If Rajasthani food reminds you of dal-bati , churma and gatta then think again. Makkai ka soweta , Degchi Sula , mutter potlli , dal panchmeli , dhungadweli chaas and a lot more find place in the specially created dinner menu at Bidri in Marriott. Master Chef Rishi says that Rajasthani cooking, which has been influenced by both war-like lifestyles of its inhabitant as well as the availability of ingredients in the desert region, features a lot of meat and spices.
The food fest features food from interiors of Rajasthan, where the cuisine is inspired by the climate and culture of the region.
“Rajasthani cooking uses a lot of gatta . And these gattas of various types are prepared during winter so that they can be stored and used during summer,” says Chef Rishi.
Most Rajasthani dishes are sans the onion gravy. They are prepared with a variety of spices and are mostly very light in consistency. However, in order to cater to the palates of the tourists, restaurants in Rajasthan and Jaipur are preparing onion based gravies, says Rishi.
And he has Aloo Pyaz Paneer.
A typical feature of the cuisine of the region is the extensive use of various millets to prepare flour and pulses for the gatta and rotis. At the food fest the vegetarian fare scores over the non-veg not just in number but in taste as well. While the chef recommends most of the dishes on the menu, the dishes that boast of being unique are the bejar roti which is made of five flour, the methi roti and lacha paratha . The mutter potli is a crispy dumpling made of flour, stuffed with boiled peas and dry fruits.
The bajra kichdi is not just yummy but healthy too. It is made out of millets and green gram and served with Rajasthani mango pickle or sangdi which is a pickle unique to Rajasthan and prepared from wildly grown herbs and seeds like kaer, kumati and lesuwa etc. The rotis and parathas go well with the gatta or the panchmeli dal and the dhaniya baddi . To wash all this down one doesn't need beer or wine, go the desi way, try the dhungarwadi chaas or the amm panna . Finally to call it a meal it has to be the kesariya kheer, misri mawa kichdi and gulab ka churma . The festival ends on August 31.
