BENGALURU: The tiger is synonymous with the spirit of India. A majestic yet endangered creature, the tiger population has risen in India over the past few years, but we still have a long way to go before the country truly has a tiger population to boot. International Tiger Day is celebrated on July 29 every year, to raise awareness about this big cat. Tiger Trail, a restaurant chain at the Royal Orchid and Regenta Hotels, is using this month to raise awareness about the tiger and raise funds to protect these magnificent creatures, by creating a special menu of their signature dishes. Ajay Sampige, the assistant vice president of Royal Orchid Hotels, Bengaluru says the inspiration goes all the way back to the British Raj. “When the English went hunting, they would create a path, or a trail, to match the tiger."
"When the MD of our hotels [Chander K Baljee] went for a trail, he stayed amongst the cooks who accompanied British officials on their hunts. The cooks had created some of their own methods of cooking and some unique dishes in this time, which is what led to the conception of Tiger Trail,” Sampige says. “The difference between this Tiger Trail and those trails is that we’re not here to kill the tiger, we’re here to appreciate it,” Sampige adds.
According to Rana Dominic Gomes, the area chef south for the hotel, they want to create awareness for the tiger, by making the food resonate with the majestic animal. “I don’t even know if the younger generation will even get to see the tiger live, they should know about the importance of the animal,” he says. Gomes adds that their hotel was the first in the city to have an open-heart kitchen, which is similar to the kitchens that the British cooks used during the trials.
“The cuisine has some elements from Ranthambore, some from Jim Corbett, some from the Sundarbans, all of that has been stitched together to create the signature menu here,” says Gomes. Dishes such as Galouti Kebab and Jhinga Till Tinka have elements of this cooking still that go back so many years. “The jhinga originates from Sundarbans and is made of tiger prawns that are marinated with cashew cream and coated with black and white sesame seeds. This is one of our most popular dishes,” says the chef who’s been with the hotel for 20-plus years.