South Indian Caesar Salads: Classic and Wrap Variations in Chennai

Summary: South Indian Caesar Salads are available in such diverse recipes as the classic and wrap variations in Chennai, cosmopolitan capital of Tamil Nadu.

fresh-baked flatbread wrap-arounds of Chicken Caesar Salad in The Dining Room at luxurious Park Hyatt Chennai: Park Hyatt Chennai @ParkHyattChenn, via Twitter July 7, 2021

Caesar Salad originated in 1924 in Caesar's Restaurant, owned by Italian immigrant restauranteur Cesare "Caesar" Cardini (Feb. 24, 1896-Nov. 3, 1956) in Tijuana, Baja California state, northwestern Mexico. Less than 100 years after its creation, the classic recipe has achieved global familiarity and popularity and inspired enticing variations. Caesar Salad is consumed on all seven of Earth's continents. (Indeed, Seabourn, the ultra-luxury cruise line, noted in the company's Oct. 24, 2019, announcement of a voyage to Antarctica and Patagonia "table-side preparations of Caesar salad" as a treat for guests.)

Chennai, the cosmopolitan capital of Tamil Nadu state, conforms with the rest of the Indian subcontinent in appreciating Caesar Salad as a classic dish and as a recipe receptive to creativity. Known as Madras until August 1996, Chennai basks on the Bay of Bengal's picturesque Coromandel Coast as the Gateway to South India.

Food numbers among Chennai's many attributes. Chennai's culinary expertise was recognized through inclusion, as the only South Asian city, in National Geographic's "Top 10 Food Cities" list of 2015. Appearing after Louisville, Kentucky, Chennai was followed by Buffalo, New York; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Lyon, France; Cincinnati, Ohio; Osaka, Japan; Bologna, Italy; Edam, the Netherlands; and Ensenada, Mexico.

The Raintree Hotel, St. Mary's Road, is sited in Alwarpet, central Chennai. The five-star hotel is located southwest of Kapaleeshwarar Temple, a seventh-century complex dedicated to Shiva, the Hindu God of destruction. Self-described as "the warm boutique hotel, on a quiet, green avenue," The Raintree features three dining rooms: Colony, Chap Chay and Above Sea Level, the rooftop lounge.

Ritesh Patil, Chef de Cuisine for the rooftop lounge, shares his presentation of Cesare Cardini's salad in "Make the Perfect Caesar Salad," published Sep. 19, 2014, in The Hindu. Chef Ritesh's version adds bacon rashers (thinly-sliced bacon), brined anchovy fillets, black pepper (3 tablespoons) and lime juice to the original ingredients. It should be noted that variations of the original recipe often include anchovy fillets, which recapture the anchovy-like taste bestowed by Worcestershire sauce.

He portions two handfuls of romaine leaves for the salad's base. He constructs his dressing by halving one clove of garlic for rubbing the inside of the dressing bowl and then whisking two coddled eggs into olive oil (120 milliliters [4.05 ounces; a little over 1/2 cup]). One lime's juice, Parmesan cheese (grated, then powdered; 50 grams [1/4 cup]), salt (to taste), chopped anchovy fillets ((30 grams [1.05822 ounces; 3/8 cup]) and extra virgin olive oil (EVOO; 10 milliliters [0.33814 ounces; a little over two teaspoons]) complete the dressing. The golden croutons come from stale or old bread (60 grams [1/2 cup]), torn into one-inch pieces, for baking and tossing in 3 tablespoons of olive oil at 190° C. (374° F.), for about 10 to 15 minutes. Chef Ritesh recommends using a vegetable peeler for the seven to eight thin shavings of Parmesan cheese that top the salad.

Chef Ritesh extols Caesar Salad as an easy-to-make "heavenly classic." He identifies the salad's ability to please various taste buds via romaine's mildly bitter sweetness, lime's sourness, bacon's saltiness and the pungent interaction of parmesan with anchovies.

Chef Ritesh, a native Mumbaiker, says that, as of 2014, he had been living in Chennai for eight years. In "No Shortcut to Success," published Jan. 30, 2015, in The Hindu, he identifies his background as belonging to coastal Maharashtra state's Koli (fishermen) community. He relocated to Australia in 2015 and, since January 2019, has been Head Chef at Edwin Wine Bar & Cellar in Caroline Springs, Victoria state, southeastern Australia.

The Park Hyatt Hotel Chennai is sited on Velachery Road, southwest of The Raintree Hotel. The Park Hyatt Chennai aesthetically neighbors near Guindy National Park, the former game reserve that shelters Raj Bhavan ("Governor's Residence"), formerly Guindry Lodge and now the official residence of Tamil Nadu's governor.

The five-star hotel offers three restaurants, The Dining Room, The Flying Elephant and Mr. Ong -- The Flavours of Singapore. According to the hotel's website, the restaurants aim to "showcase a wide variety of cuisines portraying the diverse facets of Park Hyatt."

Balaji Natarajan has been The Park Hyatt Chennai's Executive Chef since October 2018. The native Tamilian began his career at the hotel as Executive Sous Chef in March 2012.

Inspiration for The Dining Room's menu comes from local household kitchens, with the mission of blending authenticity with home-style comfort food. The Dining Room's menu includes wraps, made from flatbreads freshly baked in the restaurant's bakery. The menu notes wraps as satisfying as "a snack or even a light meal." All wraps are served with a side of French fries. Wrap selections feature Freshly Baked Pita with Mediterranean Falafel, BBQ Pineapple Wrap and Breaded Chicken Caesar Salad. The Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap is accompanied with "tomato sauce (no bacon)," perfect for dipping fries and wraps.

India's flatbreads are "perfect for meals, snacks, on-the-go wraps, or appetizers," explains Mumbai-born, Ra'anana, Israel-transplanted, cake artist and food blogger Veena Azmanov in her Jan. 17, 2022, post, "Indian Flatbread -- Chapati, Roti, Paratha." The subcontinent's panoply of flatbreads tallies over 30 different types, according to restaurant reviewer Althea Tan's article, "Beginner's Guide to Indian Breads: 9 Types to Start With," posted Aug. 6, 2019, on Michelin Guide magazine's Dining Out section.

Chennai's seamless blend of modernity with tradition provides the inspiring setting for the internationally-favored Caesar Salad. The classic dish finds expression both in its original format and as creative variations.

The Raintree Hotel's Above Sea Level rooftop lounge's indoor and outdoor settings provide the perfect ambience for such gustatory delights as classic Caesar Salad: The Raintree, St Marys Road @The.Raintree.Stmarysroad, via Facebook Feb. 16, 2022

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

fresh-baked flatbread wrap-arounds of Chicken Caesar Salad in The Dining Room at luxurious Park Hyatt Chennai: Park Hyatt Chennai @ParkHyattChenn, via Twitter July 7, 2021, @ https://twitter.com/ParkHyattChenn/status/1412742102866219009

The Raintree Hotel's Above Sea Level rooftop lounge's indoor and outdoor settings provide the perfect ambience for such gustatory delights as classic Caesar Salad: The Raintree, St Marys Road @The.Raintree.Stmarysroad, via Facebook Feb. 16, 2022, @ https://www.facebook.com/The.Raintree.Stmarysroad/posts/4790465067688683

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