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Desert abundance

Paatra, the Indian restaurant at Jaypee Siddharth, is celebrating a Rajasthani food festival till July 6. Live folk music and Rajasthani puppets add to the cheerful ambience here.

Chefs from Rajasthan have been called in to prepare the delicacies. Govind Giri, the master Chef of Samod Palace, says, “We have made every summer special of Rajasthan to make the festival memorable.” Among non-vegetarian starters, maans ka sula is a good choice, with marinated mutton cooked over charcoal. Its earthen aroma and marination make it juicy and delectable.

Nagori methi murg is scrumptious — chicken grilled on the bone flavoured with fennel. The Sangiri kabab is too mild to impress. A vegetarian dish that is hard to resist is the bhune aloo Rajasthani — marinated charcoal roasted potatoes with sesame seeds. The main course offers a range of Rajasthani delicacies. Dal Banjari is famous around the world, but the recipe is known to only a few. Banjari, which is at many places also known as bati, is a tight wheat bread ball mixed with desi ghee and a little salt, cooked on a slow fire. With its subtle taste, it makes a fabulous combination with dal.

A spicy contrast is the panchkutan, a traditional Rajasthani dish that contains five kinds of vegetables cooked with mango powder and yoghurt. Gatte ka saag is a sure winner, mouth-wateringly spicy. Cooked gram flour dumplings are simmered in a mild gravy topped with desi ghee to make this dish, one of Chef Giri’s favourites. Papad methi ki subzi is an acquired taste. The uninitiated should go for it if they really want to try something out of the ordinary.

The delightful desserts give a wonderful twist to the familiar. Take the makke ke gulab jamun: to beat the scorching heat, Rajasthani people traditionally add makka to the gulab jamun mixture. This also makes it deliciously soft. Then there is the excellent choorma, which normally comes as the third part of the combination of ‘dal-bati-choorma’. Choorma is a sweetmeat made with whole wheat and a dry fruit An average meal for two costs approximately Rs.2800.

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