Festival of royal Indian cuisine celebrates 50 years of S'pore-India ties

SINGAPORE - Get ready to savour the royal delicacies of India's Awadhi rulers like mouthwatering biryanis, garlic-pampered chicken chunks roasted in a tandoor, and mutton braised with cashewnut paste and spices.

A rich spread of Mughlai Awadhi dishes, which has been preserved in the city of Lucknow, will be showcased in the Indian Food Festival at Orchard Hotel's Orchard Cafe from April 10 to 19.

The festival is jointly organised by the High Commission of India in Singapore and Orchard Hotel. Available for dinner only, the buffet will be whipped up by two award-winning masterchefs specially picked by India's Ministry of Tourism.

Trained in the art of royal Awadhi cuisine in Lucknow, chefs Rubal Pupneja and Mohd Salim, work for Ashok Hotel, a renowned grand hotel in New Delhi, which has hosted significant government and private events. So the two chefs have cooked for royalty, prime ministers, and other heads of state.

They are preparing a slew of dishes covering salads, soups, snacks, main dishes and desserts. Among the gems in the well selected spread are the Awadhi lamb and chicken biryanis, and delectable, melt-in-the-mouth galouti lamb kebabs, which are smoked before further cooking.

Other highlights:

Surkh Shorba (Tomato soup flavoured with cinnamon and coriander)

Mallika-e Dariya (Prawns in cream sauce)

Koh-e Daliganj (Awadhi mutton delicacy cooked in onion and cashewnut sauce)

Lehsooni Murgh Malai Tikka (Garlic-marinated chicken cooked in a tandoor)

Dal Oudhi (Black lentils cooked with tomato puree, cream and khoya)

Muzzaffar (Awadhi-style vermicelli dessert with nuts)

Kesar Phirnee (Grounded rice dessert cooked with sweet milk flavoured with saffron)

The dinner buffet is priced at $68++ for adults, $34++ for children.

All dinner buffet diners are entitled to participate in a lucky draw during the promotion. The prize is two return air tickets to New Delhi plus 3-day/2-night hotel stay.

If you're doing business or holidaying in the capital city, you might want to try the Awadhi cuisine at the Ashok Hotel's Oudh Restaurant, which has established a good reputation among foodies, government officials and diplomats.

For reservation or more information, call 6739 6565 or email orchardcafe.ohs@millenniumhotels.com. 

Celebrating 50 years of Singapore-India ties

The event is one of the year-long cultural and exchange activities being held in Singapore and India to mark 50 years of close bilateral ties between the two countries.

Recent events include the Indian Film Festival in Singapore, the participation of Indian dancers in Chingay Parade, and the visit of the Sudarshini naval ship to Singapore.

The two countries have seen more cooperation in defence, economic and commercial areas over the years with continued high-level exchanges between their leaders and policy makers. India was among the first countries to set up diplomatic ties with Singapore after the country became independent in 1965.

chenj@sph.com.sg