The Gateway Resort, Damdama Lake, Gurgaon

I clearly recollect one of my first contributions to a magazine from the luxury pickings for men – Mans World. I wrote a couple of pieces for them and my very first assignment was covering a very intriguing concept brought on board (infact, developed and refined since many years of its inception) by one of India’s famous luxury hotel brands ‘Taj’.

Taj is synonymous with luxury in India. Endorsed by the rich and famous, the Taj brand boasts of properties all over the country (and abroad too). From Taj Palaces embedded with history and culture in their design, service and food to business hotel offshoots from the same brand such as Vivanta (which is not slowly rechristening itself to a resort feel at some of their locations) and Ginger (the low budget hotel for the budget traveler). One such offshoot stands out amongst the others, much like an underdog, The Gateway Brand. It may be overshadowed amongst the groups giants i.e. the palaces because you will find these in the smaller cities of India and not the metros and you wonder why is it that the Taj Group has identified smaller towns as a possible target for their customers? Is it to heighten the brands presence in every nook and corner of the country (and the world?)? Or is it an urge to spread the name far and wide? Well apart from a nagging feeling that this might all be part of the bigger picture (I mean, pick any brand, they are here not only to survive but to also grow and make their presence felt) it is a simplistic matter of attracting the Urban Nomad. A perchance traveler, an on-the-go business traveler, a budget friendly vacation for a middle class family … all these formulate into a category who are part of the target audience for The Gateway Brand.

Since the brand is synonymous with business and leisure travelers seeking contemporary and refreshing experiences and keeping in mind those looking for comfort, familiarity and flexibility, this brand just about opened up its 25th Hotel in a location in Haryana, pretty much on the outskirts of Delhi (About an hour from the airport). I was invited to visit the opening of the hotel, a stay over for the launch and pretty much interact with some known and some unknown faces of the hotel machinery. The new Gateway Resort (threw open its doors to the public on 17th November 2014) at the picturesque Damdama Lake in Gurgaon, a getaway place for most Delhiites. Nestled in the lap of Aravalli Hills and spread over 20 acres, the resort itself is an urban sanctuary inspired by nature.

Nature reflects in the interior and the architecture, sprawling over 20 acres with nearly 1000 trees, the resort is designed as a weekend retreat in the outskirts of Gurgaon, creating a rustic homely atmosphere nestled in the natural environment. The architecture attempts to dissolve the literal boundaries of the building to integrate the inside and outside. The artwork including scrap metal sculptures, embroidered and hand – painted textiles and studio ceramics were conceived to lend a similar experience by reflecting the essence of the a rural habitat complete with life size sculptures of the wild life and natural living beings of the surroundings. Spacious rooms and even bigger bathrooms, it is an undisputed luxury in the midst of nowhere (the approach road to the hotel is quite bumpy and rural – well, you are passing through small towns before you get to the space). Once in, the resort is designed to ensure you do not feel like leaving the premises, complete with an adventure sports complex nestled within the resort which includes activities such as Zorbing, Rock Climbing, Balloon Bursting, Blind Mine Field, Spider Web and much more (I did a bit of target practice with bows and arrows, just felt I would rather be shooting knives in the resorts kitchen with the chefs). The fitness center Active Studio, Celsius the pool, The Spa and the sports park provide perfect unwinding options.

My main agenda was to interact with Chef Natarajan Kulandai who is the Corporate Chef of The Gateway Hotels & Resorts, the same person who I had the pleasure of interacting a few years ago over a telephone interview for my first piece for Mans World. I remember literally having had a 2 hour conversation with him as we got along on the lines of food and cooking (obviously), but more so because of the intriguing nature of the food culture he and the Taj Management had embraced for the brand. At this particular resort, the food is a cosmopolitan mix of international cuisine and authentic regional home-style delicacies (a culture they are specifically honing for the Gateway Brand) at the all-day diner Buzz, savour contemporary Chinese and Thai cuisine at the Sian (it was more our yesteryears indo-Chinese combination with a hint of fusion) or relax over a few drinks at Swirl the high energy lounge bar (fabulous cocktails and a decent selection of malts). The best part about Buzz is that it offers an Active Foods Menu.

Aiming to strike a balance between healthy dining and indulgence, Active Foods is all about superfoods and low-glycemic index food for the health-conscious. The concentration is on creating meals, using powerhouse ingredients that are as close as possible to the way nature intended for us to eat. It focuses on handpicked fresh ingredients and meals that are perfectly balanced to meet ones daily nutritional needs.

These ingredients are known for their heart-healthy, cholesterol-unfriendly, age-delaying, cancer-fighting, sugar-balancing and weight-management properties. (even their micro greens are served intact in little pots with the plant alive and growing, so fresh, all you need to do is pluck it out and sprinkle over you morning breakfast salad). Low-glycemic fare like broccoli salad, baked spinach and mushroom and juices including orange, papaya, guava, blueberry, melon, pomegranate and apple add to the wellness experience, besides pro-biotic yoghurt enriched with berries and nuts like flax seeds, melon seeds, almonds and walnuts that are high in omega fatty acids.

Chef Natarajan has around 30 years of culinary experience with the Taj Brand, he specializes in some of the finest world cuisine –South Indian, Mediterranean, Pacific Rim, Indian, Creole, South East Asian, Sri Lankan and Fusion and oversees the entire F&B operations across the Gateway Hotels in the capacity of Corporate Chef, since 2003. Although he has accolades and awards to his name (He was twice nominated as one of the Five Best Chefs in India and he is one of the few chefs in India who is a WACS (World Association for Chefs Society) Certified Chefs (WCC). He is a Former President of the South India Culinary Association and member of Chef Guild of Sri Lanka) his undeniably staunch rooted traditional cooking methods and his humbleness makes you justify the consistency and quality which are reflected in his dishes across the 25 locations.

If Active Foods is unique, then the brands exceptional take on regional cuisine is a keeper. Not only does each of the 25 Gateway brands have a dedicated menu with the city’s or town’s regional specific cuisine but they also promote local talent by shortlisting a home-chef to come and work in their kitchens, such as they would hire any other professional. This brainwave ensured fantastic ‘authentic’ cooking in the Gateway kitchens as far as the regional flavors were concerned. As for the Gateway Damdama which is situated on the fertile soils of Haryana, meaning ‘the Abode of God’, they cater to the discerning guest with Haryanvi food in its simplest form. The cuisine consists of loaves made from flour (either bajra, wheat or gram) with salt and generous amount of green chillies lending the cuisines its pungent character. Evening meals are a simple affair of khichri (porridge) of bajra and moong or rice.

Known to imbibe wholesome, simple and fresh produce into their cuisine, the home-style cooking has elements of staples such as wheat, gram and barley in all their preparations. Mukesh, the house wife cook from Damdama village brings the secret art of traditional home style cooking from her grandmother and her mother. The austere menu includes gravies and pulses made with locally sourced produce paired with a selection of breads. Her special dishes included Pethekisubji, Palwal chicken curry, Damdama macchi, Gawar phalli and a host of other delicacies.

I had to make a beeline to the kitchens and cook up something with Chef. I had indeed noticed the food is served in its full traditional avatar, right down to the way it was plated. Whilst chatting up with Chef, I had a simple question for him. I knew that the resort not only catered to locals but also a lot of foreign travelers, how many of these foreign (and sometimes even out-of-city travelers) would consider ordering simple, home cooked meals in a 5-star hotel? Though an occasional adventurous foreigner would indulge, the percentage of actual impact of people definitely trying out region specific cuisine was not a lot. I had an idea which I shared with chef. How about we took a simple Haryanvi dish, it could be anything (of his choice, or Mukesh’s) and we could just modify this from the plating perspective slightly deconstructing the elements (pure Haryanvi food, as is most regional Indian cuisine, as I mentioned is simple and very basic with Dal, Rice, Roti, etc. forming the core) and serving it up in a completely new avatar though maintaining the authenticity of the flavors and ingredients.

Chef Nat came up with a fabulous variation to the Hara Dhania Chicken which is famous in Haryana. It is originally served with Bajra Khichdi (Pearl Millet) and a carrot pickle and is a winter food (Bajra is heavy and keeps the body warm). His variation was Hara Dhania Chicken on a bed of Gajar Methi & Bajre ki Khichdi. This was a simple dish, but looked great due to the layering of ingredients which gave it visual appeal as well a medley of flavors which you could taste separately. The recipe is as we cooked it and Mukesh was kind enough to ensure it had its flavor profile intact.

Hara Dhania Chicken on a bed of Gajar Methi & Bajre ki Khichdi

Ingredients

FOR CHICKEN

• 150 gm Chicken Breasts
• 15 gm Fresh coriander leaves
• 5 nos Clove garlic
• 1 no Green chili
• 1 tsp Mustard oil
• Salt to taste

FOR GAJAR METHI

• 20 gm Sliced carrot blanched
• 5 gm Fresh methi leaves
• ¼ tsp Roasted cumin powder
• ¼ tsp Mustard oil
• Salt to taste

FOR BAJRE KI KHICHDI

• 20 gm Pearl millet
• Water
• Salt to taste

FOR GRAVY

• ½ tbsp Chopped tomato
• 1 tbsp Chopped onion
• ½ tsp Ginger garlic paste
• ½ tsp Turmeri powder
• ¼ tsp Chopped green chili
• 1/3 tsp Coriander powder
• ¼ tsp Red chili powder
• ½ tbsp Mustard oil
• Salt to taste

Method

FOR CHICKEN

Make a smooth paste in a blender out of fresh coriander leaves, garlic and green chili and marinade the chicken breasts (butterflied i.e. split into two horizontally) with the paste, adjust seasoning. Keep it for 15-20 minutes.

Heat the mustard oil in a pan and cook the chicken completely.

FOR GAJAR METHI

In another pan toss the blanched carrot slices mustard oil, fresh methi leaves and cumin powder. Adjust the seasoning and keep aside.

FOR BAJRE KI KHICHDI

Mildly crush the pearl millet and boil in water with salt.

FOR GRAVY

Heat the oil in a pan, add the chopped green chili and onion, sauté for some time.

When the onions are little golden in color, make a paste of turmeric, coriander and chili powder and mix with the sautéed onion. Cook for some time.

Add the chopped tomato. Cook again and add little chicken stock.

Adjust the seasonings and finish the gravy to a smooth medium thin consistency.

FINISH

Arrange the carrots nicely on a plate.

with a spoon spread the bajre ki khichdi on the carrots.

Slice the chicken and arrange on the bajre ki khichdi.

Pour the sauce on top of the chicken.

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot.

This trip was sponsored by the Taj Group of Hotels and our hosts the The Gateway Resort, Damdama Lake, Gurgaon were attentive in the brands own inimitable way. Taj’s staff and management are handpicked across their various brands to reflect humbleness & attention to detail. I have lived in various Taj properties over the years and even as a kid. Their hospitality promises tradition and culture synonymous with Indian values, the same is extended without a switch be it the media or a paying guest and I hope they continue to do so for years to come.