India on My Platter Read Online Free

the kitchen. The menu was urad chana dal (black and split Bengal gram lentil dish), kala chana (staple black chickpeas curry) and roti. The smoky feel in the dal was evident, the rotis were thick and topped with hot ghee to fill you up. My biggest lesson from this meal was that even as a chef, or a cook, your conscience while cooking has to be clear. It may be a profession, but it is a noble act to feed people, so love, respect and selflessness have to be there whenever you cook.
    After a brilliant morning and afternoon in the gurudwara, it was time to head towards Dharamshala. There was no scope for a nap. We were some 100 km away from our destination when the weather took a sudden turn. It turned cloudy, the skies were unclear with the onset of thunder and lightning. About 20 km before Dharamshala, Kangra begins. It has a beautiful fort. Some of the crew members insisted that we take a small tour of the fort as it had started raining and they would be able to get beautiful shots. The breeze smelled fresh with rain, the fort was picturesque and the whole plantation surrounding the fort was a happy dark green in colour.
    The fort was beautiful, almost 5000 years old, and had been ruled by 490 royal families to date. It is a mustvisit whenever you’re planning a travel to Dharamshala. My dear producer fixed a meal with one of the maharajas who had once ruled this fort; the perks of my job are just awesome! It was time to drive the Tamatar to Maharaja Bhupinder Singh’s house in Dharamshala. Unlike all the royal palaces that I had been to, this one was like a royal house built in the hills. It had huge ceilings with a lot of greenery around, and twisted pathways that led to small guest cottages and open gardens.
    Maharaja Bhupinder Singh was dressed simply. He was wearing a long off-white kurta with a traditional Himachali, or rather a mountain herder hat. He explained how, with a lot of effort, they had tried to save the fort after a major earthquake in 1905. The effort continues, also, to save their culture, language and food that are disappearing with time. The cuisine they refer to is called Kangra, and has major influences from Himachal, Kashmir, Punjab and Chamba. Not many people are aware of this cuisine today. The dishes that are popular and were served to me were lugdu (fern that’s mainly pickled), patoday-arbi ke patte (dish made from colocasia leaves), dham (chana dal with dry coconut), khatta chana (tangy horse gram), brown rice, different sautéed varieties of wild mushrooms, pickled flower buds, mango curry served with saffron and dry fruit sweet pulao (dish of rice cooked in stock with spices, typically having added meat or vegetables). Jealous? Well, there were more than 12 dishes on the menu and each and every dish had a new surprise for my palate. I couldn’t have left the palace without presenting with, and dedicating one royal dish to the humble, graceful and down-to-earth Maharaja Bhupinder Singh. I quickly stirred up a Moti Pulao ( moti literally means pearl. Here, it means the small cottage cheese ball added in the pilaf) in his kitchen to add to this feast. After the royal feast and a long day, I thanked the maharaja profusely for the hospitality we received. I hurriedly searched for a bed in the small cottage in Kangra and passed out.
    M OTI P ULAO
(Also known as pearl pilaf, cottage cheese balls coated in silver make it a royal treat.)
    Ingredients
    1 cup basmati rice
    200 gm cottage cheese (paneer)
    3 tbsp cashew nut powder, grind the cashew nuts
    1 tbsp cornflour
    Salt to taste
    10 silver sheets (varq)
    2 tbsp clarified butter (ghee)
    4 cloves (laung)
    1 bay leaf (tejpatta)
    2 one-inch stick cinnamon (dalchini)
    6 green cardamoms (elaichi)
    10 strands saffron (kesar) 2 tbsp milk
    ¼ cup dry fruits for garnishing (assorted and lightly sautéed in ghee )
    Oil to deep fry
    Method
    1.  Wash and soak rice in water for about half an hour. Drain water and keep aside.
    2.  Finely mash the