Coconut Grove, Bangalore

Craving Kerala or Chettinad or Andhra style food?

The Coconut Grove

No outing is complete without eating out. It was on one of our frequent trips to Bangalore that has become Bengalooru. Having got out aimlessly, we decided we will explore some nice place and eat something different. Each one of us had a different menu and a different place in mind.

But as lady of the house,  it was my way or the highway ! And I wanted to eat Idiyappam and Kurma, the Malabar-Kerala specialty. For those who cannot take the trouble of making it at home--it is a bit tedious-- it is a special dish .

It is made a bit different in Tamil Nadu, where it is called sevai. In Sri Lanka, it goes by the name of string hoppers. In some parts of the world, it is rice noodles. The thickness of the fine strings of rice, that is ground fine and passed through fine presses to get the shape,and steamed again, varies from place to place. But the basic thing is, it is made of rice, soaked, ground and given a new shape--fine, stingy look, an emaciated version of noodles.

The other variation is  the garnish , or  the accompaniment.

Mahima , my daughter, took me to Coconut Grove on Church street, a place I fell in love with at first sight. It was a man-made coconut grove, with Malabar tile roofed structures, the breeze from fans mimicking  nature, almost deceptively, almost like a tree house.

The breeze from the palm trees!

 The lighting, décor, choice of cutlery, and even the menu, were all true to what a place with that kind of a name should have. The waiters in the ethnic dhoti were polite and helpful.

There was a lot to choose from –food from all over South, There was Chettinad, Andhra, and of course, Malabar food,  and most of the dishes using coconut.

Copper plates and tumblers, the banana leaves all added the ethnic touch

My idiyappam was soft, melted in my mouth all too quickly. And the  veg kurma –tenderly cooked vegetables in  light coconut milk with just the right kind and amount of spices --were as good as what I’ve had in Kerala, though one wished the helping had been a bit generous.

My daughter across had appam and stew. If I had been a bit more hungry, I would have given the avial a try.

Waiting for the food