New Delhi, Nov 24 (PTI) A royal platter is ideallycharacterised by the richness of its flavours, and a cleardominance of a variety of meat.
But, the erstwhile humble kingdom of Bundelkhand locatedin central India, now divided between the states of UttarPradesh and Madhya Pradesh, boasts of a simple yet deliciouscuisine, made with fresh harvest and sufficient meataccompaniments.
A quintessential Bundelkhandi meal can now be relished atthe ongoing food festival at the Taj Diplomatic Enclave here.
A beautifully colourful gastronomial spread laid out onsilver crockery impresses your eyes, even before you take yourfirst bite.
You begin with the bara.
Very similar to the popular dahi vada, the appetiser isessentially black split lentil dumplings soaked in buttermilktempered with the conventional Indian tadka of mustard seedsand dry red chillies.
"It is best consumed with crushed sugar," advises RahulDev Singh from the Royal House of Datia, one of the majortowns in the region.
Don't be surprised if you find yourself staring at amaincourse comprising of over 15 items meant for you alone.
Such is Bundelkhand's "mehmaan-nawazi", that if yourefuse to eat anything out of the served dishes, you willnotice people fussing and pressing for alternative dishes.
The uniqueness of the cuisine lies in the variety ofvegetarian dishes it has to offer.
From Nimone ki sabzi and Bundeli kadhi to Aanwaria andDal Bhajiya, each dish stands out for its earthly flavours anddistinct aroma.
For instance, Bhate ka bharta is very similar to thepopular north-Indian dish 'baingan ka bharta'.
Only, it is served cold. Why?Because, the roasted aubergine mashed with onions,tomatoes, never makes it to the 'chulha'.
Instead, it is finished on the traditional sil-batta byadding pounded spices.
To savour the kadi, which is slightly on the blanderside, Singh's wife, Parineeta Raje, suggests having it withthe Mattha mirch -- dried red chilies, soaked in butter milkand deep fried.
The non-vegetarian recipes like the Bundeli gosht --succulent lamb morsels, and Shikaar gosht -- hunted meat, areas fresh as their vegetarian counterparts.
"The non-vegetarian dishes are made only from the meat ofanimals that have been hunted by people themselves," explainsSingh.
They also have a variety of breads to devour thedelicacies with -- Tikkad or thick whole wheat bread,Jowar/Bajra ki roti, and Adraini luchai -- Deep fried flatbread made of wheat flour and gram flour and certain spices.
For sweet treats, one can try either the Rass ki kheer --pudding made from sugarcane juice and rice, or their Magadh keladoo -- sweet made from flour and fudge milk, or both.
"We do not use processed sugar...only natural sweetnerslike sugarcane juice or honey," Singh said.
The food festival will continue till November 26. PTI TRSTRS.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.