IT's that time of the year again. Winter may still be in the process of settling in for earnest, but the festive season has already announced its arrival. The crème de la crème of Mumbai's culinary scene is also imbibing the festive spirit with its chef's tasting menus. Some are new, with certain dishes and ingredients dedicated to the winter, while some pay homage to the festivities. In case you're wondering where to go and what to eat, fret not. We've got you covered.
Indian Accent
Indian Accent Mumbai has launched its new winter menu, and it's the perfect way to start your season. The seven-course menu, conceived by Chef Rijul Gulati, is peppered with Indian Accent's signature palate cleansers of blue cheese naan, pumpkin shorba, and plum-churan sorbet. Favourites returning to the menu include the tawa jackfruit/Bihari tash meat wrapped in a sattu roti laced with yam chutney, and the morel mushroom/chicken pakoda ducked in saffron cream/green chilli cream and truffle sauce. Among the new additions, we recommend the chat platter with Indori khopra lattice, Ladakhi apricot samosa, and mini Raj kachori. Then there's also their twist on matar paneer – a peas cutlet surrounded by seasoned cotton cheese and tomato gravy.
For the main course, we highly recommend the cauliflower kofta/Kashmiri milk lamb, lotus seed, and quinoa pulao/Nadru Shami kebab in goji berry curry. Or if you want to stick to their staples of black dairy dal and mushroom/paneer makhani kulcha, there's eggplant raita topped with the good ol' bhujiya as the icing on the cake. Mahabaleshwar strawberry cassata and kaju katli cannoli on the pre-dessert platter set the tone for the onset of both Diwali and winters. So does the main dessert – soft baked chocolate and basundi platter, but if you want to chuck that for Daulat ki chaat in the a la carte menu, you wouldn't have any complaints either. It's a breath of fresh and chilled winter air.
Tresind BKC
You can try the lunch set menu at Tresind, which also offers delectable winter/festive specialities. In case you haven't really bid adieu to the summer/monsoon yet, Tresind is still serving raw and ripe aamras puri, which could be the ideal meal to sign off on the season. Next, you can kick off the winter with the Malabar tamarind soup, butternut ravioli, Kolkata beetroot chop served with kasundhi (Bengali mustard sauce), lamb chop, rosemary vindaloo curry, and ghee roast potato. A winter-special main course to follow with arvi ka saag/murgh zamin doz, papad ki sabzi, and motia pulao, served with chilli parantha and missi roti. Save some appetite for the dessert – filter coffee cornetto and miso caramel ice-cream.
In case you want to step out of the set menu and venture into Chef Sarfaraz Ahmed's recommendation for a more festive culinary experience, he recommends imarti. “Festivals are all about nostalgia, celebration, and indulgence. When creating this dish, we wanted to evoke the same emotions. Imarti holds a special place in Indian festivities, with its deep-fried sweetness and crispy texture. By pairing it with kaju katli espuma, we elevate a classic Diwali sweet into something light and airy, while the richness of malai brings it all together for a well-rounded finish. It's our way of giving guests a taste of tradition, but with the innovation that Tresind is known for,” says the chef.
Avatara
The Mumbai branch of the Michelin Star restaurant from Dubai isn't far behind in keeping up with the season either. The popular Rasa menu of the outlet offers you a range of flavours, inspired by the Navarasa. Grilled watermelon served with stone fruit pickle and tomato water make for a refreshing beginning. Follow that up with the lentil platter consisting of horse gram galouti, ragi singhal, and lentil-sesame tea. The banana platter comes soon after, comprising raw banana varuval, coconut lassi, and curry leaf sorbet. Activate those taste buds with the pickle platter – achari broccolini, panch phoron asparagus, and candied walnut. Krishna phal or passion fruit plays its part, accompanied by spiced guava water and strawberry chutney. And a special ode to winter comes in the form of the matar platter – green pea chokha, shisho luchi cannoli and gajar jhol.
Coorg-spiced jackfruit, idiyappam, and chestnut come visiting next, followed by dahi bhalla petit gâteau, pomegranate sorbet, and potato crisp. The last three courses are reserved for the sweet tooth and cleansing. Indulge in bal mithai, chocolate rosette, and buransh ras, before concluding the tasting menu with good ol' paan. Take your time to savour the betel leaf, but don't miss the finale – jasmine and lychee tea, which will help settle all the delicacies that you devoured.
For the festive touch, Chef Sanket recommends modak, the traditional Maharashtra staple dessert, which is a part of the Rasa menu. “India is all about celebration and each community celebrates it with different version of Indian sweets. We have recently introduced modak as part of our Rasas menu...a savoury version of the Maharashtrian classic. With sunchoke, we’ve added a layer of earthiness and depth. Paired with okra thecha for a punch of spice and texture, and the tangy kokum rassa to balance it all, this dish is an exploration of contrasts — soft and crisp, spicy and tangy — each bite paying homage to the rich diversity of Indian ingredients.”