Mumbai Food: Lower Parel restaurant to offer special beer

Chef Kavan Kuttappa grew up in Kodagu district in a Kodava family of Kshatriya lineage Our cricket breaks were spent eating egg puffs from Iyengar bakery and moms pandi curry Rs 425 slowcooked and spiced with pepper cloves cinnamon cumin and corriander the executive chef of Bengalurubased The Permit Room recalls When he was asked to curate a popmenu for the first anniversary of Toit Taproom and Kitchen in Mumbai he wanted to represent South India wellWe are not just idlidosa In contemporary Indian restaurants too South Indian food is seldom represented beyond sambhar foam I decided to have fun with this menu says Kuttappa who sticks to authentic flavour profiles but doesnt hesitate adding parmesan to tamarind balls and hollandaise sauce over egg puffs We took a fourstate scrumptious food hopAndhra PradeshSpice it upThe spice levels hit the roof when we halt at Andhra Pradesh The food is ricebased and we see the use of gongura pickles We make inhouse podi with chilli and gram dal The spices are preroasted and then pounded which adds a nutty flavour Red chilli from Guntur is the spiciest says KuttappaORDER Andhrastyle chickenWhile the version here uses yogurt be prepared to breathe fire The chicken chunks are tender and come on a bed of appam Polish off the chicken and wipe off the soaked layer of soft appam beneathCOST Rs 275KarnatakaSweet like sambharHome ground for Kuttappa he elevates the egg puffs into a gourmet dish of a flaky puff holding an upturned egg white pocket stuffed with a tomatoonion pasteAbout the medu vada whose name and recipe changes in slight variation across all the states Kuttappa says Its medu vada Rs 225 served with a nonsweet sambhar in Tamil Nadu and uddin vada served with a sweeter sambhar in Karnataka Ours comes spiked with cheese and crunchy asparagus pieces adding body and textural breaksORDER chiroti sandwichA wedding treat ours looks like a French puff pastry topped with a dollop of ice cream The authenticity is marked with the filling of a basundi paste and the entire element swims in a mango milk and cream We crush through the flakes and ensure every element is on the spoon for the big bite COST Rs 275KeralaFresh catchThere are all things coconut here from oil to base curries making them thicker on the palate to freshly ground or roasted coconut in curries While raw mango is used as a souring agent apart from tamarind I have used it as an ingredient in the potato and raw mango curry Rs 325 It is a pop of sour burst with every biteTheres use of fennel in the spices too Most gravies have a stewythin consistency While Kerala coast has a staple of karimeen pollichathu Mangalore consumes kane In Kerala the fish is either fried or baked or steamed in banana leaves In Tamil Nadu the fish preparations are quick fixes like deep and stir frying Kerala also gets the international influence of early settlers like the Arabs and the Syrian ChristiansORDER Fish PollichathuUsually a redspice marination ours comes in a light green tinge earned from raw mango coconut and chillies The marinade is finished with a tadka of curry leaves and raiCOST Rs 350Tamil NaduTamarind tadkaIn Chennai gravies use a lot of sesame oil making them thicker and linger on the palate One of the dishes on the menu is the ennai kathirikai an eggplant curry stuffed with some chutney podiThe gravy has a dominant chilli tamarind flavour says Kuttappa The state is known for its Chettinad cuisine which documents the use of cardamom along with the fiery spice mix of chillies and pepperORDER Puliyogare PoppersThey look like a larger version of Jalapentildeo poppers but inside is tamarind rice and toasted peanuts fused with creamy parmesan With a raw onion and yogurt dip this is bingeworthyCOST Rs 250Anniversary beerOur tall glass of 500 ml Chevallier Bitter has a golden copper tinge and is low on carbonation The sip is chilled on the bitter side and has a biscuity malt flavour This beer recently took part in a beer competition titled Heirloom Malt Brewing Award in Germany Interestingly the beer is made from an heirloom malt variety Chevallier which was first used in the 1830s and since 2010 has been replanted and cropped For the blend it was procured from Rhoen Malt in Germany If the stout scares you because of its bitterness this one is a fine beginningAT Toit Brewery Taproom and Kitchen Zeba Centre 242 Senapati Bapat Marg Lower Parel West Mathuradas Mill Compound Todi MillsTIME 12 noon till 1 amCALL 93245 55223Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates