Modi, Merkel treated to South Indian fare at B'luru lunch

Bengaluru: The menu was lavish yet light and the emphasis—as celebrity chief Kunal Kapur put it—was vegetarian food reflecting the 'uniqueness' of Indian cuisine, as Nasscom hosted a lunch for German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday when they came visiting India's tech capital. From _sambharam_ to _kukku rasayana_, to _palkatti pattani masala_ (cottage cheese and peas masala) to _innippu suvaigal_ (sweets), the fare was quintessentially South Indian but did have one non-vegetarian dish in Alleppey fish curry. "My emphasis was on vegetarian food which is the uniqueness of our Indian cuisine. It was a very important meeting and the menu needed to be light and energising. So, I carefully selected one that was light and simple. There are no heavy cream and cashew nut pastes but freshly bought ingredients with simple treatment. The menu was lavish but the portions smaller," Kapur, who has a German culinary connection, told IANS after the event. Thus, for starters, there was a choice between _sambharam_ (spiced buttermilk flavoured with lemon grass and asafoetida) and _kukku rasayana_ (traditional mango, coconut milk cooler with green cardamom) followed by a south Indian sampler as an appetizer. This included _rasam_, Podi idli, _vazhapoo_ vada (banana blossom fitters), baby corn bezule (crispy baby corn), _kuzhi paniyaram_ (tempered rice and lentil cake) and _murungaelai adai_ (drumstick leaf pancake). "I cooked the entire menu from scratch just a few hours prior to the event. This is something that we as Indians do every day in our homes. Most of us cook fresh meal and that makes the food good and special. There are a few dishes that go best from the pan to the plate like _murungaelai adai_, which is high on fiber and has a very unique taste. _Vazhapoo_ vada is high on potassium and tastes best when served steaming hot out of the pan with fresh coconut chutney," Kapur said. That set the tone for the main course comprising _palkatti pattani masala_ (cottage cheese and green peas simmered in coconut and nuts gravy) and Alleppey fish curry (slow cooked fish morsels in raw mango-infused coconut curry). Not surprisingly, Kapur served up two preserves from _Pickle Nation_, the TV show he is currently hosting—Gujarati Chundo and the Mahali (a traditional pickle, part of Tamil brahmin cuisine, made of root that has a unique smell of vanilla and cinnamon). Both main courses were served with Nilgiri korma (seasonal vegetable simmered in coriander and mint gravy), _araichuvitta sambar_ (aromatic lentil stew), red rice (unpolished red rice from Kerala) and Malabar paratha (flaky south Indian bread). The icing on the cake, as it were, was the _innippu suvaigal_ (dessert) comprising _ada pradaman_ (rice flakes and palm sugar porridge), _kasi halwa_ (slow cooked white pumpkin and saffron halwa), coconut barfi, Mysorepak and _palkhova_ (reduced milk cake). "It was an honour to cook for PM Modi-ji and other dignitaries... With PM's efforts to bring India together through his Digital India campaign, the team tried to bring the same concept alive through the culinary fare. In accordance with Mr. Modi's preference, we presented him home-style food cooked with authentic and simple recipes to keep the meal light, healthy and delectable," Kapur said. "It is a challenge for sure, but there is constant challenge in our field of work. For me every table is important. As a chef, we have to constantly create something unique keeping in mind the preferences of the guests," added Kapur, who has been training German chefs to serve food on-board for Lufthansa First and Business class passengers for the last four years. _(With inputs from agencies)_