I’ve lost count of the number of years I have been attending the International Film Festival of Kerala held in Thiruvananthapuram. Has it been 15 years or 17? I first went there on the recommendation of fellow critic and friend Rashid Irani and stayed in the hotel he suggested. I consumed a delectable banquet of cinema an irresistible side dish: ven pongal.
Ever since then, my hotel of choice in Thiruvananthapuram has always been Ariya Nivaas. It’s across the street from one of the major festival venues and close to other cinemas too. But the lure of Ariya Nivaas isn’t just convenience. It’s the ven pongal – the pale yellow rice-and-lentil orb dipped in ghee and garnished with pepper that is a breakfast staple across South India.
Annoyingly, the tariff at Ariya Nivaas does not include breakfast. But thankfully, Ariya Nivaas has two restaurants (AC and non-AC) that serve round-the-clock meals – soft idlis, perfectly crisp dosas, wholesome thalis that come with payasam, a ghee roast that is probably hard on the arteries. And ven pongal – delicious, perfectly spiced ven pongal.
I always start a manic day at the festival (catching a minimum of four films and a maximum of five) with ven pongal. It doesn’t just…
Source: Food coma: Travelling nearly 1,700 kms for ven pongal
