It is holiday time, and Goa-bound tourist vehicles turn off the Pune-Belgaum Highway for lunch at Padma Hotel in Tarabai area of Kolhapur in Maharashtra. Set on a terrace with a view of the gardens that the Ingle family owns, here travellers can tuck into a thali, comprising well-spiced tender mutton dishes, bakhri (similar to roti) and rice, with a choice of two distinctive Kolhapuri soups—the reddish Tambada Rassa and the milder Pandhara Rassa between morsels. Generations ago the Ingle family brought traditional Kolhapuri fare to the public at Padma Guest House. Today, the great grandsons of the founder, Col Nanasaheb Dattajirao Ingle, are looking to take the cuisine to other cities. In February, they had set up a pop-up at Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai, for the Magnetic Maharashtra Conference.
Gauri Ingle, who manages both properties, says: “Col Ingle, who was Military Secretary to the Maharaja of Kolhapur, founded Padma Talkies in 1941 and Padma Guest House in 1947. These were named after Princess Padmaraje. In the 1950s, Padma Guest House started to serve Kolhapuri food—a curated combination of Kolhapur’s most famous main and side dishes, which is now available in other restaurants as the Kolhapuri Thali. At that time, my father-in-law, Dhairyasheelrao Ingle, took over his father’s work, and now our sons are taking their legacy forward.”
In August 2001, Gauri and Ruturaj Ingle decided to start a branch of the eatery in the Tarabai Park area. “As the city grew, Tarabai Park became an upmarket neighbourhood with an affluent population that wanted a quiet family dining experience. Since this area is not far from the highway, it is an ideal place for tourists to taste a full-fledged Kolhapuri meal,’’ says Gauri. The thalis—Rassa Mutton, Rakti Mundi, Veg Special, Chicken and Mutton thalis—are a big hit. “Mutton Lonche, made from pickled dry mutton, is one of our signature creations. Many visitors order Mutton Lonche and Veg Vindaloo takeaways,” she says.
The tagline of the Padma restaurants is “Proudly Traditional”. The Padma Guest House has retained its old world charm with decades old ceiling fans, furniture, fixtures and window fittings, with walls festooned with photographs of Kolhapur Princely State. On the other hand, Padma restaurant is trendy. “There are many old-timers who still go to Padma Guest House, even though Padma Hotel has the same menu,” says Gauri.
To add variety to the repertoire, Gauri, who is from Gwalior, has added the Gwalior-style Puran Poli Thali to the menu of their restaurants. “My sons, Aaryamaan and Shatrunjai, have studied hospitality management from Lavasa, Pune. They have started Epicure Catering that offers on-site catering of royal cuisines of Kolhapur, Baroda, Gwalior and other Maratha princely states, as well as national and international cuisines,” says Gauri. The Ingles are also organising Kolhapuri food festivals in other cities.
Aaryaman Ingle is optimistic about the future. “We are planning to start Padma Restaurant in Pune, followed by another in Mumbai. In addition to these, we will organise pop-ups to popularise Kolhapur’s traditional cuisine across India.” Yet another local culinary experience is slowly and surely going national.