Ever wondered what it takes to build the kind of resistance that the people of Rajasthan have to survive the desserts and the torrid climate?
A lot of that credit goes into the kind of food they eat! From the Royals to the peasants, their food more or less remains the same. The land of the great warriors has given to the food scene more than any other region has. The ghee laden Dal Batti and churma or the pure chilli marinated Laal Maas made with Lamb.
Leela Palace recently organised one of their best food festivals to honor the cuisine and presented the Maharaja Thali for its guests to enjoy. Priced at Rs. 4500 ++ and Rs. 5000++, the feast is truly worth every dime. The taste is extremely authentic and is full of aromas from the desserts.
What we were presented was a feast that was not only a dance of the taste buds, but also heavy on the tummy, which is in line with the marwar tradition of feeding the guest.
At Jamavar, the specialty Indian restaurant, we were invited to a sneak peak of what was in store.
The highlights of the feast were:
Appetizers:
Paneer ke Sikwa Shoolay & Bhindi Jaipuri for Veg & Hariyalo Jheenga & Koore ki Resham Sheekh for the meat lovers
Main Course:
Haldi Mattar– a dish to die for personally. Made with fresh turmeric stems and peas. The thought of it brings back memories.
Ker Sangri- a surprising delight
Laal Maas– the lone warrior enough for any other dish
What was also offered was a platter of 6 different breads from the main regions of the state. They were:
1. Bikaneri Roti
2. Jodhpuri Roti
3. Makke ki Roti
4. Bajre ki Roti
5. Jowar ki Roti
6. Missi Roti
The Khichdi, that was common to both the vegetarian and non vegetarian thali was another treat. Rich in nuts and kesar, it has never tasted so good.
The Daal Baati, on our sincere request to avoid over filling ourselves were cut into smaller portions, but I think, with the kind of taste it brought, that alone could have been sufficient for the festival. Just mesmerizing.
The desserts- phew. We came to a point where we needed a good break to even think of having desserts. And what is a Rajasthani dessert platter without Ghewar! Small bites of Ghewar, Malpua- Rabdi and Churma made for the dessert platter that was polished off in minutes.
The festival is on until the 13th of February and is NOT TO BE MISSED!!
Pictures below:
