Food as much a draw as handicrafts at the Craft Mela

NAGPUR: There is a certain bonding between winters and food. So the food section at the Orange city craft mela is witnessing record footfalls. Surprisingly what’s attracting the foodies is the elaborate stall of Rajasthani food. The complete array of what would make for a mouth watering Rajasthani thali are being prepared and sold here hot from the stove.Onion kachori, dal kachori, the quintessential dal, baati churma and churma laddoos are a treat for the local palate which is accustomed to a lighter variety of foods.
"We are specialists in these items and prepare them according to the authentic recipe," says Mahendra Singh, the Kachori expert who has come from Jodhpur. The ghee soaked baati is served with piping hot dal. This is a must have food in the winter months as the ghee is easily digested and also keeps the body warm. "Why we are savouring these items is because we have neither the knowledge nor the equipment to prepare them at home," says Ashwin Paranjape who is digging into these delicacies nearly every day for the past week.
Equally attractive is the stall dishing out Punjabi food like Pindi Chole, bathure and dry potatoes. "Though chole is a common item and is cooked in every kitchen but it still tastes very different when prepared the Punjabi way," says the chef Raghubir who has come from Delhi.