If all you know about Indian food is mamak and banana leaf dishes, then you’re only superficially acquainted with the cuisine. Indian food is diverse and rich, deeply rooted in cultures and traditions that have been passed down through the generations.
The Indian cuisine most commonly found in our country hails from the north and south of India. In both regions, the ingredients used are pretty much the same – what makes them different are the flavours: northern dishes are creamy, with a mild taste; while the south loves spices and bringing the heat.
So we were all set to have our palates ablaze when we heard that a new South Indian restaurant had just opened in Bangsar, and we were determined to check it out. With Deepavali just around the corner, we think it’s the perfect time for YOU to giveVeranda a try as well.
Veranda’s tagline is “south on a platter” – and they mean that quite literally. At Veranda, you’re taken on a culinary journey starting at Karaikudi in Tamil Nadu, a place known for its robust flavours and pounded chettinad spices, and on to regions of Kerala, where authentic flavours are infused with the richness of coconut. The creamy and tropical offerings are infused with all things coconut – from coconut milk to grated coconut and even coconut oil. Last but not least, you’ll travel northwards to Andhra Pradesh, where you get more intense and bolder flavours. The cuisine of Andhra Pradesh features fiery chili peppers and tangy ingredients that enhance the overall taste of dishes.
Now let’s get right into all the wonderful things we had!
Starters
We began our gastronomical adventure with some peanuts, stir fried with spices. These crispy, crunchy, and spicy Indian-flavored fried peanuts are the ideal treat. Flavoured with spices and curry leaves, they make an irresistible teatime snack and are guaranteed to please a crowd. They were packed in paper cones – a cute and convenient idea. But you know what was cuter? The waiter dressed in traditional Indian attire, serving the starter!
Next, we had Mooru, which, given the heat these days, was precisely the beverage we needed to cool us down. Mooru is a blend of tairu (yogurt) with onions, pepper, chilly and some spices. It’s super simple to make and trust us – it not spicy at all. So don’t freak out if you see chillies and peppers in this drink. Whatsmore, mooru goes well with spicy food.
Appetizers
We had two different appetizers – Malli 65 and Seeyam.
Malli 65 are chicken nuggets deep fried with curry leaves, coriander, mint leaves, green chilli, ginger and garlic. This dish is minty, with a slightly spicy kick. The chicken is super tender and really flavourful. By itself, it was a tad bit salty, but if eaten with rice, it should be perfect.
Seeyam is made from a batter of ulunthu (blackgram), tempered shallots, ginger, coconut, mustard seed and curry leaves. The batter is then deep fried into crispy golden balls. It basically tastes like vadai, but the shape is slightly different. To make this dish flavourful, it’s served with sweet tomato chutney. Although they look simple, trust us, these tiny balls have lots of amazing flavours.
Mains
Veranda’s specialises in thalli sets. Thalli, meaning tray or platter, is used to serve assorted Indian dishes in one serving. Unlike the banana leaf set, you don’t get to choose or customize your sides. Thalli comes with fixed items, featuring mostly vegetarian dishes.
The thalli set we had consisted mostly of Chettinad dishes, along with some sides from Kerala and Andhra. The items you see here are some of the items South Indians prepare at home on special occasions. The set comes not just with a variety of dishes, but other items like papadom, ponni sadham (a kind of rice), mor milaghai (soaked curd with sun dried red pickles), paruppu podi (ground lenthil), ghee and lime pickles.
Overall, we really enjoyed Veranda’s thali. It features many different flavours, spices and heat levels. We could tell every dish prepared was made with great importance placed on the balance of flavours. Not only that, the portioning was also reasonable, each good enough for one person. We had quite a lot going on with just one plate, so we’ll break it down for you:
Veetu sambar: No thalli – in fact, no Indian dish – is complete without this lentil curry. Veetu sambar, as in “homemade sambar“, is an everyday staple in south Indian households. This is like the curry of all curries! The taste is really authentic and eating it with just plain rice made us feel like we were dining at home.
Thakkali raasam: Another staple in Indian cuisine. Raasem has the simplest ingredients and preparation method, yet, it is a very flavourful and potent south Indian soup. The key ingredient? Asofoetida, which helps in digestion and offers other healthy benefits too.
Paruppu Urandai Kozhambu: This kuzhambu (curry) is one of the most popular recipes among the south Indian community. This vegan meatball is made of lentils, onions and spices, which is then fried and added to a chettinad curry.
Beans carrot thoran: This is a medley of French beans and carrots, stir fried with spices and coconut. It’s a classic Keralan vegetarian side dish.
Chettinad vendakai mandi: Considered a traditional dish, this stir fried veggie recipe is a favourite among Chettinad households. Usually cooked with ladies fingers and chickpeas, its delicious tamarind based gravy is made without any masala added.
Gutti vankaya fry: A cute and small brinjal stuffed with a mixture of freshly roasted and pounded peanuts, coconut and spices. The ones we had were roasted to perfection to bring out their flavour.
Thenggai sadham: Another variety of rice we had besides plain white rice, sadham is made with freshly grated coconut and spices. It has a wonderful flavour and can be eaten on its own or drizzled with curries.
Main side – non vegetarian
Meat lovers, fret not, because there’s something for you too.
The first non-vegetarian dish we had was the Gongura Mamsam. Mamsam, which means meat or mutton, is a favourite Andhra dish. The mutton is cooked with gongura leaves (sorrel leaves), which gives it an exquisite taste. The mutton pieces were super tender and you could tear them so easily. Not only that, the meat was soaked with so much juice and essences, they were bursting with flavour.
The second item was Meen Moilee. Every seafood lover knows you’ve got to have your items fresh – and that’s what we got at Veranda. We were treated to fresh fish, marinated and gently simmered in a mildy spiced coconut base. We loved how bright the Kerala dish looked and how fresh the fish fillets were. The taste was just mind-blowing. The creaminess from the coconut really brought out a great deal of flavour in the dish.
Dessert
Last but not least – desserts. You better not leave an Indian restaurant without desserts! At Veranda, we had paal paniyaram, a Chettinad original dessert consisting of lightly fried lentils and raw rice dumplings, soaked in a delicious bowl of coconut milk and cardamom flavour. A perfect dessert for any sweet tooth. The dumplings were in bite sizes and perfectly cooked from within. We loved how the cardamom wasn’t overwhelming, and that the overall flavour was spicy and sweet – but not overwhelming.
This was definitely a FULL-filling meal!
Besides the amazing food, we couldn’t help but notice the exterior and interior of the restaurant. The decor concept was inspired by Indian home designs (we found out that the restaurant proprietors travelled all the way to Indian for inspo). The wood work, colour scheme, flooring and overall look was minimalistic but classy, and brought about a homely feel. We also love how they’d included Indian brass utensils as part of their interior design.
During our visit we had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with the beautiful and friendly owner, Chef Gaya, who’s passionate about food. She and her team took great care of all the guests that day, and were kind enough to explain every dish that was served to us. It made our entire experience even more delicious.
Veranda: South On A Platter
23 (Ground Floor, Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar, 59100 Kuala Lumpur
