(Clockwise from top left) A Satvik Thali on offer at Sonargaon; glass bracelets of Burnt Sienna; a kebab platter at The Palladian Lounge. Pictures by Rashbehari Das

With Sonargaon at Taj Bengal hosting the Satvik Khana Festival, lovers of authentic vegetarian food have something to look forward to.

This festival is all about pure and fresh vegetarian food from the land of temples, Varanasi, prepared without the influence of onion and garlic, making use of minimum spices, too.

Cooking up this fare at the restaurant is Pandit Girwar Divedi, with 40 years of culinary experience behind him, that also includes serving royal families.

The Satvik Thali offers Hara Mattar Ki Tikki, Moti Paneer, Benarasi Bharwaan Aloo, Khare Masale Ke Baingan, Palak Ki Bhaji, Sunehri Gobi, Lauki Kofta, Panchratni Dal, Zafrani Jeera Pulao, Hing Kachori and Anukrit Salad. For desserts you can choose from Lal Peda and Kesari Kheer. The Thali is priced at Rs 525-plus.

Says Divedi: “The menu that I have drawn up for Calcuttans is very authentic. Most of it is ghar ka khana (home-made fare), food that is very close to our hearts.”

Foodies can also choose from a host of other a-la-carte Benarasi selections like Nimona (potato and mashed green peas tempered with asafetida), Seb Ki Subzi (apple cooked in yellow yoghurt gravy) or Arbi Masala (colocasia in a light gravy tempered with caraway seeds).

Says executive chef Sujan Mukherjee: “Through such festivals we are trying to bring forth the diversity of traditional regional cuisine to food lovers here. People are yet to know of the magic that lies in such cuisine from various parts of the country.”

The festival is on from November 18 to 27.

Tandoor taste

A chill in the air and hot tandoori food go hand-in-hand. Keeping this in mind, The Palladian Lounge at the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry is playing host to Dawat-e-Tandoor, a festival of kebabs between November 14 and 30.

On offer from the kitchen of chef Tayab are vegetarian and non-vegetarian specialities like Anda Ke Kebab (egg infused with Indian spices, cooked in tandoor and served with a mint dip), Murgh Tayabi (chicken breast stuffed with mildly spiced minced mutton roasted on tandoor), Chef Ki Khas Gobi (winter cauliflower with coriander chutney and onion rings) and Phaldari Kebab (raw green bananas in milange with freshly-grounded spices).

Other kebabs on offer include the Bharwa Aloo, Palak Seekh Kebab, Bekti Haryali Kebab and Kastoori Kalmi Kebab. Prices start at Rs 50.

Lustre line

A dazzling array of organza and glass interspersed with faux pearls ? the latest offering from Delhi-based jewellery label Burnt Sienna.

Designer Nandita Bose launched the winter collection recently, giving a whole new twist to its array of handmade glass jewellery.

“This time, instead of fusing it with stones, I’ve used glass extensively, combining it with other luxurious materials. But the focus essentially is handmade glass since that’s my forte,” says Nandita.

And instead of her trademark bracelets, Nandita has unveiled an exclusive range of neckpieces. Floating necklaces with faux pearls and cut hand-blown glass look stunning.

Multi-layered cut-glass chokers and lariat necklaces with embellished chained glass bracelets and co-ordinated glass earrings are ultra-chic.

Prices range from Rs 650 to Rs 950 for the bracelets, earrings are priced at Rs 420 and Rs 550. Necklaces start at Rs 700 and go up to Rs 1,650.

Burnt Sienna jewellery is available in CIMA Design, Little India and Espee in Calcutta, apart from stores in Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh and Ludhiana.