A Century of Ahdoos
Amaranth or Ram dana, is the most ancient of all Indian cereals. By calling their restaurant Amaranta, The Oberoi
Gurgaon pays obeisance to the age-old grain and gives Amaranta a contemporary spin in one fell swoop. Taken in
conjuction with the interiors, you would not guess that it is an Indian coastal restaurant that serves the food
of all the coasts of the country, from Gujarat and Maharashtra to the four southern states with Goa, Orissa and
West Bengal all thrown in. However, the restaurant unveils different menus periodically, in which each features
a few chosen dishes from a small number of states, so though there is a good choice of dishes served, it is not
confusing to the customer.
What is the single most notable feature of Amaranta is the fact that it does not look like a trademark Indian restaurant and the presentations of the dishes too could be from anywhere in the western world. Between courses, you’ll be served a champagne sorbet with Dom Perignon poured over your sorbet. And the breads will be the grissini, focaccia and ciabata of an Italian kitchen, except that they will be flavoured with curry leaves or mint.
Take the chicken xacuti tikka with copra masala. The plating is western, but it is the pink-coloured quenelle on
the side that is intriguing. Take a morsel of it and that’s when the brilliance hits you: it is good ole sol kadi,
exactly as you get it on the west coast in a Gomantak or Malwani shack. Or take the Andhra snapper with green gram
dosa. The fish is served in a conventional soup plate. A waiter bearing a sauce boat begins to pour sauce over it.
Another waiter brings a green gram dosa. That’s when you have another a-ha moment. The sauce is the traditional
Nellore Chapala pulusu gravy with its signature flourish of tomato and tamarind and the green gram dosa none other
than pessarattu. “I specifically wanted the recipe of a Nellore fish curry,” says Chef Ravitej Nath, Executive Chef
of The Oberoi Gurgaon “because that is where the most famous version comes from all along the state’s coast.”
Chef Nath, himself from Hyderabad, is the master architect of the concept of Amaranta. Every member of his kitchen
team has been hand-picked carefully. The result is that whether you want an ultra simple pal curry from Alapuzha
with the subtle souring of raw mangoes or a spinach paturi from Bengal, you’ll get authentic tastes. But the
presentation? That will be something out of a design magazine.
Crab and asparagus poriyal
Ingredients:
Fresh crab meat 500 gms
Asparagus 120 gms
Coconut oil 30 ml
Mustard seeds 5 gms
Urad dal split 5 gms
Dry red chilli whole 2 nos
Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Chopped onion 80 gms
Chopped green chilli 15 gms
Chopped ginger 20 gms
Grated coconut 5 gms
Salt
Method:
Wash and cut the asparagus in to small pieces
Heat coconut oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds and split urad dal
Add dry red chillies and curry leaves after dal turns to golden brown
Add chopped onion, ginger and green chilli, sauté till onion get transparent
Add chopped asparagus, crab meat and salt, sauté till it well cooked and dry
Sprinkle the grated coconut to finish the dish
Serves: 4
Note: Do not add any water for cooking the crab meat, and always do it in a high flame
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