![L-R] Dr. PS Manjula, Dean, Students Affairs, University of Madras, Shiv Kakkar, Director, Mapping Skills Technology, Dr. S Armstrong, Member, VC convener committee, University of Madras](https://24x7newsworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/SIC-Main-360x180.avif)
BENGALURU: (Jan 11)
This Pongal, Pullman Chennai Anna Salai presents a specially curated festive buffet that brings together Tamil Nadu’s harvest traditions, regional sourcing, and ingredient-led cooking.
Anchored in a farm to fork philosophy, the Pongal menu has been developed using ingredients sourced directly from farming communities across the state. Rice is procured from Thanjavur, vegetables from Oddanchatram, spices from the Theni district, and fruits from Cumbum, ensuring freshness, seasonality, and traceability across the menu.
The buffet features a wide spread of traditional dishes including ven pongal, karumbu saaru jaggery pongal, kavuni rice pongal, medu vadai, masala vadai, jaggery bonda, raw banana preparations, yam curry, karuvattu kuzhambu, rasam, sambar, kootu, pachadis, semiya payasam, appalam, and accompaniments served with ponni rice. Naturally sweetened preparations using jaggery and cane sugar form an integral part of the menu, staying true to harvest-time cooking practices.
The Pongal offering is led by Chef Vijay, with a focus on clean flavours and minimal intervention. Regional masalas have been carefully selected, with Elumalai masalas used for vegetable preparations and Murugan masalas for fruit-based dishes, reinforcing the emphasis on authenticity and balance.
The festive menu will be served as a buffet, inviting guests to experience the diversity and depth of a traditional Tamil harvest meal within a contemporary hospitality setting. The Pongal buffet will be served for lunch at Mercato on 15 January 2026.
Chef Vijay, who is leading the Pongal menu at Pullman Chennai Anna Salai, said, “For Pongal, we wanted the food to feel familiar and rooted, the way it is cooked at home during the harvest season. All the ingredients have been sourced locally, directly from farmers, and the focus has been on keeping the cooking simple so the natural flavours come through. This menu is about celebrating what the season gives us, without overworking the food.”
Vinodh Ramamurthy, General Manager, Pullman Chennai Anna Salai, said, “At Pullman Chennai, we believe festivals are best celebrated through experiences that feel meaningful. This Pongal buffet is our way of acknowledging Tamil Nadu’s agricultural heritage while offering guests a sense of familiarity, comfort, and celebration at the table.”
