Pan-Indian cuisine at Modi-hosted dinner for African dignitaries

Heads of the state and government and other dignitaries from 54 African countries were treated to an array of authentic pan-Indian cuisine at a gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national Capital on Wednesday evening.

The banquet, which started at 8 pm, was held at the Crafts Museum, Pragati Maidan. The Ashok Hotel has been chosen for catering. The menu was an elaborate affair of authentic Indian cuisine. Mouth-watering dishes from Awadh to the west, south and east India were on offer. The delicacies included authentic Kashmiri food items, coastal flavors of south India and palate-pleasing combination of sweet and sour of Gujarati cuisine.

The cuisine from Awadh, as also the North-West Frontier Province that was once a part of India, is a testament to the rich culinary diversity of the country. “For today’s dinner, our emphasis was on a combination of a variety of authentic cuisine, representing a wide variety of unique dishes from across the country,” said chef Rajan Loomba, senior executive chef, The Ashok.

The non-vegetarian menu comprises The Ashok’s signature kebab-e-bannu, tandoori prawns and pathar kebab for starters. The main course includes Malabar meen curry, murg rihana and dum-ki-gosht biryani with a combination of aromatic rice and lamb curry laced with special spices. The vegetarian platter includes chutney paneer tikka, subz til kebab and moti-e-zamin for starters. The main course includes Kashmiri dum aloo, paneer rihana, adraki gobhi, dal Dera Ismail Khan and the host’s favorite vatana muthia nu shaak, served with choicest assorted Indian breads.