Indian delicacies to tempt Jakartans

Urip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Imagine a plate of hot, steaming rice sprinkled with cashew nuts and raisins. Now add to that a serving of vegetables cooked in cashew gravy with saffron and prawns simmering in a rich broth of spices and coconut milk.

Feeling a bit watery in the mouth yet?

Despair not, because the Hotel Dusit Mangga Dua in West Jakarta will be serving such tempting dishes during their 10-day Indian Food Festival from Sept. 30 to Oct. 9.

Besides the previously described subzi zaffrani khorma and prawn moilee dishes, Indian food enthusiasts can also treat their taste buds to some pineapple rasam (spicy pineapple broth), murgh de pyaza (chicken cooked with onion and spices) and tadka dal (boiled lentils tempered with garlic, onion, green chilies and tomato).

Guests can choose between a buffet lunch from noon to 2:30 p.m. for Rp 75,000 (US$8.15) per person or a set menu dinner from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. for Rp 48,000 per person.

Guests can also learn how to prepare the dishes during a crash-course cooking lesson on Oct. 2 by chefs Dinesh and Sanji of Hotel Taj Malabar in Cochin, Kerala state in India.

An exhibition showcasing Indian arts and crafts -- including its famous body tattoos -- will also be held during the event.

Hotel general manager Subagyo Hidayat said in a press conference on Wednesday that the event was held since Indonesia has many historical and cultural ties with India. "We want to enhance these ties, while introducing Indian cuisine to the Indonesians."

Indian Ambassador H.K. Singh will open the event.

Chef Dinesh said he had brought with him authentic spices from India to make the taste as original as possible. "We will however prepare the dishes accordingly to the Indonesian tongue," he said.

For further information, please contact (021) 612 8811 ext. 82055/82057.