food festival Archives - The White Ramekins

Rivaayat, Traditional flavours of Awadh, Amritsar, Hyderabad and Delhi at The Oberoi, New Delhi

January 26, 2015 by TheWhiteRamekins

Rivaayat, this Persian word means the revival of tradition. As the name suggests, this is about the revival of traditional recipes which have been mastered by the “Khaansamas” {the master chefs } of India. The Oberoi, New Delhi has taken up this initiative to bring that family owned preserved knowledge and expertise onto their menu through the recipes of the legendary Khaansamas of rustic bylanes of Old Delhi. And they have very beautifully and aptly named it as Rivaayat. It’s a celebration of food which brings back the nostalgia of flavors from the regions of Awadh, Amritsar, Hyderabad and New Delhi. The seasoned chefs Rohit Gambhir and Arun Mathur got trained themselves and honed their skills with these Khaansamas over several months and curated a royal experience for their patrons at The Oberoi. As part of this unique culinary initiative of The Oberoi group, I had the pleasure of experiencing it at the The Oberoi New Delhi. I set my evening at with the ever so gracious Deepica {Manager Comm, The Oberoi, New Delhi}, Sangeeta {Banaras Ka Khana} and Ruchira {The Great Cookaroo} .

rivaayat the oberoi new delhi

We were served Amritsari Macchli {Punjab}, Talli Murghi {Old Delhi} and Chonk Ki Tikki {Old Delhi} in first course. I loved all three, especially the Amritsari Machhli. It was perfectly done, without being excessively oily or floury and sure reminded me of my trip to Amritsar few years ago.

rivaayat the oberoi new delhi

In the main course we were served Maa Cholley ki daal, Rarha Meat, Nihari Gosht and Saag Kofta and Sheer Maal and Khamiri Roti in breads. Maa Cholley ki daal, a traditional lentil preparation tempered with onion, garlic and tomatoes was just right the way my mother cooks at home. I really felt nostalgic as soon as I dunked my bread into the humble daal and went for the second helping. Next dish which caught my attention was Saag Kofta, a chicken mince dumpling preparation with mustard greens and spinach base. The koftas were to die for. They were amazingly huge yet so delicate, both in flavors and texture. To get those big sized koftas in shape can only be mastered over years and that was clearly shining through them. Rarha Meat and Nihari Gosht were finger-licking good and I wiped them clean off my plate with the Khamiri roti and sheer maal. The dessert was quite unique and delightful to the tastebuds. Gullathi, a milk based preparation which is a cross between Kheer and Phirni {the camera was off by this time as the food had done it’s magic, so I couldn’t capture the dessert}. I just loved it to the last bits, slightly over sweet but I loved it and it summed up this royal affair with traditional flavors so luxuriously. Thank you Deepica for having us over for this royal experience!

This food festival is on till 28th of January, 2015 at The Oberoi, New Delhi.

A Zoroastrian Rhapsody – Parsi Food Festival, The Oberoi, Gurgaon

June 1, 2014 by TheWhiteRamekins

Two things come instantly to my mind when I hear the word Parsi. First is Pearl Padamsee who played the quintessential Parsi aunty role in few of the legendary Bollywood films of seventies. We as kids used to enjoy those movies being aired on Doordarshan a lot. Khatta Meetha and Baato Baato Mein are two of the movies, which I am not sure I have watched how many times. And the second thing is eggs. That’s right! How could one not think about eggs when it comes to the mention of Parsi. I would love to eat the eggs everyday in breakfast, if they have been prepared by a Parsi lady. I got really excited when Anamika Singh, the renowned Tea Sommelier and the founder of Anadini Himalaya Tea called up for the invite to the Parsi Food Festival running at restaurant Amaranta of The Oberoi, Gurgaon. Mumbai’s best and the oldest parsi chefs Tehmtan & Shernaz Dumasia would be cooking at this week long authentic parsi fare running from 14th to 22nd of June. The legendary couple has been into Parsi food catering for over 25 years now and have served to the number of celebrities. The afternoon unfolded with catching up with the other guests at The Piano Bar at The Oberoi. I was wonderful to meet my dear blogger friends after such a long time. After a short chit chat, we initiated with our pre-formatted lunch menu showcasing some of the signature dishes of the Parsi cuisine. Few of the dishes, which we were served

Parsi lamb cutlet & Chicken Farcha

Lamb cutlet were made from brain part and coated in to the egg batter and semolina and shallow fried. I liked lamb more than the chicken. For starters, you couldn’t even tell if that is the brain you are eating. It was super yumm!

Vegetable cutlet and Chutney Pattice

Both these appetizers were classic appetizers you would get. Chuttney pattice, a tender boiled mashed potatoes with green chutney stuffing is the kind of finger food you would crave for on a rainy day with a hot cup of tea. The concept of wrapping up the green chutney as a filling within a fritter is something ingenuous.

Mutton Dhansak With Kebab

A real parsi meal can never be complete without the Dhansak, a lamb dish with meat slow cooked in lentils. And this had really great flavors. The dal was infused with the spices and the mutton gave it the depth of flavor. It was served alongside a spiced pilaf and mutton kebabs.

Patra Ni Macchi

Banana leaf wrapped marinated pomfret fish steamed with mint and coriander chutney. The fish was perfectly steamed and had freshness of flavors due to mint and coriander herbs. It was a perfect summer meal, light and fresh.

Jerdaloo Salli Murghi

It was a chicken curry cooked in roasted onions and apricot gravy. It had the perfect balance of sweet and sour. Finding out the whole apricot in the dish was a bonus. It just won my heart over.

Bhindi Masala

Stir fried baby okra with coconut and cumin reminded me of the way my Grandmother used to cook them, except for the coconut part, which I found quite interesting.

Lagan Nu Custard

A rich milk and egg based dessert baked with dried fruits. It’s a Parsi version of creme brulee, which is a specialty dessert for parsi weddings {as the name suggests}. It’s perfect way to sum up your meal. Each bite tastes heavenly.

Parsi cuisine like it’s community is an informal, light hearted cuisine with a balance of sweet and sour, which is Khattu Mitthu. It has got no rules of eating. It is best enjoyed with your hands as suggested by the chefs themselves. A real parsi banquet is served sitting on the floor. It is eccentric, lively yet has it’s own identity.

I was lucky to have experienced this and have interacted with the legendary chefs. Special Thanks to ever so pretty and gracious Mallika Gowda, the PR manager of The Oberoi Gurgaon for organizing this wonderful afternoon and having us over!

Food Festival | Quartet of European Delights @ Eros Hilton, New Delhi

November 3, 2012 by TheWhiteRamekins

Festivals bring joy to a dull and mundane life. And if they are about some really good food, a heart warming music and some captivating dance performances, nothing can’t stop your life to get revived. Such was the experience when Blogger’s Table was called for yet another event last week. It was the opening ceremony of Quartet of European Delights at Hotel Eros Hilton, New Delhi, a time to unveil some serious European gastronomy.

It’s a festival of cuisine from four European countries including Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, starting from 31st October. And we were quite lucky indeed that we were called up at the opening ceremony.

Under the open sky of a starry night, the ceremony started with a brief address by the ambassadors of all four countries followed by a felicitation of the brilliant Chef Marek Brezina from Slovakia, Robert Trzópek from Poland, Csaba Horváth from Hungary and Michal Jerabek from Czech Republic, who flew into India exclusively for this 10 days of food extravaganza.

It was just finished and we got to hear the sound of orchestra, adjusting their instruments, coming from the corner of the stage. It was really lovely live jazz music, which was then followed by some beautiful melodies by Monika Dryl a Polish actress and singer, who after winning numerous festivals and competitions, including the Grand Prix, was here to win our hearts with her very sweet and melodious voice.

And then came the jewel of the evening. A mesmerizing Hungarian folk dance performance by a group of vivacious dancers, which was presented by Csillagszemuek (Starry-Eyed) Dance Ensemble, an institution who teaches dance education through workshops in which children learn their native folk dances. And they really are able to preserve their native folk dances and culture, which was quite obvious from the spirited foot tapping performance of the dancers.

Food, the main attraction of the festival, was nonetheless extravagant. Their were huge buffet counters from all four countries. I tried to taste a sample from each one of the counters, but could not do so, as it was not at all possible. It was comfort food all over. From soups to meaty stews to creamy vegetables to cheesy savory pies to pancakes to warm apple strudel. It was a never ending affair of such good comfort food. And this is right in time, as we can feel the starting nip in air in Delhi these days.

The one which I could taste and really liked were

Lamb Goulash, Cold Trout with Chive Yogurt, Homemade Gnocchi from Hungary.
Marinated Duck Breast with Juniper and Apple and Beetroot Salad and Crepes with Walnut Cream & Orange Chocolate Sauce from Poland.
Cauliflower Pancakes with White Cheese and Chive and Warm Apple Strudel with Vanilla and Chocolate Sauce from Czech Republic.
Dense lentil & Vegetables Soup, Sheep’s Cheese Pie from Slovakia

All in all it was a wonderful evening spent having some really good food along with experiencing a panoramic view of the cultures and traditions of those four great European countries.

The festival is on till 9th November. Do stop by for this wonderful food affair.

Others from Blogger’s Table who were present that night:

Sid Khullar of ChefAtLarge

Charis of Culinary Storm

Rituparna of Chocolates & Dreams