but more creative," he explains, observing that the spices shouldn't overpower the texture or taste of the meat, the cereals or the vegetables. As he ladles out Lamprais, a dish of rice-meat-spices slow-cooked in a banana leaf, he says, "Back home, women use five kinds of meat in Lamprisi, but I don't use beef or pork."

Watching guests tuck in at the buffet with paternal pride, Dr Publis Silva (the doctorate came from years of researching Sri Lanka's culinary history) smiles contentedly. Overawed by the elaborate methods that his traditional food calls for, I risk being turned away from his table by asking if there's anything like fast food in his repertory.u00a0

"Oh yes," he beams, dragging me off to the salad bar. "Give her Kothu salad," he orders. Into the pestle goes a handful of water spinach, a tablespoon of sprouted green gram, some chunks of avocado and pineapple and a handful of boiled chickpeas with a secret dressing. What comes out 30 seconds of pounding later is a delicious, crunchy salad.

The meal is rounded off with watappam, made with palm jaggery and cashew nuts, and with words of wisdom from the inimitable chef. "Cooking is like prayer. In the kitchen, you should be meditative, not explosive!"

At: Cafe Mozaic, Taj Residency MG Road (for dinner only).
Till: July 26
Walletu00a0Rs 1,350 (inclsuive ofu00a0 taxes with factoru00a02 pints of beer)u00a0

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