South Indian Comfort Food @ Currylicious

I have always had a go to place when in dire need of some comfort food especially on low days and it seems like that I have found a new place to appease myself. I say this as I have now visited this restaurant twice in the last 2 weeks, one being an invite and another being a self paid visit.

Nowadays there are restaurants which serve specific cuisine and some serving different cuisines under one roof. Currylicious falls into the latter category where their focus is on dishing out some of the well known dishes from the regions of Kerala, Mangalore, Tamil Nadu and Goa.

This is by no means a fancy place but a simple, no frills restaurant where the sole focus is to cater to the needs of your taste buds and charge you for just that.

Currylicious has 3 branches in Bangalore with only the Kalyan Nagar one being a full fledged restaurant and the other 2 being outlets in Food courts in Orion Mall, Rajaji Nagar and Elements Mall, Nagawara.

I was invited with fellow bloggers to try out some of their special dishes on a fine Saturday afternoon. One of the nice things about visiting with a group of like minded people is that you get to understand some of the thought and reason behind the set up of a restaurant and I got to have a tête-à-tête with one of the owners on my visit. Though not being a South Indian, the gentleman gave us a peek into the thoughts behind opening a restaurant and the efforts behind perfecting every dish we were served.

The decor is simple as mentioned before with snippets of the different cuisines showcased via the illustrations on the wall, map of south India, different items used in preparation of that particular cuisine and not to forget the lighting draped in saree material specifically from South India.

Their menu is also kept simple with a handful of dishes in the veg and non veg starters, curries from the 4 different areas, accompanying breads, biryani, thali and desserts.

BEVERAGES:

We tried their buttermilk and nimbu pani which were served in glass bottles. I personally liked the buttermilk.

APPETIZERS: 

VEG:

The highlight in this restaurant are their cutlets and I was super excited to know they serve Kappa Cutlet (Tapioca) and Vazhaipoo Cutlet (Banana Flower).

KAPPA CUTLET – Being a malayalee, Kappa (Tapioca) is a commonly made dish at home but this was a first time I was having it in the form of a cutlet. I must mention, this is an excellent way of serving it. The heart shape is a nice touch too.

VAZHAIPOO CUTLET –Banana flower is commonly used to make Thoran which is a dry vegetable with grated coconut. Once again brilliant idea to make a cutlet from Banana flower. Point to note, banana flower dishes are tasty but the preparation is very time consuming. This cutlet was my pick among the veg starters.

MUSHROOM AND BABY CORN PEPPER FRY – A dish specifically served for a foodie friend who is a pure vegetarian. We did dig into her dish to taste and I was glad to note that the flavours of this dish blended well with the corn and mushroom.

NON VEG

FISH CUTLET – Not too much of a fish cutlet person, I was not to keen to have more than a small bite, but I was quite taken aback as I really liked their fish cutlet. It is made a little differently from what we make at home and maybe a reason to be surprised by the flavour.

PRAWN GHEE ROAST – Now this was an order from my end to see if they can serve up something good with seafood other than fish. The ghee roast though did not have much ghee, it made up with nice thick  gravy and can also be used to have as a main course for those who do not like curry dishes.

CHICKEN PEPPER FRY- Another Chettinad special with chicken tossed in a spicy pepper masala. The dish is a bit semi gravy similar to prawn ghee roast and can be had as a main course also.

KERALA CHICKEN ROAST – As the name says it, a kerala specific dish made with onions and tomato. Different parts of kerala prepare their dishes very differently and this is something I got to taste here especially with this dish.

CHICKEN 65 – Not many would be familiar that this starter originated from Chennai due to the popularity of the dish across India. A simple batter fried chicken starter more often served as a side dish with drinks.

NETHILI FRY – Another Kerala special though in this case the Nethili was batter fried giving it that extra crunch in addition to the crispness of the fish itself.

MAIN COURSE: 

All the curries in the menu can be made with vegetables, chicken, fish, prawn or mutton. Do specify as per your liking and taste. We tried some of the popular dishes and combinations.

VEG:

MIXED VEG MALABAR CURRY- A very different tasting Malabar dish. Probably it is because it is vegetarian. A dish to be had with Appams and Parathas.

KERALA EGG ROAST – This was the best dish of the meal for many of us so much so we ordered another plate of the same. The masalas used in the onion and tomato mix was absolutely delightful and I enjoyed the roast with Neer dosa and Appam.

NON VEG:

MANGALORE GHASSI – I have heard of this popular dish but never had the opportunity to taste it. A thick gravy made from coconut and a some lovely spices. Though there is a similarity in the use of coconut, this dish is very different from Kerala coconut dishes. Ideally paired with Sannas or Neer Dosa.

CHETTINAD CHICKEN CURRY – Having lived a major part of my life in Chennai, I have a special corner in my heart for Chettinad dishes. This curry was well prepared with the right amount of spices making it a close second among the dishes I had. Can be had with almost anything from Appams, Neer Dosa or Sannas.

ALLEPEY RAW MANGO FISH CURRY – A very common dish in Kerala and well sought after outside Kerala. If you love fish, then this is not to be missed here.

ACCOMPANIMENTS : 

All the above dishes can be had with Neer Dosa, Sannas, Appams and Malabar Parathas.

SOME POPULAR COMBINATIONS:

DESSERT:

Currently they serve only two desserts, Gulab Jamun and Pal Payasam. The Payasam was very good though more of an acquired taste for non keralites.

As mentioned in the beginning of this post, I was completely satisfied with my first visit that I had to have another meal here.I also ordered their cutlets ( fish, kappa, vazhaipoo – total 24 nos.) for my family.

2 visits in 2 weeks, need I say more! Do give Currylicious a try.

Ambiance – 3.5/5   

Service – 4/5

Food Taste – 4/5

Quantity/Quality – 4/5

Value for Money – 4.5/5 

NOTE : The above mentioned first visit was an invite to offer my feedback and suggestions and my blog post is my unbiased review.