Something different is cooking in the kitchens of the big fat Marwari wedding. The monopoly days of the home-grown catering king Munna Maharaj, with his army of chaatwallahs and mithaiwallahs, are threatened with more cooks stirring up the marriage broth.

Take Arihant Catering Services manned by Umed Dhariwal, who opened shop about three months ago. “I used to manage the banquet halls at Haldiram’s Ballygunge outlet and understood the demands of Marwari clients, like good presentation, customisation, housekeeping and branded cutlery,” says Dhariwal. “Even though we are new in the catering market, we have 12-13 dates lined up in November-December and nine weddings in February already.” (January 2009 is a lean month for Marwari marriages.)

If there’s newcomer Arihant, there’s also veteran Ruia. “If more caterers don’t come into the market, the industry does not grow. People need caterers for every range, be it Rs 300 or Rs 700 a plate. Today, whether a person is spending Rs 5 lakh or Rs 10 lakh on a wedding, he wants a caterer-cum-decorator,” says Pradip Ruia of Ruia Caterers & Decorators, who has been around for more than 30 years and is seeing a definite surge in experimentation and enterprise now.

Price point is where Rajesh Agarwal of Ganpati Caterers is scoring. “We got Ganpati to cater at our daughter’s wedding in December last year because of the variety he offers at a lower price than Munna Maharaj,” says businessman Mukesh Agarwal.

Variety is the spice of Marwari weddings and so the more the merrier. “People’s tastes have changed from a one-cuisine flavour to global bites. Our clients are well travelled nowadays and are more knowledgeable about food across the world. Our USP is the variety of food we offer on the table, be it Thai, Mongolian or Italian,” says Dhariwal of Arihant.

“Health-conscious food made with less oil is currently the craze and what’s really picking up is the demand for organic food at weddings,” adds Ruia. “Also, each state of India must be represented by its food and the leading stalls now are Gujarati, Rajasthani and Bengali. Our trademark Arabian counter is also doing well along with the usual Italian, Mexican and Japanese fare, and we are introducing a Kashmiri counter this bridal season.”

The mobile maharaj brigade from Burrabazar remains a feast factor for many families.

'They come from Rajasthan and camp here in baasas. In this season of cost-cutting they find favour among a lot of Marwari families, especially for smaller gatherings,' says Manoj Mohta, who did the shopping himself and got the maharaj to do the cooking for a nominal rate.

And then there is the maharaj – Munna Maharaj. “There are new caterers who have gained momentum but most are not being able to stay for long,' says catering king Munna Maharaj. 'Quality is the most important criterion in the food business along with hygiene, innovation and new concepts. Today people have weddings that are spread across three-four days and the food must be different on each day. So, while there are new players, it's important to offer good quality over a sustained period of time.

The pop picks on his platter are Jodhpuri Chakki Ki Sabji, ????????Patra Muthia and Dahi Ki Jalebi. And the ace up the sleeve of this high-flyer? The ready passports for his full catering team. When Munna laid out the fare for Lakshmi Mittal's daughter's six-day wedding extravaganza in the Palace of Versailles, on June 22, 2004, he flew his troupe across the waters to Eiffel city.

'At least 50 members from my team are equipped with passports. Destination weddings are common nowadays. Be it going to Paris for Mittal's daughter's wedding a few years ago or to Bangkok last month for Dhanuka's wedding, people are ready to spend and we must provide efficiency and service,' says Munna.

PLATE PRICE

Arihant Catering Services: Rs 400-Rs 600.

Pradip Ruia: Average Calcutta billing is Rs 500-Rs 700.

Munna Maharaj: Charges anything from Rs 500 to Rs 800, depending on the menu. The average Calcutta billing is Rs 500-Rs 600. Outstation billings come in a package deal.