Main Course At The Festival
Rajasthani Food Festival, ITC Sonar, Kolkata
Soft twinkling lights from the diyas, the faint strain of traditional music in the background, people decked out in traditional costumes swirling about…the stage is set! Welcome to Mharo Rajasthan – A Rajasthani Food Festival being held at ITC Sonar. Kailash Maharaj brings dishes from all over the state this time around in this dinner exclusive set menu. The festival is on till the 28th of August and for Rs. 1200 + taxes you get a welcome drink, appetizer platter, thali and a dessert platter. They bring in new dishes everyday just to keep things exciting for the diners and have them coming back for more. Having had the pleasure of sampling his food earlier on I was quite looking forward to enjoying dishes tinged with my childhood memories…
Welcome drink – Kesariya Thandai
Appetizer platter – Sharkandi Chaat, Plum Chutney & Paneer Sula
I was served a shot of Kesariya Thandai as I sat down…the first hint of the sharpness of the spice with the soothing feeling that follows was just what I wanted but didn’t know that I needed on this particular hot day. The appetizer platter was served with Bhuni Shakarkandi and Paniphal Ki Chaat, Alubukhara (Plum) Chutney and Paneer Ka Sula. Honestly they had me at the paneer…but the shakarkandi (sweet potato) chaat paired with the crunch of the paniphal was just amazing and ended up overshadowing the paneer for me in the end (go figure). While I sat there waiting for my other dinner companions to join in, a platter of assorted papads with 4 kinds of chutney beckoned and I couldn’t resist 😀 The sweet mango chutney was my favorite out of the lot! The texture and its taste reminded me of my badi masi who would always pack some mathri and sweet mango chutney for me whenever we would return from Delhi to Kolkata…
Assorted Papads & Chutneys
The Thali
The thali was served with 7 sabzis (Paneer Harapyaaz, Rajasthani Gatta Curry, Kamal Kakri Ka Kofta, Kair Sangri Ki Subzi, Moogfali Ki Curry, Jodhpuri Aloo Dum and Dal Panchmela), Rajasthani masala Rice, Plain Baati, Dry Fruit Churma and Makka/Jo Rotis. The aloo dum was a crowd favorite! I loved the moongfali curry too and at first thought that it was some kind of rajma or channa. The gatta curry and the dal were a close second and went very well with the rotis. The sheer amount of food was overwhelming almost but I ended up finishing most of it more coz my tongue wouldn’t let up in spite of protests from the tummy 😀 But no matter how full I was there is always room for dessert! The dessert platter had 4 varieties – Dil Kusar, Kalakand, Doodhiya Kheer and Malai Pista Ghewar. I love kalakand and could have ended up having a couple dozen pieces of it…this was just it…the flavor from North that I missed so much! Doodhiya kheer was the second to go with the dil kusar, which seemed like dal ka halwa to me, following it at number three. Never been a fan of ghewar but it was quite a treat to see my friends fawning over it 🙂
Dessert Platter
Overall I will say that the meal on offer is quite a steal at the given price point. As always the food is really and definitely worth checking out. Take the family out for dinner and enjoy not only the food but the beautiful ambiance surrounding it as well. Kailash Maharaj has once again ensured that you leave the place with all your tastebuds as well as your memories satisfied. I caught some glimpses of forgotten memories from my childhood there 🙂 Do let me know if you have tried it out or if you plan on visiting. See you around…take care!
PS – The author was invited by the PR to attend the event. Views expressed are genuine and the author’s own.
