An Indian cuisine that a lot of people love to experience and relish is the Rajasthani cuisine. The use of ingredients like besan, asafoetida, fenugreek, pudina, chaat masala and garam masala, ghee, nuts, yoghurt and raisins, make it loved by all.
We would certainly not miss the opportunity of indulging in some Rajasthani delicacies, so when we heard that Grand Mercure Bengaluru at Gopalan Mall was hosting a Rajathani food festival, we were not going to miss it. The food festival, Spice Trails of the Thar, was curated by chef Dharmesh Udhawat and executive chef Bishan Singh Negi.
On a Friday evening, we made our way to La Utsav, the multicuisine restaurant of Grand Mercure Bengaluru at Gopalan Mall. After making ourselves comfortable, we were all set to begin our dinner. We decided to go with the mon-vegetarian option.
To start with, we were served Papad Mangodi Ka Shorba, a soup that had onions, coriander, peanuts and papad.The onions, papad and peanuts were served in different bowls. So, we mixed all of them in the soup bowl and it was a flavourful delight. What we loved the most is the crunchiness it had due to the papad and peanuts, which you do not come across much when it comes to a soup.
Satisfied with the soup, we were already looking forward to the next dish. It was time for starters, and we were served Methani Murgh Tikka (made using Rajasthani dry red chilli, yoghurt, mustard and black pepper), Jaisalmeri Fish Fry (cooked using carom seeds, gram flour, coriander roots and dry red chilli) and Shikari Mutton Seekh (cooked using cinnamon, crushed coriander roots and mint).
All three were spot on with the flavours and whether it be the mutton, the fish or the chicken, all were fresh and juicy. It was quite difficult to pick a favourite but the fish fry just about beats the two and comes on top for us. For the vegetarians, you can relish the Ker SangriKi Tikki, Paneer Papad Latpata and Bhati Ka Bharwa Aloo.
We were all ready for the main course but were not ready to finish a whole set of thali which was served to us. Where do we start from? The thali had Jodhpuri Pulao, Dal Baati Churma, Gulab Jamun Ki Subzi, Bikaner Paratha, Apple & Sev Curry, Lal Mass, Murgh Banjara and Marwadi Machi. We couldn’t finish the whole thali but to be honest, we tried our best. The vegetarian curries were Ker Sangri Ki Subzi, Govind Gatta and Paneer Papad Ki Subzi.
Now, we just sat there waiting for the dessert to arrive with no space for it at all in our tummies. Thankfully, the desserts were on the lighter side and included ghevar, doodh ke laddoo and mohanthal halwa. We were glad that these were not too sweet and were perfect to end a heavy meal like this.
Meal for two: INR 3,600 onwards. On till June 2, 7.30 pm. At La Utsav, Swamy Vivekananda Road.
Email: alwin@newindianexpress.com
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