Mysuru: Adivasi-cooked veg bamboo biriyani is the flavour of the season at the ‘Winter Food and Cake Festival-2017,’ jointly organised by the District Administration, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Department, Tourism Department, Mysore Palace Board, Mysuru District Hotels and Restaurants Association, Bakery Owners Association and Mysuru Travels Association.

The festival began at Nanjaraja Bahadur Choultry on Vinoba Road here today, and foodies were trickling in even as the aroma of different varieties of food filled the air. The 3-day carnival is open from 8 am to 10.30 pm.

Adivasi cooks from H.D. Kote, led by G. Swamy and Vijaykumar, are busy preparing the oil-less vegetarian biriyani that costs Rs.60 per plate and like the bamboo chicken biryani that was served during the Dasara celebrations, the demand for this biryani is also going to be high, said an organiser of the festival.

Even as the avarekai mela is attracting attention at the nearby Alamma Choultry, (which is going to end today), another attraction at the food festival is the avarekai feast. There are varieties of avarekai and each bowl of roasted, steamed or dry ones cost Rs.30. For instance, avarekai will be steamed in earthen pots with red mud placed on top of the lid and there will be no water but only salt and spices will be added. The roasted avarekai will not be peeled but roasted in a frying pan.

Forest tubers, which will be roasted and topped with honey, costs Rs.50 a bowl, while  bamboo rice payasam also costs the same. Makali beru tea is being sold at Rs.20 a cup and navane rice gruel at Rs.50 a bowl are some of the exotic dishes available at the festival.

There are many other stalls like the Dosa stall and Bagalkot Special serving North Karnataka delicacies like holige (obbattu) with date and coconut as ingredients costing Rs.30 and the cashew obbattu costing Rs.50.

Cake festival is another major attraction as young girls were seen posing in front of the wedding gown designed by Aroma bakery and clicking pictures. The wedding cake baked by Dolphin bakery is six feet in height and weighs 120 kg, which is also a major draw.

The Health Department is overseeing the arrangements by issuing safety guidelines to maintain the premises clean.