Mangalore ghee roast and tender coconut payasam

In India, food is a love language. Haven't we Indians mastered the art of making guests overeat whenever we invite them for lunch or dinner? Do you enjoy travelling to cities where there is an amazing spread of food that spans different regions? [Read about my Bombay trip here]

On a recent trip to Bombay, my friend recommended that we check out this restaurant that is known for its delicious Mangalorean cuisine. Both of us enjoy southern coast flavours and it seemed like a good choice to start with.

[READ: Significance of Food in Hinduism]

The menu had lots of delicious options for vegetarians and non-vegeterians. We started with a pineapple drumstick rasam. The flavours were too watery and mixed up. We didn't particularly enjoy it. Perhaps the watery tamarind notes went over the top, diluting the sweetness of pineapples in the rasam.

The showstopper was undoubtedly Ghee Roast (veg), which my friend strongly recommended. It was so delicious and melt-in-your-mouth with fluffy appams.

And then I tasted a one-of-its-kind payasam - Tender coconut payasam.

[READ THREE TYPES OF PURITY TO OBSERVE WHILE PREPARING FOOD]

While I have tasted different types of payasams whenever I sit down to savour a sadhya, the tender coconut payasam was unlike any milk dessert I had before.

Creamy coconut flavour was delicately balanced with milk and slivers of coconut pieces that crumbled easily when you bit into it. A soulful engagement is what I felt while savouring this milk dessert.

Clearly, some dishes are deceptive, like this creamy coconut payasam.

It looks like a humble dish. But when you taste it, the richness of flavours pour into you!

What's your favourite Indian dessert?

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