Royal feast at Trident's Rivaayat

The last time I had a royal feast was in 2012 at the Mehrangarh fort, in the company of Maharaja Gaj Singh and his extended family. It was a book launch, but the memory that lingers is only of the 'chappan bhog' that was served to us. 

But that's besides the point, the only connecting word here is 'royal'. I was invited to Trident hotel's (BKC) royal cuisine festival, Rivayat, at Maya, their Indian restaurant to sample and review some of the recipes from the royal kitchens. With the lovely Communications Assistant of Trident, Mridul Khosla, for company, I readied myself for a gastronomic evening at Maya—which has a warm ambiance with elements of traditional gold leaf work, complemented by striking accents of red and burnished gold.  While we waited for Executive Chef Ashish Bhasin to join us, Head Chef Himanil Khosla sent us a basket of papads and methi khakras accompanied by three kinds of chutney—raddish and walnut, raw papaya seasoned with black sesame seeds and mint and olive green chutney. I am not a papad fan, but the only reason I really gorged on it was the raddish and walnut chutney, which was to-die-for. You really have to be a food psychic to tell that you were eating raddish chutney, thanks to the hidden flavours.

Soon Chef Ashish joins us and educates me on the history of some of the royal recipes that have been included in the ongoing festival. “These recipes date back to 200 years from different regions—Rampur, Awadh, Punjab and Hyderabad,” he shares. The recipes have interesting ingredients like flower oil extracts, sandalwood powder and ‘patthar ke phool’ as well as innovative cooking methods like segri, dum preparations in a sealed clay pot. But I wasn't sure if the festival would do justice to my vegetarian palette. But the chefs put my anxieties to rest. The appetizers were refreshing—

Vegetable galouti kebab (Lucknow):
Love at first bite happened here. A perfect melt-in-your-mouth, aromatic and flavourful, thanks to the beautiful blend of spices. 

Vegetable lukhmi kebab: (a Hyderabad speciality, spiced minced vegetables in a home-made pastry shell)
Opinion: Crisp on the outside, soft on the inside

Amritsari paneer tikka (Punjab): cottage cheese with ground spices and coriander
Opinion: You can't go wrong with this one. 

Murgh Chapli Kebab

Mridul, my non-vegetarian companion for the evening tells me that the galouti kebab (finely minced lamb patties) won hands down “It's flavourful and soft. The Murgh Chapli Kebab (originally from Peshwar, spiced minced chicken patties) was a wonderful mix of meat and spices. The Rampuri Sigri ki Seekh cooked in traditional barbeque can please any taste bud that has a fancy for rich flavours”. 

I barely managed to finish that up next was the main course. The vegetarian menu was 

Pakodewali kadhi (Punjab): gram flour and onion dumplings in a yoghurt gravy
Opinion: If you are a sucker for sour, this one's for you, not me. 

Baghare Baingan (Hyderabad)- baby brinjal in thick spicy gravy
Opinion: Sesame oil and I have never really enjoyed each other's company. So, while the gravy was thick and flavourful, the fragrance of sesame oil was overpowering. 

Maa chane ki daal (Punjab): lentils cooked with cumin, tomatoes and Indian spices
Opinion: This was comforting. As far as Indian cuisine is concerned, nothing is as soothing as a perfectly cooked dal. 

Sarson ka saag (Punjab): mustard leaves with garlic and spices
Opinion: Not too garlicy and yet bursting with flavours. On Chef Himanil's recommendation, I tried it with makkai di roti, which was topped with jaggery and some white butter. 

Mridul signalled a thumbs up for the meat variety that was served to her-

Saag Murgh Kofta

Awadhi nihari: Slow-cooked lamb shanks
Opinion: An instant favourite. 

Mahi Kaliyan (Hyderabad): A fish curry served to the royals of Hyderabad, the gravy of this dish is made with peanuts, coriander and sesame seed. 
Opinion: Watching her savour every bite, I was convinced, she was home with this dish. 

The main course was served with a basket of three different Indian breads- Khameeri roti, Amritsari kulcha and makkai ki roti.  

Gulathi

As the dessert arrived, our tummies protested but then how can one say no to Gulathi (rice and clarified butter pudding with nuts), Seviyan ka muzaffar (cardamom-flavoured milk vermicelli) and Gajrela (winter carrots with reduced milk). For me, the seviyan was clearly the winner!