Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
Royal tastes
|
The erstwhile Sailana royalty is in town to help with a unique food fest
|
Photo: V.Sreenivasa Murthy
PAST PERFECT Vikram Singh and Chandra Kumari lending their touch to a culinary spread
There's something about royalty. Some exotic and romantic notion we have of their life and lifestyle, perhaps. Some amount of wondering does go on about the maharajas and relevance in present-day India, shorn of their kingdoms and subjects, and living in palaces turned hotels. So when you hear of a maharaja who dishes out exotic Mughlai recipes, loves cooking and is writing a book on it, it draws an `Aaaaah' of satisfied curiosity.
Welcome to the culinary world of Sailana, a former princely kingdom in Madhya Pradesh — a treasure trove of recipes laced with exotic spices, rose petals and sandalwood powder, a world of secret recipes some of which are over 100 years old, and where there's a story behind every dish.
Maharaja Vikram Singhji and Maharani Chandra Kumariji of Sailana are in Bangalore's Taj Residency dishing out their trademark recipes at a 10-day food festival, Feasting Cuisines from the Royal Kitchen of Sailana. A self-deprecating Vikram Singhji proclaimed that this was the first time they were cooking for the public. "We normally cook for the family," he said. The couple was quite nervous about coming down South because the palate here is very different.
"We managed to coax them out of their palaces to bring about a resurgence and revival of a cuisine that has been one of the best-kept secrets," said a visibly pleased GM of Taj Residency, Saurabh Ratan.
"But there's nothing secret about the recipes. My father Maharaja Digvijay Singhji published them as The Cooking Delights of the Maharajas in 1982." This book was on the bestsellers list for six months that year and is now in its 13th edition. Vikram Singh intends to continue the tradition and is working on a second book. A flotilla of master chefs and assistants flown in from Sailana are labouring in the hotel's kitchen even as we spoke to prepare the royal couple's signature dishes under their supervision.
"These recipes are different," chipped in the maharani. "They have been created as a hobby, not for money." A bright smile lit up the effervescent Chandra Kumariji's face as she reeled off interesting anecdotes about her father-in-law and grandfather-in-law, Maharaja Dilip Singhji.
Dilip Singhji was very secretive about his recipes and wouldn't even part with them to his daughters, fearing that they would be coaxed out of them in the kitchens of their in-laws! She recounted of how he got the famous junglee maas recipe from the nomadic Banjaras or gypsies. So his was a collection of recipes that were sometimes improvised on, and opinions of gourmets taken. "The recipes were sourced from royal families in Kashmir, Baroda, various parts of Rajashtan, Lucknow and even Goa. The most difficult part of compiling recipes was that the royal cooks would never reveal their secret," said the maharaja. But his grandfather was very savvy and had a way around. He would take with him a spice box on his travels, where every spice was meticulously measured on a weighing scale (made of gold, of course). He would present it to his host's royal chefs and ask them to cook their special dish with it. The cooks would be happy because he didn't ask for the recipe. But once the dish was prepared, Dilip Singhji would weigh the remaining quantity of spices and arrive at the exact recipe!
Digest this: most of the recipes do not use tomatoes at all, because tomatoes were introduced in India much later. There are recipes in the family collection that date back to the era of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb. "My father used to write out his recipes on pieces of paper which we have preserved," said the maharaja. The couple stressed on how this is true royal cooking — very tedious and very rich and requiring a lot of preparation. "You have to start preparing a day ahead. And we always use coal for such cooking. My father never allowed us to use gas or the pressure cooker."
Their daily lunch may be simple — daal, roti, sabjis, rice, pickle, and a meat dish. The maharani is strictly vegetarian and doesn't eat garlic and onions either. So a separate menu is made for her. Royal recipes are reserved for special occasions or for days when the maharaja's whims and fancies inspire him. Fast foods, however, have made their way into the Sailana kitchen, thanks to their children and grandchildren. "Instant noodles have spoilt our children," said the Maharaja as he shook his head in despair.
I asked the Maharani about it, and she laughed. "To tell you the truth, I'm not at all interested in cooking. But when it comes to fast food, that's one thing I can make, because it's easy."
The maharaja rued that in this fast age, everything went into the microwave. "We are killing tradition and one day we will forget all our old recipes."
But some recipes they will never part with, said the maharaja. "Our hari mirch ka salan and a few biryanis we would like to keep secret. I would like to leave some recipes behind for my son to discover."
The festival is on at Café Mosaic, Taj Residency, till September 11. Lunch is a la carte (noon to 3 p.m) and a buffet dinner (7 p.m to 11 p.m). For reservations, call 56604444.
BHUMIKA. K
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
|
