If you feel like having a taste of royal cuisine to enjoy your summer afternoon with family and friends in regal atmosphere, a visit to Hotel Connemara might do the trick. The executive chefs have curated a menu for afternoon tea comprising English tea as well as Madras tea with local infusion.

“We want our guests to experience a classical English afternoon high tea with the traditional infusion”, says head chef of Connemara N Kishore Kumar. The best way to start an afternoon tea would be to crunch into scones made in traditional English style after adding dollops of cream to them. The drinks to go with the tea can also be very English, much like the décor itself at one of the oldest hotels in South India. The Lady Connemara Bar & Lounge at the   Taj Connemara after it reopened with an extensive renovation and redesign, seems to have a readymade connect to royalty.  The bar with soothing music and classic cocktails brings a touch of England’s old-world charm.

Dating back to 1854, the hotel’s legendary history has been brought to life with fresh and modern sensibilities. The Taj Connemara is a proud relic of the colonial era and is named after Lord Connemara, the Governor of Madras and history relating to his life.

The Classical Afternoon Tea includes a selection of traditional ‘Charlies’ starting with scones and sandwiches like Scottish Smoked Salmon in Multigrain bread with whipped brie and wild rocket; Poached Cornfed chicken with Coronation Mayo sandwich etc. partnered with themed cocktails.

Best of Madras serves handmade crisps; ElluPodiurgaaidli , Mini adai with Injee chutney; and Millet KuzhiPaniaram with smoked tomato pachadi. Connemara Degree Kaapi with  Nannari and cardamom cake; Filter coffee mascarpone tart; Palm jaggery Mysore pak; Mini baked boondi basundi cups; and Home baked cookies, chocolates and Macroon makes a perfect fusion. The chef also shares a few recipes from his cuisine.

‘Best of Madras’

Idly Powder (ElluPodi)

Ingredients:

• Urad Dal                       1/2 cup                                                                     
• Chana Dal                  1/2 cup                                                                     
• Dried Red Chillies      1/2 cup                                                                     
• Curry Leaves              20 gm                                                                      
• Asafoetida                   3 tsp                                                               
• Sesame Seeds            1/8 cup                                                                     
• Garlic Pod                     3 no.                                                               
• Pepper                          1 tsp                                                               
• Toor dal                    1/2cup                                                                     
• Gingelly Oil                    1 tsp                                                               
• Salt                                 5 tsp                                                                
• Dhaniya powder          1/2 tsp                                                                       
• Fennel powder             1/2 tsp                                                                       
• Roasted Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp                                                                       
• Turmeric powder     1/2 tsp     

Method:

• Add a tsp of oil – dry roast the dals together till light brown, followed by adding red chillies.Roast till red chillies till it turns crisp and dals turn golden brown.
• Finally add the roasted asafoedita and set aside. Then dry roast sesame seeds, let it splutter then set aside. Now dry roast curry leaves until crisp, set aside.
• Now pan roast pepper and garlic each separately. Transfer the roasted ingredients to a wide bowl and allow it to cool down.                                                                                                
• Add required salt and grind the roasted ingredients to a coarse mixture. Then finally add jaggery and grind it to a semi fine mixture, little coarse. Cool down and then transfer to an airtight container.

 ElluPodiUrugai Idly vathakkal

Ingredients:

• Raw rice     250gm                    
• Boiled rice        60gm                       
• Ural dhal     80gm                       
• Salt     5gm             
• Mango Pickle     10gm                      
• Ghee         15ml              
• Curry leaves     15gm                       
• Gingelly Oil       15 ml             
• Fennel      3gm              
• Cumin               3gm              
• Idly powder     15gm

Method:

• Soak rice, urad dal separately in water for 2 hours.
• Grind urad dal & rice individually and mix it.
• Allow it to ferment for 6 hours
• Place the pickle in a cocktail idly tray, pour batter on top and steam it for 15 minutes.
• Heat ghee in a pan, add curry leaves
• Add pickle stuffed idly, toss it with sprinkled idly podi & gingelly oil.

Ragi Masala Kuzhi Paniyaram

Ingredients:

• Parboiled rice    120 gm
• Raw rice                    10gm                      
• Finger millet flour  100gm                     
• Ural dhal                   160gm                     
• Oil     300gm                     
• Mustard seeds        8gm             
• Channa dal    20gm                       
• Chopped green chili     8gm             
• Chopped ginger     8gm                    
• Grated coconut     28gm      
• Cashew nut (broken) 20gm                    
• Salt     16gm     
• Fresh coriander     8gm
• Curry Leaves     5 gm             

Method:

• Soak rice and dal together for minimum three hours. Grind to a fine batter and keep aside for fermentation
• Soak ragi separately. Mix the ground batter with ragi flour
• For tempering, heat oil in a pan, crackle mustard, add finely chopped ginger, green chili, and curry leaves, grated coconut, cashew nuts and sauté.
• Add the tempering into the batter and mix well with salt.
• Pour the batter in a heated paniyaram griddle and cook till golden brown color evenly rotating the Paniyaram upon low heat.
• Turn gently till the core of the paniyaram dumplings gets cooked.
• Serve hot with desired Chutney.

Chef N Kishore