Royal treat for taste buds

Rajasthani food fest at Marriot

Rajasthan, the royal land, proverbial for its rich heritage, vibrant culture, exquisite crafts and spirited folk dance is also well-known for its royal culinary delights. The land of desert offers many lip-smacking dishes, which uses various spices to give a tantalising taste.

Bidri, a specialty restaurant at the Marriott, brings the imperial royal culinary odyssey from Rajasthan to Hyderabad. Chef Bhik Singh from Jaipur Marriot has been flown in especially for this festival. He is a master chef of Rajasthani cuisine and has carefully planned the authentic delicacies from Mewar and Marwar cuisine, which appeals to both vegetarians as well as meat lovers.

The chef's specialty dish is Laal Maas, a traditional lamb curry cooked with chillies and yogurt. This dish along with Methi Butter Naan will surely tease your taste buds. A Rajasthani food fair will be incomplete without out the signature dish of the resplendent land -- Daal Baati Choorma. Baatis are round balls made with wheat flour and are deep fried in ghee and served with Dal Panchmel, a melange of five lentils tempered with cumin and asafetida.

Choorma, the dessert of this conventional dish coated with sugar, will surely give make your gustatory cells work overtime. Speaking about the food fest Chef Bhik Singh said, "The state has a rich culture and likewise its dishes are also robust. We are trying to bring authentic dishes to the city of Nizam's through this fest. Most of the dishes have exclusive use of chillies and yogurt."

Ker Sangri, other signature dish of Rajasthan, is a delicacy. It’s made with wild berries and beans. Cooked with simple ingredients , it leaves a lingering taste. The mouth watering array of dishes also includes traditional coolers like Keri ka Panna (a chilled refreshing concoction of fresh raw mango pulp and fresh mint); Jeera Chaach (buttermilk flavoured with jeera and rock salt).

Feast your palate with tempting appetisers – Maas ke Sooleh (boneless lamb cubes marinated in yogurt, smoked with cloves and cooked in a tandoor) and for the vegetarians Paneer ka Soole (cottage cheese, capsicum, tomato dice, marinated in yoghurt, smoked with cloves and cooked in tandoor).

The fest also caters to the sweet tooth in you. Dig into delicious desserts like the Mawa-Mishri-Ka-Laadu, Malpua and Rabri. Timings for the Rajasthani food fest are 6:30 pm to 11:30 pm and will conclude on May 26.

By:Navin Pivhal