It’s a feast fit for the kings

Rajasthani Food Festival at The Leela Palace is on till February 13

Rajasthan is known for its rich and colourful culture, but food also plays an integral part in the state. This is evident in their elaborate preparations.

To celebrate this grand cuisine, ‘Jamavar’, the Indian restaurant in The Leela Palace, is hosting a Rajasthani Food Festival till February 13 for lunch and dinner. You can choose a-la-carte or the set menu (Maharaja and Maharani menus).

In a-la-carte, we suggest ‘Dal Batti Churma’ and ‘Maas Ke Sooley’ for starters and ‘Dal Panchmael’, ‘Kookre Ka Pulao’ and ‘Dal Maharani’ for mains.

For dessert, try out the ‘Jalebi Rabri’, ‘Ghewar’ or the ‘Malpua Rabri’. If these dishes don’t make your stomach happy, we don’t know what will.

If selecting from the options is difficult, fret not! Make it easy for yourself and go for the set menus.

You can go for the Maharaja menu if you want more seafood on your plate. It has 11 dishes each in the vegetarian and non-vegetarian sections. The ‘Lal Mirch Ka Jheenga’, grilled jumbo prawns marinated with yogurt, saffron and mathania chilli, is soft and flavourful. The texture of the prawn was a little different but it is worth a try. So is the ‘Lehsuni Kookra’. The garlic flavoured chicken kebab is quite delectable.

If you are a seafood fan, you might also like the prawn tossed in onion, tomato and green coriander, called ‘Jheenga Hariyalo Masala’. Don’t miss out on Rajasthani special ‘Laal Maas’. Prepared the traditional way with just mathania chilli, this dish is a classic.

Vegetarians can look for the ‘Hara Chana Kebab’, which is green peas kebab. It was soft and very tender. The ‘Paneer Sikwa’ is another dish you can try. It was flavourful but if the paneer was a little softer, the spices would have perhaps been absorbed better.

You can also opt for the ‘Maharani menu’ and relish chicken dishes like ‘Kookre Ke Soole’ and ‘Kookra Khatta’.

Dishes like ‘Bhune Chaat’, ‘Methi Papad’, ‘Akkhi Bhindi’ and ‘Dal Maharani’ are popular picks from the vegetarian section. Include the assorted Indian bread basket to your meal for a wholesome experience.

Rajasthani cuisine is not complete if you haven’t yet tasted the traditional and very popular stuffed ‘lal mirch ka achaar’. You could also try the garlic chutney. Though a little strong in taste, it is a must-try.

Yes, it is a lot of food. We too were stuffed but as they say, there is always room for dessert. The traditional ‘Ghewar’ is the perfect way to finish your meal.

The set menu is priced at Rs 5,000 plus taxes for the Maharaja menu and Rs 4,500 plus taxes for the Maharani menu.

Where: Jamavar, The Leela Palace, Old Airport Road.
When: Till February 13 (lunch and dinner).