Hello beautiful people! When I think of Rajasthan I get the image of colorful wooden puppets hanging by their strings…women with white bangles covering their arms twirling by the light of the campfire while their skirts adorned with mirrors shimmers like a thousand stars…the sound of the ravanhatha echoing through the desert night. Rajasthan is all about the celebration of richness as can be seen in the grand architecture or the tradition of the royal families or the culture or even the food. JW Marriott Kolkata recently hosted “A Taste of Rajasthan” food festival celebrating the flavors that the region is known for. Chef Bheik Singh, Jaipur Marriott, who has learnt the art from the Royal kitchens itself and has 22 years of experience under his belt specially curated the menu for the festival. One could sample his signature specialties like ‘Traditional Laal Maas’, ‘Papad ki Subzi’, ‘Chakki ki Subzi’ and ‘Dal Baati Churma’ to name a few. I got a chance to sample some the fare on offer along with some fellow foodies.
Rajasthani puppets (Image courtesy PR)
Thandai
The spread
Daal Bati Churma
The meal started with some Thandai served in clay pots. They were running the festival for both the lunch and dinner service so there was something new on offer for each meal. I got to sample dishes like Dal Panchmel, Jodhpuri Paneer, Amchuri Bhindi, Daal Baati Churma and Kabuli Pulao. The pulao and bhindi were hands down my favorite! I usually avoid having Daal Baati Churma as I find it too heavy to digest. But I gave it a go sans the chumar and quite liked their version of it. The baati was quite hard but after soaked in a generous serving of the dal it soaked in the moisture into its heart and offered a nice contrast with the crispy outer shell. The food was quite rich but it is too be expected. For dessert they had Malpua which I skipped as Im not found of Indian sweets much.
Dal Panchmel
Jodhpuri Paneer
Amchuri Bhindi
Kabuli Pulao
It is said that the love is in the details…well you could see the effort that was put in to bring not only the taste of the state but rather making it a cultural experience as a whole. You could try your hand at a potters wheel and learn to make a small clay pot or see a puppet show or see a Ghodi dance or even try out colorful bangles from the Chudiwala or experience the music of the Manihars. There was something new each day to help create the ambiance. The tables were decorated with animals made from cloth and clay pots wearing Rajasthani topi. There are a number of Rajasthani food festivals in the city but JW Marriott Kolkata bought in a cultural experience for their patrons along with the food. I may not hail from the state but there are a lot of things about it that make me nostalgic…memories of childhood flash through my mind of the trip we made to the place and different dishes that my mother would make that came from the region. Well this was the place to be if you too wanted a taste of Rajasthan 🙂 I will see you guys soon…take care!
The spread
Baajre ki Roti (Image courtesy PR)
Malpua
PS – The author was invited by the PR of the restaurant to sample the menu. Views expressed are genuine and the author’s own
