A Traveler’s Food Diary: Kumaoni Cuisine at Munsiyari

I had been planning to visit Munsiyari in Uttarakhand for quite some time. A few years back we had traveled up to Chaukori but could not continue on to Munsiyari due to bad roads and landslides. As the sleepy hamlet in the heartlands of Kumaon is known for its scenic view of the Panchachuli peaks, a repeat trip was planned just to visit this place.

The Sleepy Town of Munsiyari

We had hired a Mahindra Scorpio from Haldwani, and the driver was a young lad named Chandra Prakash.  On the long journey, we had to stop at a number of places for food, and I noticed that Chandu was a food lover, and his choices for roadside pit stops were immaculate. Over some hot aloo paratha and dahi during breakfast Chandu told me about Chachiji’s Mutton Curry, very popular at Munsiyari with both travelers and drivers. He told me that the mutton curry was prepared with khade masala or whole spices in typical Kumaoni style.

Khade Masale KI Mutton Curry

After an overnight stay at Chaukori and a rough journey, we reached Munsiyari around noon on the second day. We were famished and I told Chandu to take us straight to Chachiji’s place to try out her mutton. A small and dark place next to Munsiyari Bus Stand, it had three tables, and could barely seat twelve people.

The Mutton Thali

Soon we were served a hot thali of rice with a bowl of mutton curry and a little bit of local saag. A runny gravy (they call it soup here), the curry here had simple flavours of turmeric, chillies, garlic and the mustard oil in which it was prepared, and the lamb pieces were slightly tougher than we normally like in the plains. We were told that Kumaon boasts of some flavourful local turmeric which gives a special taste to the curry here. The side dish of leafy vegetables also had a rustic aroma from the mustard oil. The entire meal with ample mutton cost us Rs 110 per head, and we made up our mind to come back for some more food here.

Chachiji in front of her shop

Bhang Ki Chutney

A friend back in Hyderabad had told us that Bhang Ki Chutney is a must-have dish in Kumaon. I asked Chachiji about this and she agreed to prepare it the next day. Next afternoon along with lunch, we tried the Bhang ki Chutney with rice and some onion. The chutney is made by roasting the seeds of the hemp plant, crushing it and then preparing a thick paste with onions, coriander leaves, green chillies and a dash of lime. The chutney had an earthy taste, and I was told that this was a food for cold climates as it heated up the body.

Some pics of Kumaoni Dishes at the Tribal Museum

In the evening, we visited the local Tribal Heritage Museum, a collection painstakingly assembled by Dr. S S Pangtey, an erudite person with deep knowledge about history of Kumaon. There was a section in the museum about Kumaoni food with photos of Kumaoni delicacies like Dubka, Madua Ke Roti, and Thathani.

Some Grains and Cereals of Kumaon displayed at the Tribal Museum

We had a discussion with Masterji (as Dr. Pangtey is known locally), and he explained that rice is the staple carb in the Kumaon belt though roti prepared from gehu (wheat) or mandua (ragi) is fairly popular too. Potatoes and soybeans are popular vegetarian dishes cooked with local herbs. Gahat and Bhatt are local beans which are used to prepare a lot of dishes like Churkhani or Dubke. As there is a lot of cattle grazing in the area, mutton is by far the most popular meat, usually cooked in whole spices and local herbs. When I told him that I was curious to try the local cuisine, and he gave me the phone number of Mallika Virdi.

The Homestay of Kheela Tolia at  Upper Sarmoli

Mallika works with the villagers around Munsiyari and helps them to run a cluster of homestays in and around the town. She was very receptive to my idea of trying out Kumaoni cuisine and arranged a meal in one of the homestays. We traveled to Malla Sarmoli, a village near Munsiyari to visit the house of Kheela Tolia. Kheela along with her husband has rooms in her Kumaoni home converted into a homestay. The rooms are available at Rs 1000 per day and the guests can enjoy Pahadi hospitality with local Bhutia meals. However, since we had put up in a hotel in Munsiyari, we just visited them for lunch.

The Kumaoni Thali at the Homestay

The lunch was a simple affair with few items, but each of the preparations was food for the soul. There was Malka dal (masoor) served with a tadka of jeera and a local dried herb called Jimbu. Jimbu is only grown in the hilly tracts of Uttarakhand and Nepal, and this house had a small garden where it was cultivated. It has a distinctive flavour akin to garlic. The vegetables served were Rai Ki Sabji a preparation of mustard leaves with salt and green chillies. There was a potato preparation with beans and of course Bhang Ki Chutney. We were told that this version of the chutney uses mint apart from the other usual ingredients. The staples served were rice and gehu ki roti.

The Herbs from the Homestay Garden: Tyamur and Jimbu

The garden of this homestay also cultivated Tyamur, a local peppercorn. With a lot of medicinal qualities, this is used to prepare Tyamur Ki Soup, which is another mainstay for the winter. After the delightful lunch, we had a quick primer on some local spices and herbs before saying goodbye to the family.

Singodi

Any cuisine in India has its favorite sweets. The most famous preparation in Kumaon is Singodi, a mewa based sweet wrapped in local leaves. It tasted somewhat like Kalakand to me. Bal Mithai, another milk based sweet coated with tiny sugar balls is another popular mithai in this belt.
Munsiyari is located in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, a serene place with a spectacular view of the Himalayas. The earthy food here with uncommon spices played a perfect foil to the scenery, resulting in an unforgettable experience.

Useful information:

Munsiyari is around 300 km away from Haldwani and Nainital.  You can stay in Hotel Vijay Mount View (05961-222123) where you can get a fantastic view of the peaks from your room. The phone number of our driver Chandu is 9761935850. For Kumaoni homestays or food, you can contact Mallika Virdi at 9411194041 or Kheela Tolia at 9568638795. Chachiji’s Mutton Curry is available in her small single-room outlet at Munsiyari bus stand near Hayat Paradise Guest House.

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Novotel at Vizag: All About Stunning Seaview and Delicious Food

Vishakhapatnam has always been a favourite weekend destination of mine – I have been there, at least a dozen times during my two decades in Hyderabad. I always prefer a hotel near the seafront, and The Park at Beach Road had so far been a preferred choice. However, when I visited in March, this time, I decided to stay at The Novotel.

The reasons for choosing Novotel were quite a few. Friends had been telling me that the restaurants there dish out some really good food. Secondly, apart from being located bang on the popular RK Beach, Ramakrishna Mission and the Kali Temple, where my wife loves to visit, are only a stone’s throw away. Also, people who stayed here before mentioned the fantastic view of the sea which each of its rooms provides.

View from the room

On a hot summer day, we reached the hotel a few hours before the check in time of 2pm, but the front desk was gracious enough to check us in early. As we entered our room we were really mesmerized by the view of the vast expanse of the Bay of Bengal. The beach on that day was teaming with people, with thousands coming in for a holy dip on the occasion of partial solar eclipse. The room was neat and clean and had all the amenities provided by a star hotel.

Infinity, the rooftop restaurant

View of the seaface from Infinity

We had a brief chat with one of the F&B Managers and he had advised us to first try out Infinity, the roof top restaurant at the hotel. Soon, we landed up there for lunch. From the rooftop, one could see the entire sea face and the Beach Road from end to end, and this perhaps was one of the best views of the sea from Vizag city. We made a note to come up here again in the evening when the city is lit up.

Fish Fry

Infinity has both indoor and outdoor seating. Even from indoors you can enjoy the complete sea view as they only have glass partitions. We ordered Chicken in Barbecue Sauce and Fish Fry for our lunch. I loved the chicken which had soaked in the sauce so well. The Fish Fry had a thick batter which was not to my liking, though the large fillets were very fresh. The place also has a well-stocked bar serving best quality liquors. But more than anything else, it is a view which makes it a must visit spot. Even if you do not stay in the hotel, you should dine at this restaurant during a trip to Vizag.

Chicken in Barbecue Sauce

We had been provided complimentary breakfast and dinner for the two days we stayed, and these were served at The Square, the lobby level multi-cuisine restaurant. The dinner spread was quite huge, having quite a few live counters serving grilled food, pizzas, pasta, and seafood. The starters and main courses consisted of Indian, Continental, and Chinese delicacies. On the first day, some delicious Tawa Fish was served. All the fish dishes are prepared from fresh catches from the sea resulting in very good quality seafood meat.

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

The pizza counter served thin crust pizzas. Initially I found the topping of Barbecue Chicken  Pizza too less, but the wait staff went back with my request and got a better one made.

Notable among the main courses dishes were Kung Bao Chicken along with some noodles, and a spicy Indian delicacy Ra Ra Gosht. Tex Mex Seafood Stew that had prawns with a combination of fresh fishes from the sea.

Chicken Sausage and Red Cabbage Salad

The salad bar especially had some very good concoctions. On the first day, a Cucumber Salad with Mint and Yoghurt as well as Roasted Eggplant with Balsamic Cheese caught my attention for their simple but delicious taste. Corn and Sprout Salad and Chicken Sausage and Red Cabbage Salad were the highlights of the salad bar on day two.

Chum Chum

Among the desserts, Chocolate Mousse was in high demand. We loved Chum Chum, the Bengali sweet on the menu. Linzer Tart with a crisscross design on top caught our attention too. The buffet spread each time, at least, had a dozen desserts.

The Square

Right in the morning, when you go for breakfast at The Square, looking at the serene sea provides a refreshing start to the day. Breakfast again has a multicuisine spread. I had some delicious Rawa and Masala Dosas from the live dosa counter, and really appreciated the range of podis they serve from the counter. They do also have a variety of chutneys – ginger, peanut, tomato and coconut to name a few. From the live tea/coffee counter, we followed up on the Indian breakfast with some fresh Filter coffee.

Dosa with the Chutneys

The buffet also has steaming idlis and fresh vadas – Palak Vada, fresh spinach based medu vada was a hit with me.  Vegetarian items also included hot puris – served with chole or some delicious sabji. The puris also worked well with Kaleji Bhurji – a mildly spicy Indian preparation with lamb liver.
I love cold cuts, and the restaurant obliged me with some delicious pickled Chicken Salami, Crispy Fried Bacon, and Sausages.

The English part of the Breakfast

A surprising dish for me was crisp and brilliantly made Pyaz Kachori, which was served with some great tamarind chutney. I was told that one the Chefs was from Rajasthan, resulting in Rajasthani delicacies featured on the menu from time to time.

I met Chef Mahesh, the Executive Chef of the hotel. Chef had worked in Marriott Hotels of Hyderabad and Bangalore previously. He told me that Novotel has three distinctly different types of customers – the tourists, the locals who come in for fine dine experience, as well as people from abroad who work for longish duration in Vizag based companies and stay in the hotel for months. Thus the menu needs to have a range of dishes serving all the palates, spicy for the locals, experimental for the tourists as well as continental for people from abroad. The Chef said, that for long-term inmates, they also do special arrangements of getting their favourite brands, for example of cheese and olive oil. The Square dinner buffet at around Rs 900 plus taxes is very popular in the city. They also have a brunch on Sunday.

Gongura Crab and Tawa Chicken Pulao

Popular with the tourists staying here, Zaffran the Indian cuisine restaurant next to The Square serves both North Indian and South Indian food. The restaurant has select signature dishes and Tawa Chicken Pulav is one of them. The flavours and spices on the rice and chicken combo cooked on the tawa gave it a very special taste.  I tried out their local preparation, Gongura Crab with rice. The taste of the curry was awesome, but the crab taste was slightly overwhelmed by the strong flavour of sorrel leaves.

Bongu or Bamboo Chicken

A specialty of Araku Valley, a tribal belt close to Vizag, is Bongu Chicken, a dish where chicken is marinated and prepared inside a bamboo stem and grilled in wood fire. I have had this dish in Araku, and was glad to know that Zafraan serves the dish too. The dish was brilliantly presented in a bamboo stem itself, and the taste was quite decent. A must try here.

Sugar, the Pastry Shop

Both Zaffran and The Square has Al Fresco seating overlooking the sea, and even a view point with a binocular has been set up for the guests to indulge as they wait for their food.Novotel also has a pastry shop named Sugar, but we did not indulge there due to lack of time.

On the last day of our short but enjoyable trip, we went back to Infinity after dinner. As we stood and looked at the beautifully lit up busy Beach Road and heard the rumbling of the sea, we made a mental note that for our future Vizag trips, Novotel will be the preferred place to stay.

Location:
Novotel Vishakhapatnam Varun Beach
Beach Road, Vishakhapatnam
Telephone: 0891 2822222

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Quick Bytes: Hotel Subhani, the Biryani Paradise of Guntur

I was on a trip to Tenali to visit my friend, and he insisted on taking me to this biryani joint in Guntur about 30 kilometers off. He also advised that we go early in the day as the biryani here gets over very fast. So, without much ado, we drove down to Hotel Subhani by noon.

The Hotel with its Haleem Counter in front

Hotel Subhani is a shack type of restaurant bang opposite the ITC factory in Guntur. As you approach the place you can see a small crowd gathering and a large number of bikes and cars packed all over. On entering, it seemed to me that I have entered a busy market. A space having seating capacity for around hundred people was choc-a-block, and another hundred customers were standing and eating biryani. More people were outside either trying to get in or crowding the haleem stall under the hot sun.  Five staff members were pouring out biryani continuously from a huge handi, and a waiter passed by me carrying around ten plates of mutton kabab. The whole place basked in the aroma of non-vegetarian food, and the foodie in me was transported to a different world.

Khichri with Chicken Fry

The next task here was getting a seat. We elbowed our way to a table and waited patiently till people finished their biryani. Yes, you cannot wait here for three seats to be vacant, you need to grab each of them as they come.

Mutton Biryani

The Mutton Biryani (Rs 240) was served in no time. It was a dum biryani but much less spicy than its Hyderabadi counterpart. However, their proprietary masalas gave a very different flavour. On the table, there were three containers with salan, raita, and their famous Gongura Chutney.  I just needed the thick chutney to go with the biryani, and it was polished off in no time. The mutton was well cooked and it easily came off from the bones.

Gongura Chutney

Next came their signature dish Khichri (a variant of biryani rice) with Mutton Kabab (Rs 120). The kabab was essentially fried boneless pieces of mutton again marinated in a proprietary masala. My friends told me that khichdi here sells at the rate of five plates a minute. In the background, I heard a waiter screaming that mutton biryani is over, and now the people would have to do just with the chicken variant. By the way, Mutton Biryani is only available on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

Mutton Kabab

We met the owner of this place, Mr. Subhani. He told me that he had started this place about ten years back, and today he has people from Tenali, Guntur and Vijaywada driving down all the way to have lunch here.  Apart from biryani, khichdi and mutton fry, the fast moving items here are Chicken Curry, and Chicken Fry. Other delicacies from Andhra Muslim cuisine like Bheja and Gurda are also served.

Chicken Curry

Chicken Fry

Mr. Subhani wanted us to try out their Haleem. He told me that he has started serving haleem regularly and plan to do it throughout the year. Being from Hyderabad, I was not very enthusiastic initially and agreed to taste a bit. However, the haleem turned out to be on par with the best places in Hyderabad, and I ended up finishing the whole plate (Rs 100). The owner recalled that Aditya Bal of NDTV recently visited them for a shoot. The crowd outside had actually increased by now and people were jostling to get in. We thanked the staff and left.

Haleem

Mr. Subhani

This place is not to be missed for any food lover visiting Guntur, Tenali or Vijaywada. A great place for trying out authentic Andhra Muslim cuisine.

Location:
Hotel Subhani
Opp ITC
GT Road
Guntur
Telephone: 9949401404

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Goutham Grand Hotel: Andhra Cuisine in the Hinterlands of Tenali

Ever since my friend Joydeep had moved to Tenali as the General Manager of Goutham Grand Hotel, he had been telling me that they have a brilliant chef and I must come down and taste some of the Andhra delicacies he prepares. Finally, I decided to take couple of days off in February for a gastronomic extravaganza and boarded the Chennai Express from Hyderabad to reach Tenali almost at midnight.

Goutham Grand Hotel

Joydeep was waiting for me at the station. Goutham Grand Hotel is a 3 star hotel within 500 metres from the station, and we reached in a few minutes. I was famished as I only had some local onion samosas in the train, and headed straight for Zaika, the multi-cuisine restaurant there. It was here that I met Chef Sai Kumar, who was waiting for us with a special menu.

Chicken Joint Biryani

The menu for the night was very simple – three biryanis from the chef’s table followed by rasmalai. We started with the vegetarian Jackfruit Biryani. Jackfruit is a vegetable which mimics mutton in texture and taste, and hence it is popular in Bengal as a vegetarian substitute for mutton. Whereas in Bengal we prepare echorer (jackfruit) dalna in the same way as mutton, in Andhra regions a biryani made with jackfruit is very popular in the marriage feast which traditionally serves vegetarian fare. Chef Sai’s biryani was mildly spiced with the jackfruit cooked just the right amount.

Chicken Lollypop Biryani

The second dish was Avakai Kheema Biryani. A tangy preparation with raw mango and minced meat, the biryani did not need any salan or raita, and could be devoured as it is.

Ulavacharu or horse gram is a very popular dish in Andhra Pradesh. I have come to love ulavacharu with white rice and cream. Here the chef had prepared Ulavacharu Chicken Biryani, a pulao with cooked in a horse gram based masala. The three biryanis tasted completely different from each other, and presented glimpses of the rich repertoire of rice based dishes in Andhra region.

I was told that the dessert chef in Goutham Grand is a Bengali and it was evident in the tasty Rasmalai he prepared. It was quite late and I retired for the night in one of the comfortable rooms on the fourth floor.

Rojali Kabab

Next morning, Joydeep was already in office at breakfast time, and I tried out the buffet breakfast at the Zaika. I was surprised to know that the breakfast costs only Rs 125. Complete South Indian fare is served here. There were fluffy idlis, hot vadas and upma, but my favorite here was the sabji served along with the puris. The onion dosa served on the table was also crisp and nice. The breakfast is quite popular in the neighbourhood with lots of walk-ins. A special note about the variety of chutneys which were served with the breakfast, there was flavours like ginger, gongura and chillies.

Come afternoon, the Chef showcased some more of his brilliant biryanis. The signature dish of the restaurant is Chicken Lollypop Biryani. In this recipe fried chicken drumettes or lollypops are prepared in a ginger based masala, before it is added to the pulav. Andhra Chicken Joint Biryani had chicken drumsticks in a red chili based sauce with saffron flavoured rice. The dish I loved most in this sitting is called Chicken Rojali Kabab – succulent chicken kabab pieces with a cavity inside which is stuffed with cooked chicken keema before cooking it in the tandoor.

Ragi Sankati and Natu Kodi Pulusu

By now, I was convinced of the Chef’s prowess of preparing biryanis and wanted to try out something different for dinner. The Chef answered my challenge by preparing some delicate Natu Kodi Pulusu or country chicken curry Andhra style and ghee laden millet based Ragi Sankati. This is a traditional dish of Rayalaseema region which is eaten by adding the curry into the millet dumpling. The adventurous even add some extra ghee to enhance the taste.

Gongura Mamsam

Gongura, the local leafy vegetable is very popular in Andhra region especially as an ingredient for pickles. Gongura Mamsam, a preparation of mutton went very well with the steamed rice served with it. The Chef still wanted us to try out one of his rice creations – Konaseema Kodi Pulav was a local chicken and rice based preparation, which had the masala with red chilies and nuts soaked into the rice.  Real mouth-watering stuff it was.

Konaseema Kodi Pulav

The dessert for the day was a concoction of mango ice cream, milk and honey – a very light and delicate dish to end the meal.

Andhra Thali at Ruchi

I was planning to leave for Hyderabad for the next day, and Joydeep wanted me to try out the Andhra Thali at Ruchi, the vegetarian restaurant on the ground floor. For a price of Rs 100, the unlimited thali had about a dozen items, including some excellent vegetarian curries, chutneys and dals. I especially loved the Tomato Pappu and Dondakaya Chutney. I was planning to eat light before I board the train, but ended up gorging a lot more.

Goutham Grand Hotel is located close to the railway station of Tenali. Vijaywada, Guntur and the new capital of Andhra Pradesh, Amravathi, are all within an hour’s reach. The sea beaches of Bapatla and Chirala also can be covered in a two-hour journey. The hotel has 48 rooms which make it an excellent stops for executives and businessmen who have interests in the new capital region of Andhra Pradesh. Also, there are two large banquet facilities, which can accommodate about thousand persons each, and these are very popular for marriage and other functions in the area. The kitchen has really explored the Andhra cuisine well and has contemporized and experimented on lots of recipes.

Location:
Goutham Grand Hotel
Railway Station Road
Tenali 522202
Telephone: 08644 237000/236555

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Times Passion Trails: The Royal Maratha Cuisine of Madhya Pradesh

In the eighteenth century Maratha chieftains under the Peshwas took control of most areas of Madhya Pradesh, and over a period of time established their own kingdoms. Prominent among the Maratha kings in this region were the Holkars who ruled the Indore region,  Scindias of Gwalior and the Puar Parmars of Dhara. The cuisines of many of these royal families have evoked interest in last few decades, and the food lovers have especially been exposed to them from an engrossing book written by Maharaja Digvijay Singhji of Sailana.

Dinner Table at Ahilya Fort and Palace

The Palace Food Trail organized by Times Passion Trails took a group of enthusiastic food lovers  from all over the country to Maheswar, Dhar and Indore to get a firsthand feel of the Royal cuisine in some of these places.

Our first stop was Maheswar, a quiet place next to the Narmada river.  The 250 years old Ahilya Fort and Palace is now a heritage hotel and our stay was planned here. The property, constructed in the Marathi wada style, has an old world charm and you get a scenic view of Narmada river from the main courtyard. The Ahilyabai temple is just next door leading to the river ghat.

Jackfruit Biryani at Ahilya Fort

H.E Richard Shivajirao Holkar of the Royal family owns the property. He himself is a food lover as well as a chef. I was told that the menus for the guests here are decided by him, and in some cases it is his own recipes too. He had also co-authored a book on Royal recipes. Naturally I was looking forward to the food served here. I was told that often the food served here has a lot of contemporisation of the traditional Holkar cuisine.

Dinner was soon served in an open courtyard adjoining the rooms on beautifully laid out tables. We started with Poyee Bhajji, a stir fried recipe of spinach. Another highlight was Bhutte Ka  Kees, a Maharastrian delicacy of grated corn.

In Indian vegetarian cuisine, often jackfruit is substituted for mutton using the same masalas. Here we had a version of Jackfruit Biryani where the spices well balanced and the kathal cooked to perfection.

Duck in a Pomegranate Gravy

Baked Apples served with white sauce

But the preparation which bowled me over was Duck Cooked with Pomegranate.  Supposed to be a Dogra Kashmiri recipe, the thick gravy with anardana was brilliant and the duck meat soft. Chicken Survedar the other non-veg dish served was a favorite of Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar. It was again a delicate preparation with chicken with a subtle coconut flavor. The desserts was Baked Apples – served with a secret white sauce.

For the breakfast next day again some local dishes were served – my particular favorite was Maheshwar style masala scrambled eggs with lots of vegetables and the poha prepared in traditional Maharastrian style.

Maheshwar Style Scrambled Eggs

The lunch, which was the last meal there was again quite sumptuous – the standout dish being a version of Mutton Rogan Josh, which was cooked using a small goat. Though it tasted more like mutton curry to me, the taste of the curry was so delicious that it forced me take couple of extra helpings. Among the vegetarian items, the homestyle potato sabji  was a perfect foil for the puris.

Lunch at Ahilya Fort and Palace

After lunch, we proceeded to the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. Our dinner was arranged at the guest house of the Maharaja of Dhar, another erstwhile Maratha kingdom close to Indore. To give it a festive touch, all the male participants in the trail were in safa – the traditional Marathi headgear.

The guest house of the Maharaja in Dhar town was well lit up. We as guests were invited to the durbar of the King, which was specifically set up for us. I have never been to a King’s durbar and was very impressed with the proceedings, including the kulgeet and the speeches.

The Royal Durbar at Dhar

The Maharaja of Dhar HH Hemendra Singhji is a food enthusiast, in fact he himself prepared couple of dishes for the dinner. We had access to some of the recipe books of the family, which has clearly documented all the Royal recipes. Some of the recipes had been handwritten by the King himself, who took it down from his mother.

Arvi Ka Vadi

The menu for the dinner here was quite impressive too. Among the starters my favorite was Arvi Ka Vadi, colocasia leaves rolled with a besan and garlic based masala and then steamed before cutting them into pieces.  The Keema Samosa was well stuffed and also delicious.  There was a fish fried in a red marinade where the freshness of the fish caught my attention.

Kadaknath Chicken

I have heard about Kadaknath Chicken for a long time. These are fowl with black feather, black bones and blackish blood found in parts of Madhya Pradesh. The meat of this variety has high demand as it is allegedly known to have medicinal use. The Black Fowl Chicken Curry here was cooked in lots of ghee and a ginger and black pepper based masala. I was told that this masala can be prepared and stored and used over a period of time.

Dhar Style Prawn Curry

The other impressive dish was Dhar Style Prawn Curry cooked in a red colored masala which went with the Jowar Rotis served.  There was another type of roti which had two separate rotis sticking to each other – I think it was called Do Phool Ki Roti.  The dawaat had some nice tasting mutton pickle too.

A Handwritten Page from the Royal Dhar Recipes 

I had a long chat with the chef who had prepared the vegetarian items here. He said that recipes in this region are simple and easy to prepare. It is never spicy and chilies are hardly used. A bitter gourd dish with a nice flavourful masala caught my attention. I was told that this special masala has coriander, til, poppy seeds and garam masala among other ingredients. The Bharwa Mirch here had a special masala containing amchur. There were quite a few types of uncommon chutneys served as condiments – peanut based, copra based, and poppy seed based.

The dessert platter had the famous halwas of Dhar – one prepared with corn and the other egg. Both were absolute hits with the diners.

I was told that Laccha Rabri is another famous dessert of this area where milk is condensed into lacchas of malai at the side of the vessel and then other ingredients such as saffron and nuts are added. However it was not in the day’s menu.

The evening really impressed us with the grandeur and the warm hospitality extended by the Royal family.

Goolar Kabab

Our final stop of trying out the Royal Cuisine was at the Daly College Indore where a sumptuous lunch was organized by Mr. Sumer Singh the Principal of the college.  Mr. Ravi Pratap Singh Ranavat, a renowned chef of Indore who specializes in Royal cuisine had prepared the food. Mr. Singh told us that he had conducted food festivals specializing in Royal cuisine for the Taj group at different parts of the country, and he has chosen a few unique dishes for the day.

Dahi Kabab

Goolar Kabab was easily the most popular. The kabab has a round shell of mutton keema wrapped around diced onion and vegetables and then fried with a khus khus coating. It was hard outside and soft inside, presenting a myriad of tastes which burst in the mouth.  The other starter of note was the soft Chicken Sula Kabab, prepared with a Rajasthani masala on charcoal.

Shikari Aloo

Among the main courses, I loved the Kadhi Gosht or mutton cooked in a yoghurt and besan based gravy. Among the vegetarian items, Shikari Aloo was a simple dish of baby potatoes prepared in onion and red chilies with very little masala, normally the little spices carried to a shikaar.

Kadhi Gosht 

The dessert had Gulab Ki Kheer. The kheer here was quite different from the version at Bhopal. We were told that a little bit of sugar is normally added to it. A nice end to a good meal.

The series of dawaats helped us get a significant overview of the Royal food of Maratha Kings of Madhya Pradesh. There were distinct difference in style and ingredients from place to place. Whereas the Holker food had quite a bit of fusion element in it, Dhar and Indore were much more traditional. Overall, it was an extremely enjoyable experience with Times Passion Trails.

Also See: Times Passion Trails - Royal Cuisine of Bhopal and the Palace Dinner

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