When I got an invite from the PR agency to review for their south indian client Kausstubh, I was excited and intrigued. Like most of the north indian people, south indian food meant dosa, idli, vada and uthapam.
While I was going through their menu, I was surprised to see that they offer more than 30 varieties of dosas and have numerable specialty dishes of Kerela, Andhra Pradesh, tamilnadu, chettinad and Karnataka.
This was my first ever review for a south Indian restaurant which serves vegetarian dishes. Please read on about my extraordinary experience of a delightful cuisine
Kunal (GM of Kaustubh) greeted and explained the history and concept behind this restaurant. They also have another branch in Noida. I shared my limitations and ignorance around South Indian cuisine. He assured that he will explain the cuisines as well as specialty of each state.
We started with cheese kuzhipaniyaram chettinad speciality. It was paniyaram filled with cheese. Paniyaram is made with rice is one of the very popular snack in southern india. It was soft perfectly cooked and filled with melting cheese. It was served with red chutney with was super fiery and spicy but very delicious. Kuzhi Paniyaram is a famous Chettinad special recipe that is very apt for breakfast or even evening snack. I couldn’t help myself from asking them for another serving of paniyaram J.
Next was idli platter consisting of 6 various idli - mirapakaya idli with green chilli paste was hot and delicious; Chettinaad idli cooked with chettinad spices; fried cocktail idli; podimas idli – More like a idli bhurji ( poplular snack down south where every household mash their left over idlis and toss it with kari leaves and other spices ; mysore idli and ghee idli. Each variety of idli was scrumptious.
As per Kunal’s suggestion I tasted Platter along with malbari parontha and appam. Urulai roast (diced potato tossed with onion and ground spices and tempered with mustard) – Tamil nadu speciality was crispy and spicy. Kerrai kuttu or daal palak (lentil with tamarind, coconut and spinach leaves) was a great combination with rice. Chettinad paneer and chettinad mix veg too was very delicious and both of them had a distinct flavor. Veg kuruma or kai kuruma (Mix veg simmered in gravy of coconut, poppy seeds and grounded spices) from karnakata was Delightful. Bhindi Curry or vedaikai pulusu from Andhra Pradesh had a rich combination of tamarind and tomato curry. This was followed by ashoka tajavur style moong dal halwa, it was perfect sweet dish to complete my full meal.I realized that South indian cuisine , even though vegetarian has a brilliant blend of flavor, color and seasoning and terrific blend of spices that is not just mouthwatering; but also makes you wonder – How delightful the dishes have been with simply some of the veggies that you have at home (referring to north India) and how unique these preparations are in South Indian cuisine.
If you are looking forward to an authentic vast platter and ofcourse South India vegetarian – You will realize that in Kaustubh - Each and every dish is cooked to perfection and it is also a visual feast for the eyes. This is the place that brings you the cuisine of the 4 South Indian states that is vast with a number of regional variations to each state.
