White House sends its menu brief

President Bush will arrive in Delhi on March 1 around 7:30 pm after which he will proceed to Maurya Sheraton where three floors have been reserved for him. He will be greeted with an opulent dinner with speciality dishes prepared for the occasion by star chef Imtiaz Qureshi.

‘‘Keeping in mind the President’s liking for kebabs, Chef Qureshi will prepare two kinds of special kebabs for him. There will be Lagan ki Boti, which is tender lamb flavoured with spices and brown onion. This will be cooked especially for the occasion in the traditional way.

Another special kebab called Murgh Seekh Pa, which is cooked chicken mince stuffed with cheddar cheese and mint chutney, will also be part of the appetisers,’’ chef Chaudhary says.

For the main course, the US President will be treated to special Dal Qureshi, biryani and also the Hyderabadi dish Khatte Baingan, baby brinjals cooked with mustard seeds and coconut.

The flavour of the food will be Indian down to the desserts with Anjeer Dahi ki Lauj—yoghurt with figs—and a special dessert called Zauk-i-Shah—gulab jamuns coated with poppy seeds.

‘‘We have also planned an elaborate breakfast for the President with several kinds of paranthas, puri, aloo bhaji with yoghurt and also a South Indian spread with dosas and idlis to choose from. The entire menu created for the President’s visit is something very different from what we usually do mainly because the brief he has sent us is very clear about his love for Indian food. We are told he spent some two months in the Capital in his younger days and he still recalls the food he had here with great relish. Our attempt will be to make the food here a good memory for him for years to come,’’ says Executive Chef Chaudhary.