Culinary Turns Black at Zeera, Conrad Pune.

Confession: when I was invited for Culinary Turns Black at Conrad Pune with a brief that the chefs are attempting a fusion Indian food festival clubbing it with the Black Food scene trending worldwide, my eyes rolled so far back that they could see my brains melting like scoop of ice cream mercilessly chucked in a scalding frying pan. One has been {unfortunately} privy to a multitude of food festivals where experiments to pimp-up rustic Indian dishes and street food in fancy kitchens often results in catastrophe and one wonders why can't 5 star hotels, with all the resources and talent at their disposal, be more ballsy and experimental with their culinary offerings. But the positive word started trickling in before I was due for dinner and with Chef Mandar at the helm of things I'd hoped things would be okay. Right? Wrong.

Because Culinary Turns Black at Conrad Pune is not just another run-of-the-mill festival - as a matter of fact, it's bloody brilliant and an embodiment of an Indian food festival I'd always hoped for. The cooking is intelligent, presenting familiar dishes in seemingly incongruous combinations, and the presentation is beautifully stark with the colour black being the dominant theme of the festival. Fortuitously, the chefs avoid the easy temptation of running amok with the much used and abused activated charcoal {meh!} and instead employ an array of unique ingredients like purple corn, naga rice, squid ink, black truffles and purple potatoes {hallelujah!} to get the desired hue on the plates. 

Amuse Bouche: Amrud & Reshampatti Ravioli 

1st Course: Wild Mushroom & Truffle Kulcha

2nd Course: Batata Vada Bao

The 7 course tasting menu kicks-offs with an amuse bouche of Amrud {guava} and Reshampatti Ravioli where the chillies are roasted till blackened and turned into spheres with Thai chilly infused guava juice. The sphere bursts in your mouth upon applying the slightest pressure leaving behind a spicy {in a good way} aftertaste and properly awakened senses. The Wild Mushroom and Truffle Kulcha is decadently cheesy and bolstered with seven types of mushrooms and comes encased in a crispy gyoza skin blackened with powdered black trumpet mushrooms. The pav component of the Batata Vada Bao is actually steamed Chinese buns precariously holding a purple potato patty between them. Onion petals are slow roasted for 24 hours, then powdered and added to the chickpea batter resulting in a black coating for the vada. The fluffy and slightly sweet bao plays perfect foil to the meaty and moderately spicy patty served with a nice garlic chutney which can be sprinkled on the vada-pav for added heat. 

3rd Course: Lamb Kheema Mutter Pops

4th Course: Dhokla

5th Course: Java Plum Sorbet

The first of the two non vegetarian offerings on the menu, Lamb Kheema Mutter Pops, are stunning roundels of galouti mince coated with roasted and powdered naga rice for crunch and baked till crisp on the outside with a perfectly pasty centre. I'd never imagined I'd ever be slurping a dhokla with a spoon but that's exactly what I did during my dinner at Zeera. Black and Yellow Dhokla, pureed and sieved and charged with nitrogen for a light, foamy texture is finished off with a traditional curry leaves and mustard seeds tempering and is served in a glass ensconced in a bowl filled with smoke for dramatic effect. The Java Plum {jamun} Sorbet comes next. It's coarse textured, as it should be, chilled but never icy, and with a good initial hit of salt that mellows down eventually, providing a much-needed refreshing break between two savoury courses.  

6th Course: Madras Prawns, Pulao, Moilee

7th Course: Black Mousse, Black Truffle Macaron

The Madras Prawns, Pulao, Moilee comes with 2 semolina coated fried crustaceans perched on a naga rice and squid ink risotto with the most fragrant and creamy moilee curry on the side. The myriad flavours and textures on the plate tie together seamlessly to create a dish that is as innovative as it is heart-warming. The dessert course delivers too, AND HOW! A luscious 70% dark Chocolate Mousse with a raspberry cremeux, a truffle oil and chocolate macaron that swaps almond meal for black walnuts, dabs of dark chocolate and truffle oil ganache and whole fig compote assemble to create the mother of all parties in your mouth. 

Dark Sour

The colour Black extends to the special alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages menu designed for the festival as well. From the cocktails I tried, the Dark Sour {Ballentine's, Triple Sec, black lemon foam} and Black Witch {dark rum, balsamic vinegar. activated charcoal, rock salt} make for great concoctions to sip on along with the grub. Priced at a very reasonable 1300++, the Culinary Turns Black menu will be served at Zeera till 31st July {dinner only}.

{The bloggers table was hosted by Zeera, Conrad Pune}