Boteco brings a little bit of Brazil to Bengaluru

Subtle and surprising, familiar and yet new, the Brazilian fare at Boteco is a revelation to those with a discerning palate

Every community needs an ‘adda’ and in Brazil it is ‘boteco’ — a place where one can chew the fat and pass the peace pipe with friends and family. At the recently launched Boteco in Bengaluru, one can relish the best of Brazilian cuisine, created and plated by the skilled hands of Chef Guto Souza, whilst luxuriating in a little quality time.

There is much about Brazilian cuisine that will sit comfortably on the Indian palate and a lot more that will tantalise the tastebuds into setting off on a South American adventure. Although at first glance the menu card might seem peppered with tongue twisters, the descriptions are spot on and ordering should not be a problem.

Begin with the starters. Do not let the words cheese bread fool you into thinking the pao de queijo is garlic bread’s Brazilian cousin. Far from it. Cheese bread is not bread per se — it is a bite-sized bun (Indian pav, ring any bells?) filled with the goodness of cheese. Not the oozy, drippy kind but a flavourful, melt-in-your-mouth sort. And since it has been kneaded from cassava flour and is gluten free, one can sit back with a plateful of pao and a tall glass of Caipirinha, Brazil’s national cocktail, but that would be a crime considering the spread that awaits.

Both caipirinha and the cha-preto, a communal drink, use cachaça — a distilled spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice — as their base. Subtly potent and not too sweet, it naturally pairs well with the food served.

To ease you into the flavours of Brazilian fare, other starters include the chicken coxinha which is rather like a samosa, bolinho de aipim — deep-fried cassava and cheese croquettes and the bruschetta de inquica — French baguette bread topped with pork sausages. While it may seem the food is predominantly non-vegetarian, there are a myriad vegetarian options as well.

For instance, the polenta cream and mushroom ragu, and the beetroot ravioli are a delight, both to see and taste. “Brazilians love rice and a lot of our food is similar to Indian cuisine,” says Guto, a fact cautious eaters will be glad to know. The curry baiano is proof enough. From Bahia, a north eastern state of Brazil, it is a delicately spiced curry of vegetables, potatoes, mushrooms and paneer served with rice.

“Instead of garam masala, we use fresh herbs, spices and paprika, but all the rest — ginger, garlic, chillies, coconut milk — remains the same.” he says. And it’s true. The casquinha de siri — crab meat sautéed with coconut milk, palm oil, tomatoes and paprika — could be a dish from along India’s coastline, with the exception of its cheese topping.