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Millets, popularly known as the ‘poor man’s food’, received a revival of global attention when the United Nations (UN) declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets. Hotels and restaurants around Delhi have now picked up on the fervour, with many deciding to spotlight it on the menu that will be sampled by the G20 Summit delegates arriving in the city next week.
Chef Arun Sundararaj, director of culinary operations, Taj Mahal, New Delhi, said, “The value of millets was known by us [Indians] long ago, now we want to introduce the same to the delegates. It’s full of nutrition and can be used in diverse ways. We’ll use many varieties like Jowar, Ragi, Foxtail and Sorghum. We’ll add some panache to Bajra, too. It will have a Rajasthani touch with garlic flavours, and we’ll sprinkle some saag (leafy greens) on top, to bring two different flavours together.”
He further said, “We’ll have Ragi dosa, which will have a texture like that of rawa dosa, but with a different flavour – to add a millet-ness to the dish. We’ll experiment with international cuisine too: instead of using buckwheat flour for pancakes, we’ll use ragi to add a unique texture.”
Over at JW Marriott, a spokesperson said that its restaurants will host a millet bar, which will include salads, dates, nuts and fruits. The hotel will also include dishes with a local touch, like the curries and chaats of Old Delhi, and cuisines that highlight the diversity of Indian and international cuisines.
At Pullman and Novotel, the focus will be on freshness and sustainability, according to Chef Sandeep Kalra, Director of Culinary Operations. Kalra said the group has an in-house garden of 6,500 square feet which will supply a majority of the ingredients, grown without insecticides or pesticides, using manure derived from food waste.
“We grow kitchen herbs like thyme, rosemary and sage. We’ll serve edible flowers which have decorative and calorific value too. We also grow local vegetables suitable to extreme heat, like lady fingers, brinjal, coriander, cucumber, pumpkin, sitaphal, guava and chiku. We try to get the best out of the farm, and contact farmers and seed-shops,” he said, adding that the garden will also contribute to Portuguese, Mediterranean, Russian and Creole cuisines, allowing delegates to experience the entire world’s flavours in one go.
“For the delegates, we want to showcase our country’s diverse cultures and give them a taste of India,” said Sundararaj. “They will get various meal options with many ethnic flavours, so that they get to see the entire landscape of India in one plate,” he added.
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