New Delhi:
A selection of gastronomical delicacies are on offer at various city based restaurants, who are going all out to cater to the special food requirements of those celebrating the festival of Navratri.
Restaurants are modifying their menus to suit the special dietary requirements of patrons, who choose to eschew certain food items during the period of the festival.
Govindas, situated at the Iskcon temple complex here has a spread that includes “rasgulla sabji”, “fruit vegetable”, “Kela ki kheer”, “pineapple halwa”, “singara ki barfi”, “papita vegetable”, “fruit dahi bhalla”, “idli”, “tomato carrot soup”.
“We are organising a Navratra food festival till October 1. We serve buffet and offer 20 per cent discount on it. The menu is changed everyday serving different dishes,” says Laghu Radha, Assistant Director, Govindas.
Apart from buffets, platters include a mix of beverages mainly lassi and thandai as well as salads, snacks, vegetables, ‘sabudana pulao’, ‘khichdi’, ‘kattu puri’, and sweets like a special ‘samvat kheer’ and ‘lauki kofta’.“We make 25-30 items with different menu everyday in lunch and dinner, people throng to our restraint here to have different varieties,” says Radha.
Restaurants like Haldiram are also offering sumptous Thalis during all the nine days.The especially designed delicacies include a Navratra Thali which consists of ‘Malai Paneer’, ‘Singara parantha’, ‘curd’ and a Bengali sweet (Chum-chum).
The other food items on offer are ‘sabudana aloo tikki’, ‘tawa aloo chaat’ and ‘chaat papdi’.
On the other hand Nirula’s a famous restaurant chain in the city is keeping it simple this time by offering, “malai kofta, cucumber curd, sliced aloo, paneer masala and a small scoop of elaichi ice-cream to sweeten the meal.
“The food is divided into platter 1 and platter 2, former consists of rice, raita, paneer masala, saboo dana, papad whereas the former includes rice raita, tikki and pakpoda,” says the restaurant manager.
Some food outlets like Sagar Ratna has kept exclusive names to attract foodies. Two thalis—Delux and Executive— offer the same recipies with an exclusive “adraki paneer tikka” with a blend of ginger taste.
Various five star hotels have also spread out special scrumptious menus.
Eateries such as Courtyard by Marriott has organised a nine-day Satvik Food Festival with delectables like ‘Sabudana cutlet; and ‘Phool Makhaneka’ chop, ‘Phalharisev’, ‘Kacchekeleka Dahivada’ and Set Curd as ‘Farsan’, ‘Malpua’ and ‘Basundhi’ for the sweet lovers.
Similarly, ‘Veg Kebabs’ is a completely new cuisine at the authentic Mughlai Restaurant Muraqqa.
Sumptuous delicacies like fresh fruit brochettes with orange and honey sauce, kuttu atta and cucumber pancake with honey, potato and squash roesti with green yoghurt sauce are being offered by Ssence at the Surya.
Kitchen District by Hyatt Regency is offering ‘Shakarkandi ki Chaat’, ‘Phaldari Kebab’, ‘Paneer Kali Mirch Tikka’, ‘Aloo Jeera’, ‘Sabudana ki Khichadi’, ‘Paneer Makhni’, ‘Kuttu ki Poori’, ‘Sabudana Kheer’ as well as seasonal cut fruits.
Jungle Jambore is offering a special 7 course vegetarian buffet which has a special ‘vegetable biryani’ for foodies.
