Today, I was back at The Gourmet House and after having their Nasi Goreng last time, my plan was to have it again as a quick lunch for the day… But as I was browsing the menu, another dish caught my eye and that was the Paella… I have always wanted to have that since its been so long since I had it the last time and had been waiting to see it offered anywhere in Trivandrum… I asked the waiter about it and he informed me that it isn’t exactly a 100%Spanish Paella but rather a fusion where they use local ingredients as well… Even the menu mentioned that they are offering the best of what lies by the coast of Travancore in the Paella, which basically means that they use the seafood thats locally available fresh… Anyways, the following pics show what was served for me… 🙂
For those who may be unaware, the Paella is a Spanish rice dish thats said to have originated at the Valencian region and is the most famous dish from the Spanish cuisine; so famous that its considered widely as the national dish of Spain… Paella is made by cooking rice (traditionally a round rice called Bomba Rice) in a broth with vegetables, meats and/or seafood on a shallow pan over open flame… Salt, Paprika, Saffron and/or Rosemary are typically used for seasoning… Based on the ingredients used, there are different kinds of Paella and the one served here is clearly a version of the Paella De Marisco, otherwise known as the Seafood Paella… This typically uses, Rice with Tomatoes, Garlic and the seasonings along with an assortment of Seafood in a Seafood Broth in the pan till everything gets cooked… Since different kinds of seafood takes different times to cook, the chefs who make this plans the order and timing of adding the various seafood to it as the Paella is being cooked…
Now coming to the Paella that was served to me here, clearly as you can see from the pics, it was the long grain rice that was used… The seafood that was used here appeared to be Prawns, Squid and the Indian Cobia… Coming to the taste, well, I felt that the flavour that appeared to dominate the entire Paella was that of the Tomatoes used… The flavours of the seafood appeared to take a back seat here… The flavour and fragrance of Saffron was felt too but instead of Paprika, what I felt was a slight heat from the Chilly Flakes that was used and it was possible to taste the Garlic used as well as a slight hint of the Rosemary if I am not mistaken… The seafood used felt to have been cooked perfectly and they seem to have gotten infused with the flavours of the Tomatoes and Saffron… The only complaint I had about this Paella is that I wish it had a bit more salt and the flavour of the Seafood broth which felt being eclipsed by the Tomatoes and Saffron…
So, overall, I can say that I ended up liking the Paella… It certainly did look promising and I hope my complaint about it get addressed as I think even though not authentic, there is definitely potential for it to be a really great rice dish that can be the restaurant’s signature item… 🙂
