Let me tell you about dessert first: I cannot wait till the last paragraph. The mango phirni tart arrived like a slice of sunshine, featuring a resplendent yellow filling topped by slivers of Alphonso mangoes. As I scoop it out, I realise the mango has been blended into a phirni with thooyamalli, an indigenous fine grained, fragrant rice from the Kanchipuram region in South India.
Next came the Riz au Lait, a French dessert made using navara rice and milk pudding with a hint of espresso caramel, which adds a fragrant, smoky note. Navara is unique to Kerala and is known for its immunity building medicinal properties.
