BENGALURU: Navratri is almost always associated with Dandiya and traditional north Indian food. Giving a fresh taste and feel to this festive season, Kesariya has organised a Rajasthani Food Festival this week. Apart from serving authentic cuisine from the land of the desert, they have also arranged a puppet show. The ancient traditional art form is popularly known as ‘Kathputli’ and is performed during festivals and social gatherings.
On entering the premises of the restaurant, we were greeted with welcome drinks. You get to pick your preference out of the choices that are offered, which include, Masala Chaas, Pudina Punch and Kery Pudina Pachak. Even before we could take our first sip, we were taken aback by the grand decor of the stage, costume and arrangements that have been made for the puppet show. Energetic, lively and exotic, the music, dance and the performance, on the whole, transported us to the land of folklore.
After getting into the groove of Rajasthani beats, we entered the ‘Haveli’, where a spread of the Rajasthani thali was served to us. The decor of this space and the cutlery used to serve food are all designed in a way that makes you feel like you’re inside one of the palace premises in Rajasthan.
The food festival here offers a seven-course menu that has been specially curated for this festival. For starters, we tried the Matar Kachori, Urad Dal Ka Samosa, Pyazo Vada and Aloo Matar Samosa along with Kachumbar and Green chutney. All made in authentic Rajasthani style with dollops of ghee somehow manages to be light on the stomach.
For the main course, we tried the traditional Rajasthani Baati with Dal Panchmel and Choorma. There are also a range of curries to choose from, PaneerSimla Mirch, Aloo Gobi, Bharma Kofte and Aam Methiki Lunje, that can be paired with Fulkas, Missi Roti, Dal ki Poori, Rajshahi Pulav or steamed rice. After getting a taste of all the curries, we also tried out the Bajre Ki Khichdi with the Khadi. Eating all of this out of a thali, almost made it feel like we were eating home-cooked traditional cuisine.
We ended our meal with Malai Petha Sandwich, Jalebi Rasmalai Sandwich and Paneer Ghevar.
The Malai Petha Sandwich deserves a special mention, the combination of the malai and Petha is a perfect blend. For desserts, we tried Badam Ka Halwa, ShahiJamun, and Moong Dal Halwa. The Moong Dal Ka Halwa served hot is a delight to eat. The ghee in the halwa melts in the mouth and the taste of the moong dal lingers on after the meal. The Rajasthani food festival and the puppet show will be on till October 7 at Kesariya in Sadashivnagar. The restaurant has a special menu priced at `595 including taxes and `350 for kids (5 to 8 years).