A taste of Bundelkhand

Advertisement

Puneetinder Sidhu

Namaste Orchha, the lately concluded culture-fest in the Betwa-banked eponymous town, was as much about victuals as it was about visuals. All through the three-day spectacle last weekend, an impressive array of music, dance and culinary virtuosos kept our souls stirred, senses enthralled and appetites satiated. A timely invite to attend by Madhya Pradesh Tourism provided this opportunity to catch a fleeting glimpse, my first, of the dozy charm of the former seat of Bundela rajas. It also gave me my first taste of the simple yet flavourful Bundelkhandi cuisine, alongside several re-imagined gastronomic traditions of the central Indian state at large.

I brought back fond memories of a watered down and strongly spiced raita called sannato. It has a very distinct smoky flavour, accorded to it by tempering mustard seeds and ghee in a clay oil lamp. Left to cool in earthen pots, sannato also makes for a refreshing beverage, and after spotting many a local quaff down a kasora or two, I happily followed suit. In another preparation, pancake-sized lentil dumplings called bada are immersed in the sannato and eaten soaking wet. Mangodi, a popular street treat, is known to sometimes replace the bada as an equally satisfying snack.

The history and heritage enriched town of Orchha is also known for its flourless gujiyas, the finest versions of which I learnt are from Shri Radhe Sweets near Ram Raja Temple. This variety of the mithai long synonymous with Holi is fashioned from pure mawa-khoya as we know it in these parts and eaten un-fried. Malai ke laddoo, soft crumbly balls of cottage cheese and cream, is another specialty of the region, as are the ghiye ke laddoo made from bottle gourd. The flower-shaped imarti, often mistaken for jalebi, is also high on demand and was found dazzling the display counters in local sweet shops.

Namaste Orchha’s inaugural dinner, specially curated by food historian Anoothi Vishal, came deliciously alive under the imaginative handiwork of Chef Saransh Goila. I was to experience loads of appetising innovations resulting from his application of local produce to global thinking. The shakarkandi samosa with parwal-baingan guacamole and mahua-cranberry chutney was an extraordinary mélange of taste and texture, adding plenty oomph to the otherwise humble samosa chaat. His keema tikiya and smoked chicken rezala were evocative of Bhopali cuisine, while the mixed dal with buknu masala invoked the still extant Ayurvedic practices of Bundelkhand.

Traces of the underlying glocal theme were also visible in the delectable menu crafted by Chef Vikramjit Roy, best known for his terrific pan Asian creations. As evidenced in the inventive employ of local rice, greens and edamame for his sushi rolls, a highly appreciated presence at the send-off brunch. Also, in the use of the protein-rich kadaknath chicken — native to Madhya Pradesh — in the Thai green curry. Keeping him company were the modern Indian interpretations of nostalgia that Chef Harangad Singh has become synonymous with. His bhutte-mattar falafel in pita pockets with truffle qorma was a superb spin-off of Indore’s famed bhutte ki khees. The mouthwatering mutton qorma khari of Bhopal’s famous stewed meat.

Steadfastly holding their own in this nifty space were local entrepreneur Vandana and her Bundelkhandi food. From selling masala chai and applying mehndi to conducting home cooking classes, she went on to helm a successful business teaching tourists how to prepare local dishes in 15 years. It’s no exaggeration then that practice does indeed lead to perfection. That I returned more than once for her bada, aloo sabzi-thadula (a crisp poori made of urad dal), tamatar chutney and bathue ka raita, is rock-solid proof. May her tribe grow.