(From top) The Sorcar sisters Moubani, Maneka and Mumtaz dig into gelatos at Mama Mia Gelato; a biryani dish from the Pakwan spread; Geeta Devi showcases Hyderabadi delicacies at Saffron; a chef displays Thai dishes at Baan Thai. Pictures by Rashbehari Das

Flavours from Italy to celebrate the spirit of Indian Independence ? that’s what Mama Mia Gelato, a dessert outlet in New Alipore, is whipping up.

Called Flavours of Freedom, the range comprises a tricoloured assortment of gelatos in three distinct flavours ? tangerine, Sicily lemon and green apple, topped with juicy chunks of mango and kiwi, with an option of whipped cream.

“Most people mistake gelato as a form of ice cream. But it’s an Italian delicacy, very much like our Indian kulfi. It comes in a host of natural flavours like honeydew melon, strawberries, cocoa, pistachio and vanilla,” says Natasha Agarwal, proprietor of the store.

The Mama Mia fruit gelato is made of natural fruit pulp with no artificial flavouring. The innovative flavours include passion fruit, choco orange, tropical fruit, coffee mocha and Oreo cookies.

Also on offer are gelato sundaes like Chunky Cookie Sundae, Fruity Gelato Tart and Crepes with Gelato.

“Our gelatos are 100 per cent fat free and vegetarian,” adds Natasha.

The price ranges from Rs 30 to Rs 35 a scoop. The sundaes come between Rs 60 and Rs 100.

The tricoloured ones are available till Independence Day.

Thai treat

Calcutta Phuket Style is the theme of an ongoing food festival at Thai-speciality restaurant Baan Thai at The Oberoi Grand.

On till the end of the month, the festival brings to the fore tastes and spices of southern Thailand.

“Every part of Thailand has is own distinct flavour ? be it salty, sweet, sour or pungent. This festival emphasises the country’s southern specialities, with seafood and special herbs being the mainstay,” says executive chef George K. George.

The fare starts with light salads like Som Tam Pollamai (raw papaya and fresh fruit salad dressed with lemon, palm sugar and chilli) and Salat Phuket (bean sprout, cucumber, tomato, bell pepper, tofu and boiled eggs tossed with creamy peanut dressing).

It moves on to starters like Thod Man Pla Hor Takrai (fish cake with lime leaf and red curry paste wrapped around lemon grass skewers) and Yam Talay (combination of shrimp, squid, scallop and mussel tossed in a lime chilli dressing with spring onion, tomato and coriander).

Those who like clear soups can opt for Kaeng Jued Het Khaw (clear soup of white fungus and coriander), while for a more authentic Thai taste one can sample the Tom Krati Woon Sen (coconut milk and glass noodle soup).

Moving to the main course, there’s a veritable range of delicacies that includes vegetarian ones like Phad Tao Hoo Makreua (stir-fried eggplant and tofu with garlic and light soya sauce) and Tao Hoo Phad Ki Mao (tofu stir-fried with fresh chilli, basil, kaffir lime leaf and Thai ginger).

Traditional Thai curries like Kaeng Som (Thai red curry flavoured with lemon grass, onion, dry chilli and tamarind), Gaeng Kari (Phuket yellow curry with potato and onion) are available in options of vegetable, chicken and prawn.

Non-vegetarians can dig into Kai Phad Kiew Wan (stir-fried chicken with green curry paste and kaffir lime leaf) and Phad Buab Gap Koong (stir-fried prawns with ridge gourd and oyster sauce).

An array of fried rice and noodles accompanies the main course. Mee Hokkian (stir-fried yellow noodles with light soya and garlic) and Khao Phad Prik Kaeng (stir-fried rice with chicken and red curry paste or stir-fried rice with seafood and spring onion) are the popular picks.

The dishes are priced between Rs 150 and Rs 650.

Mughlai menu

Nothing beats the Hyderabadi biryani when it comes to the true taste of Mughlai food. But contrary to popular perception, the city of the Charminar has more to offer than just biryani.

Saffron, the Pan-Indian restaurant at The Park, is hosting a Hyderabadi food festival till August 18.

“My mother-in-law was the daughter of the Malwala family and from her I learnt the secrets of the cuisine. Though I always had a flair for cooking, it was nothing to match her repertoire,” says Hyderabadi food exponent Geeta Devi, who has been flown down for the festival.

The lady with magic in her hands caters to weddings and private parties in Hyderabad.

One can start a traditional Hyderabadi meal at Saffron with the Murg Shorba or Sabzi Shorba, accompanied with starters like Shikampur Kebab, Pattar ke Gosht, Jhinga Akbari, Birbali Seekh and Masala Vada.

The main course offers Murg Dum Biryani, Khubuli Pulao, Subz Nizami Pulao, Saalim Raan, Machhi ka Korma, Safed Mirchi ka Salan, Achari Paneer, Kaddu ka Dalcha and much more. Khubani ka Mitha, Double ka Mitha and Seviyon ki Kheer could be sweet endings to your meal. A meal for two at the festival will cost around Rs 1,200.

Just biryani

Mughlai is the favoured flavour on the menu at yet another city restaurant. Pakwan, the multi-cuisine eatery on Purna Das Road, is hosting a biryani festival till August 21.

With a promise of dishing out 70 different varieties of this delicacy, the biryani spread at Pakwan is probably as wide as it can get.

Ustads, waazas and chefs who have visited the restaurant in the past couple of years have put their cookbooks together to come up with the impressive array of biryanis.

“Biryani is popular all over the country, but few people are aware of the many varieties it comes in. From the region of origin to the way it’s cooked, there can be hundreds of varieties. We are trying to cook up as many kinds as we can,” says Soma Sharma, owner of the restaurant.

The biryani menu has been divided according to the region of origin of the dish. Delhi Darbar consists of Awadhi and Shahi varieties that originated during the Mughal period. North-West Frontier Mail comprises flavours from Pakistan, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan, while Deccan Brigade has biryanis from the southern states.

Kashmiriyat boasts flavours from Kashmir, while Bengal accounts for Padma, Meghna and Hilsa biryanis.

Apart from these, there are innovative ones like Murg Musallam Biryani (whole chicken on a bed of rice) and Pomfret-e- Shahi. While the former is priced at Rs 190 (can be shared by two people), the latter comes for Rs 110.

Prices of all the other varieties range between Rs 70 and Rs 100.

The biryani comes with a complimentary drink ? a choice between Badam Doodh, Gulab Milk, Burhaani and soft drinks ? and raita.