Dakshin at Welcom Hotel Sheraton New Delhi is hosting an interesting Coorg food promotion

Being a food enthusiast, I am always on the look out for something special and innovative. Though from my experience, I would say small towns and nondescript areas can any day throw up a surprise in terms of a great dish. That way, much of our regional food is yet to be explored. Say in Mughlai food, I would rather go for Rampuri and Bhopali delicacies instead of the more well known Lucknowi fare.

Hoping to exploring something similar but in South Indian cuisine, I recently went to Welcom Hotel Sheraton New Delhi in Saket. It was to taste food at its ongoing Coorg food promotion at the South Indian specialty restaurant Dakshin.

Coorg, also known as Kodagu, is the smallest district of Karnataka. People of Kodagu are considered descendants of Alexander The Great and are mainly non-vegetarians, highly influenced by the region’s geography and culture. Chef Vel Murugan, who extensively travelled through the Coorg region to get authentic delicacies, said, “Coorgs are very cautious about handing over their recipes, they often keep them a secret.”

Well, the curiosity created by the Chef tempted me all the more to go for it. As usual, whenever I dine at Dakshin, I start with a glass of sweet coconut water instead of any colourful mocktail. I did ditto. Before the starters were served, I munched on to the papads which are served to me with some five variants of chutneys. And I tell you, each variant was worth a try.

Without any further delay, my prawns rave fry arrived. Very lightly battered fried, the prawns were not crispy but perfectly crunchy due to a thin layer of semolina. Lacked a bit on seasoning but the chutneys balanced it. Though not a great fan of vegetarian food, I tasted koomu barthad, a spicy stir fried mushroom dish tossed with onion and bell peppers.

Next came the main course. I was served two delicious delicacies, one made of chicken and the other lamb based. Koli mangyepajji was light and smooth having boneless chicken cooked in green chilli and raw mango with drumsticks. But it was yerachye, a mutton delicacy, which was too good. Made with dry pepper, the mutton was tender and flavourful. I ate both the dishes with paaputtu, a bread made with rice and coconut. Paaputtu was spongy and tasty.

To end on a sweeter note, the Chef offered me mangai rasayana, a mango puree and milk dessert but, as always I went for the almond halwa without which my meal at Dakshin would never be complete.

When – June 21 to 30

Meal for two – Rs. 3500 plus taxes

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Food / by Osama Jalati / New Delhi – June 21sgt, 2013

Nikhil Chinapa

MTV mascot, DJ, VJ, promoter, festival director, radio host, dance music fanatic: Nikhil Chinapa is all of these things and more. But underneath all the various avatars he’s worn in his career, Nikhil is one thing: a believer. A believer that nothing brings people together like dance music. An ambassador for electronic beats and club culture, Nikhil is constantly pushing India as a future dance music capital to some of the world’s most celebrated artists. In the last year alone, Nikhil has persuaded Fatboy Slim, Above & Beyond, Swedish House Mafia, Armin van Buuren, and Tiesto to bring landmark events to Indian ears.

Last week in Delhi, I played a show alongside Funkagenda.

Something happened at the gig that illustrated a broader trend I’ve been seeing in the dance music community over the past few months – something I’m a little concerned about.

There was a gentleman in the audience who spent most of the evening standing with his arms crossed, looking a bit bored.

Then, when Funkagenda played “Spectrum” (a hit track by Zedd that’s become one of the biggest tunes of 2013), this gentleman opened his arms wide, closed his eyes, and sang the song – every single word – as loudly as he could. It was amazing to see him share that enthusiasm with us.

The confusing thing was his extremely muted reaction to the other music that Funkagenda had played. It was almost as if the gentleman in the crowd wasn’t there to hear music that he hadn’t heard before – he was there, waiting for the one big track that he knew.

This is a bit confusing to me. I fell in love with clubbing because to me, going out was about going on a journey with the DJ who was performing. It wasn’t about one or two particular standout tracks. It was about the experience of following the music as it lead us up and down, like a series of waves.

As a DJ, the only thing I can ask for is that the clubbers who walk through the doors and onto the dance floor have an open mind. If they walk into the club with a pre-conceived idea of what they’re going to hear, or what to expect, then they’ll probably be disappointed.

My question is: if clubbers go out with a set of tracks that they want to hear played by the DJ, what’s the point of going out? You can just as easily stay at home and play the tracks yourself.

To me, the magic of going out to a nightclub lies in the sense of excitement and possibility. You don’t know what you’re going to hear, you don’t know what kind of journey the DJ is going to lead you on. You might hear a new song for the first time, a record that changes your life. You might even discover an entirely new genre, or style of music that you didn’t even know you liked.

But when you go out thinking “I have a list of five songs that I hope the DJ plays,” you’re closing yourself off from the possibility of discovering new music, and new ideas.

It’s a tough distinction to make – because people love the big records for a reason. These are the huge songs that become part of our lives, giving give us joy and happiness every time we listen to them. They’re hits because they’re great songs. A good DJ set usually includes one or two big tracks that everyone can sing along to.

But the challenge is to get people to celebrate the big records without ignoring all the other songs that comprise a DJ set – to embrace the journey, not just the destination.

source: http://www.idiva.com / i DIVA / Home> Entertainment / by Nikhil Chinapa / June 19th, 2013