JW Marriott New Delhi hosts South Indian culinary festival with Chef Chalapathi Rao

K3, New Delhi's Food Theatre is set to host a 10-day South Indian culinary festival at JW Marriott New Delhi, celebrating the rich flavours and aromas of this diverse region. The festival will be led by Chef Chalapathi Rao, the founder of Simply South in Hyderabad, a restaurant dedicated to authentic South Indian cuisine.

Chef Chalapathi, recognised among the Top 30 Chefs in India by Culinary Culture in 2022, brings over two decades of experience to the table. His passion for preserving traditional techniques and age-old recipes has earned him numerous accolades, and his philosophy centres on passing on this culinary knowledge to future generations.

The curated menu for the festival will showcase a wide variety of dishes from various regions of South India. Guests can indulge in the aromatic spices of Chettinad, the coconut-rich flavours of Kerala, the vegetarian delights of Tamil Nadu, and the bold non-vegetarian specialities of Andhra Pradesh.

Reflecting on his philosophy on culinary knowledge, Chef Chalapathi shared, "I come from a thought process of passing on knowledge to all the chefs I work with because it's through them that we can ensure the true essence of South Indian cuisine lives on. By preserving age-old recipes and traditional techniques, we prevent them from fading away, and this collaboration is a step towards safeguarding that culinary heritage for future generations."

Signature dishes featured in the festival include Meen Gassi, a Mangalorean fish curry; Siru Sola Varuval, crisp-fried baby corn; Venchina Mamsam, tender mutton cooked with native spices; and Chepa Pulusu, a flavorful fish stew simmered with tamarind and spices.