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Pune: This Independence Day, restaurants have gone beyond colouring their food in tricolour hues to practising what they call ‘culinary patriotism.’It travels from creating special dishes holding an integral place in the nation’s culinary history and heritage to paying homage to iconic Indian preparations.Conrad Pune on Mangaldas Road is hosting a special brunch serving dishes that pay tribute to different cuisines of various army regiments. Their special menu includes Ladhaki thukpa —a warm and comforting tribute to the brave Ladakh Scouts Regiment, Kanyakumari fish curry — a spicy and flavoursome nod to the valiant Madras Regiment, aloo ke gutke — a rustic and hearty celebration of the courageous Garhwal Rifles, puran poli — a sweet and delectable homage to the indomitable Maratha Light Infantry, jhol momos honouring the grit of the Gorkha Regiments and litti chokha to applaud the valour of the Bihar Regiment.Gaurav Herwadkar, executive sous chef, Conrad Pune, said, “The menu has been prepared by drawing inspiration from the recipes garnered from the archives of the Indian Army. We have hosted cooks posted with various regiments to come to our hotel and see our commercial kitchen set up, discuss how things are done at their end and exchange kitchen hacks. During our talks, we found what foods our defence personnel stationed in various parts of the country are eating, what dishes they eat during their celebrations and parties, and what recipes are regularly consumed and so on. Items on this Independence Day brunch at our hotel gives our patrons a taste of all this and more.”While every state has its own dishes, one that binds the nation is Biryani.Zyzzyva in Magarpatta is celebrating the rice-based preparation at their Independence Day brunch. “Indians cannot resist biryani. It is served on every occasion. Every region has its own variation prepared with different ingredients, proteins, spices and cooking style. We will be serving the quintessential Awadhi, aka Lucknowi biryani, which is a hit with our patrons in both vegetarian and chicken varieties,” said Prerna Gaikwad, owner, Zyzzyva.Several restaurants are offering patrons a taste of the country’s diversity featuring some favourite dishes from various states on their special menus for the day.“We will take our patrons on a culinary journey across India with popular dishes from different states manifesting the diversity which is an integral characteristic of the country. Be it rogan josh from Kashmir, dal panchmel from Rajasthan, macchi paturi from West Bengal, or chemeen Allepey from Kerala. There are various flavour profiles and cooking techniques to experience,” said Siddharth Noronha, executive chef, Sheraton Grand, Bund Garden Hotel.Vimal Verma, general manager, JW Marriott Pune, said, “At our restaurant Spice Kitchen, the special Independence Day lunch will provide an immersive experience themed on the National Anthem.” He said, “From the robust flavours of Punjab to the rich offerings of Sindh, the vibrant spices of Gujarat, the delectable specialities of Maharashtra, the aromatic creations of Dravida regions, the authentic tastes of Utkala, the exquisite dishes of Bengal, the traditional preparations from Vindhya and the mountain-inspired cuisine of Himachal – every state’s distinct culinary identity will be celebrated through items on our menu.”
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