Christy Varghese heads out to sample the fare by Westin, Gurgaon's 'Treasures of Trichy'

Picking up from where we left off after sampling the wares of Kerala for Onam, we felt we have not yet had enough. We were eager to taste some more dishes from South India, and were on the lookout for any opportunity that could cater to our cravings.

And that is when we found out that The Westin, Gurgaon had commenced a 13-day long culinary symphony titled, 'Treasures of Trichy' to enliven the traditional and flavourful spirit of Tiruchirappalli, from September 3. On further enquiry, we found out that the 'Treasures of Trichy' food festival, curated by chef Vijaykumar, was all about celebrating the cuisine with a traditional showcase of timeless delicacies based on authentic South Indian recipes from his homeland - the vibrant city of Tiruchirappalli. Lying along the banks of the Cauvery, this ancient city, soaked in spirituality and rich history, is full of diverse and flavourful treasures. Well, we were hooked from the moment we realised we would be able to binge on another cuisine from Southern India, and reserved a table for lunch without further ado. 

The day we visited Westin, we took particular care in having an extremely light breakfast, preparing well in advance for a sumptuous lunch. As we made our way to Westin we could not stop thinking about food, probably because we were somewhat hungry, and decided to while away our time reading about the food from Trichy. The cuisine here has been influenced by the various regimes that have ruled this area over the centuries and an amazing blend of fragrant spicy dishes has emerged from the melee. Majority of the dishes here are rice based, with the regions situated on the banks of Cauvery being known as the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu. Aside from that, coconut also plays an important role in the cuisine of Trichy.

Scrolling through some drool-worthy images of traditional dishes engineered in Trichy households, we did not realise how quickly time passed as our cab pulled up at the entrance of The Westin. As we navigated through the lobby to the establishment's all-day dining restaurant, Seasonal Tastes, the lunch buffet was being spread. But we had our eyes only on the Treasures of Trichy.

We sought out chef Vijaykumar and expressed that we were there only for his food and that we couldn't wait to fill ourselves to the brim. He had a hearty chuckle before sharing, "For this food festival, I have recreated some simple yet heavenly recipes perfected and passed on by generations. These recipes are restricted to the homes in the interiors of the region and untapped by people outside of those places. You may rest assured, I will be sending only the most choice dishes your way."

After we seated ourselves we rubbed our hands together in giddy joy, in eager anticipation of what was to come. Right off the bat we were spoilt for choice, in a throwback to the sense of hospitality that the southern regions of India are known for, with three different appetisers. Small vadas, crispy fried florets of cauliflowers, and succulent chicken nuggets were served with an assortment of chutneys and pickles. We were particularly obsessed with the soft hunks of chicken, which the chef told us were so succulent because they were marinated for over half an hour with lemon juice, and the cauliflower crisps, which went really well with the tomato chutney.

When the main course was set on our table, we realised what a wise decision that light breakfast was, because what we had in front of us was a diverse array of some of the best dishes to be featured among the 'Treasure of Trichy'. The selections included a delectable Mutton sukha (mutton roast), Kozhi varuval (fried chicken curry) which went really well with the Malabar porotta. The chef, in one of his customary chats with us, as he dropped by our table periodically to check that everything is In order, shared that he preferred the porottas with the fish curry. The Paal katti melagu (paneer curry) was particularly creamy and we fancied it as a standalone dish. The Lemon rice disappeared in a jiffy, and that was no surprise, it reminded us of home, after all.

Rubbing our tummies, we had just enough room for the traditional Seviyaan paayasam and the rich Rava kesari. While the paayasam hit the right notes as a sweet dish, since there are some among us who don't like a dessert that is too sweet, the kesari was extremely sweet. But we did not mind that, we reveled in the sugar rush. 

Without wasting any time, considering how the festival ends on September 15, we would recommend you visit The Westin, Gurgaon for some lip-smacking fare from Trichy.