The Nilgiri British Raj Nostalgia

Lobby View

P S Sundar

It is interesting to explore the food preferences of the ancestors. That's why the food festivals organised on the cultural and historic themes are successful. Creating a right ambience with a replica of the historical living takes the guests on a walk down the nostalgic lane. It also gives them the much-desired variety in food and the atmosphere.

The latest such an event I attended was in Taj Garden Retreat in Coonoor where "Nilgiri Raj Nostalgia" was hosted for almost a fortnight. The Nilgiris has a English history. Even 30 years after the Independence, I had moved with the English families in the Nilgiris. A visible descendant of the English life is the spread of Anglo-Indian families in the Nilgiris. Even now, I come across my friends who have settled down in England taking a nostalgic walk in the Nilgiris during their visits. "There is a definite direct link to the British life here. We get guests asking us about the past. Our hotel buildings themselves have Raj look. So, we decided to host a Nilgiris British Raj Nostalgia festival", Sanjeev Sharma, General Manager of the Nilgiris group of Taj hotels told me.

The hotel created a historic ambience - attractive counters in the dining hall with images of the British Raj. Flags and colours bearing "England" name. The persons in the displayed pictures were all British sahibs. The waiters were dressed in the Indian waiters' uniform of the Raj era.

"Oh! I already feel as though I am in the Raj days - seeing the British who discovered the Blue Mountains. These dishes, I am told, are the secrets of the chefs for the British sahibs. I am excited", Pragya Vinod Kumar, a college student, told me. If the young generation is caught in a historic food festival, the success has already been reached.

What were those exclusive dishes Pragya was talking about? "Since the British lived here for long, there was a mix of the English food with the local ingredients - mostly, the native Badaga food. Thuppathittu, is an example. That makes it different from the typical English food", explained the Executive Chef Sumit Sinha. Of course, there was the Anglo-Indian touch as well.

In the specially-created Menu Card, the very starter was "Cotton's Button" - a snack of mushroom with spinach and nutmeg, served on fried bread. "Railway Lamb Curry" was a typical item on the menu of the Sahibs when they were travelling by train! The "Madras Club Quoorma" was a rich lamb curry the British borrowed from the Moghuls. And, the "Dak Bungalow Murgi Roast" was what the Sahibs used to enjoy in their camp quarters after returning from work. "This is a roast chicken served with baked potatoes along with tomatoes stuffed with fresh peas", the Chef, Ramalingam, explained.

"The Anglo-Indian cuisine is equally telling in the Raj menu. The 'chicken croquettes', for instance, is minced chicken rolled in bread crumbs and deep fried and served with mango chutney - typically Anglo-Indian. Likewise, the cooking of Keema Mutter (minced lamb with green peas) and the Chicken Ball curry are cooked in Anglo Indian style", described K. Unnikrishnan, F & B Manager.

Among the typical Nilgiri cuisine, The Nilgiri Roll (mince meat roll served with Devil Chutney!) and Fish Fairways (fish grilled and marinated with local aromatic herbs) were a hit, Sharma disclosed.

"For vegetarians, we have Nilgiri Kai kari (Nilgiri vegetables), Ottakudi Gassu poriyal ( a typical Badaga food of potatoes, spices and bamboo shoots), Dal Churchuree (with apples), Avarai Uthaka (traditional Badaga speciality), Khuni khichri (spice preparation) and Gassu Dhotti (boiled potato preparation))", Unnikrishnan said.