Kolkata on a platter

The strong yet soothing flavour of 'Chingri malai curry', fresh aroma of 'Gondhoraj ghol,' the velvety gravy of mutton curry, 'kosha mangsho' and the aroma of 'bhetki' fish along with a paste of mustard and coconut wrapped in banana leaf are enough to transport you to the bustling streets of the City of joy – Kolkata.

Delhiites can savour the earthly taste of true Bengali cuisine at the ongoing Grand Trunk Culinary journey at The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel till April 16. This is an opportunity not to be missed if you are looking for the true flavours of Kolkata.

At the mini-kolkata, foodies can choose from a wide array of Bong delicacies as Manna Dey and Hemanta Mukhopadhyay's iconic songs play in the background.

The event is the last pit stop of the Grand Trunk Culinary journey which began from Amritsar and made pit stops at Delhi and Banaras, bringing back the authentic flavours of cuisines from all the cities.

Chef Ashwini Kumar has left no stones unturned in bringing the essence of Kolkata alive in Delhi. He went out of his way and immersed the modern day cuisines in the classic flavours of Kolkata. After traversing the alleys of the city, trying out the dishes and preparing them after months of practice, the chef has come up a lavish Bengali feast.

At the pit stop of the festival, one can explore the reflections of Kolkata's best local cuisines, garnished and reinvented by the Chef. For starters, one can choose from 'bhaja' (cutlet or chop), 'Mughali parota,' Kolkata rolls, phuchka and lebu cha (lemon tea) served in kettley and kulhar.

The main course, even though enormous, is an impressively balanced mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian items – with 'Aloo posto', the famous 'Kolkata biryani' with soft juicy mutton pieces, 'Mughali parantha', 'Pabda shorshe jhal' and 'Luchi-kosha mangsho.'

It is definitely not possible to devour it all but missing out on something would be disheartening. The buffet is cleverly assembled and will give some a pleasant surprise that Kolkata cuisine is not just about fish, meat and rice.

After you have tried it all, take a deep breath and relax because the delectable sweets of Kolkata are still left. With over a dozen items – 'sondesh,' 'mishti doi,' 'payesh,' 'pantua,' 'rosogolla,' 'sita bhog,' 'pithas,' and of course the main attraction, 'mishti paan,' you will be left in a fix – you will be tempted to go ahead and try out your capacity for eating sweets.