What: Dragon Boat Festival menu
When: On till June 30
Where: Yauatcha, Quest
Pocket pinch: Rs 1,200 per person
Chinese just got a lot more fun with the new menu at Yauatcha for the Dragon Boat Festival. Also known as the Duanwu festival, it is typically celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the traditional lunar calendar and is spent racing dragon boats, drinking realgar wine and making merry.
This year to celebrate the festival, Yauatcha brings us treats wrapped in lotus leaves. Zongzi (sticky rice stuffed with meat or veggies and wrapped in bamboo leaves), which is traditionally eaten during the festival, features on the special menu available for 10 days.
“Zongzi is popularly consumed during the Dragon Boat Festival in China. But we’re serving sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves instead. Unfortunately we can’t serve sake in Calcutta but it is a part of the menu everywhere else,” said Anindya Haoladar, general manager, Yauatcha.
Sticky facts
Sticky rice comes with a variety of pairings. Choose from vegetables, edamame and mock duck (made with soya bean), pork belly, chicken and prawn/mushroom or best, just opt for the Dragon Boat Sticky Rice platter for variety.
The rice is parboiled and then laid out to cool. It is then cut into pieces and the stuffing added. The stuffing is stir-fried and has a bit of gravy which is then absorbed by the sticky rice, keeping the dish nice and moist. The lotus leaf is folded and bound. Once the order is placed, the parcels are steamed in bamboo baskets for 15 minutes. And voila, they are ready to be opened and devoured. Nom nom!
Fun fact: If the velvety side of the leaf is on top, the dish is vegetarian, whereas if the veiny side is on top, the dish is
non-vegetarian.
What: The Haat in association with t2
Where: Ice Skating Rink
When: June 23-25, 11am-8pm
What to expect: The 74 stalls of this lifestyle fair will showcase a host of items including apparels and home accessories. Besides labels from Calcutta, there will be brands from Lucknow, Mumbai, Hyderabad and various other parts of the country.
Organiser speak: “We expect a good crowd as shoppers would look to put together a monsoon wardrobe. Rakhi isn’t too far away too, so people will find a lot of gifting options. We try to get new collections keeping in mind the latest trends,” said Anupam Mukherjee, project director, The Haat.
Pictures: Rashbehari Das
