As we entered Pala, the whiff of jasmine and the mellow light from candles welcomed us, giving us a fair idea of what’s in store at Kayasth Khatirdari, presented by ITC Sonar Kolkata in association with Johnnie Walker.
“Under ITC Hotels’ ‘Kitchens of India initiative’, it’s our continuous effort to showcase undiscovered, unique and royal culinary legacies to the discerning diner. This unique presentation of the Kayasth community cuisine is impeccably paired here with fine beverage, another unusual offering under this series,” said Gaurav Soneja, resident manager, ITC Sonar Kolkata.
Author and food writer Anoothi Vishal, who specialises in culinary history, hosted the sit-down dinner as a part of her attempt to revive the cuisine of the Kayasth community. She spoke to t2 before dinner on this unusual initiative.
Kayasth cuisine is quite unheard of. What made you curate something like this?
Kayasth cuisine is interesting since it’s an amalgamation of many different influences. So I look at it as a reflection of India’s composite culture. I have just not been curating Kayasth khana but cooking it too. Food shouldn’t be looked at in an exclusive way because food is part of a larger context… a larger culture. And India’s culture is a mix of diverse sociological, geographical and political influences.
Tell us about today’s menu and how you have curated it.
Most of the dishes today are family recipes. I have divided the entire journey of Kayasth food into three parts. The first part has local influences and features dishes that were a part of big feasts that the Kayasths used to have, especially during summer. The second one has an extensive Mughal bit and then there’s the whole colonial part. And since this dinner is an experience, each section reflects a particular mood and to go with that we have paired the whiskeys. People from this community were connoisseurs of Scotch that was brought in by the British.
COURSE-WISE
