Dine like a royal, with the royals

In a unique opportunity, food connoisseurs will get to taste royalty at its authentic best, as 20 royal families from across the country are getting ready to dish out their regal platters.

A new initiative -- 'Dining with the Royalty' by eatwithIndia brings to fore the much guarded royal culinary heritage of India, preserved and handed down the generations of the erstwhile patronized kitchens of the princely states.

"The idea was to promote Indian cuisine internationally and see that it gets the respect it deserves, given the depth and diversity of the Indian cuisine," Sonal Saxena, founder, Dine with Royalty, said.

Beginning on October 26, the gala gastronomical affair, spread over three days, will give Delhiites an opportunity not just relish the royal flavours, but also to dine with the members of the royal families as they share insights into the culinary traditions they followed in the past.

"Each royal house will not only extend the hospitality through food, but the members of that royal house will themselves play host to the party of guests," Saxena said.

To get the right mix of royals who could "showcase the strength and diversity of the cuisine", she said, she and her team travelled across the length and breadth of the country.

"It was a selection based on research and understanding of the regional cuisines of India," she said.

The cuisines on offer will be an amalgamation of dishes from 12 Indian states and the menus have been limited strictly to "what the maharajas ate in the palaces".

"We don't have 'Lal Maas' on the menu even though there are six families from Rajasthan. We have curated menus which are authentic historically and not available otherwise," Saxena said.

The participants in the event include the royal families of Aaron and Myana, Amarkot, Awadh, Badnore, Limbdi, Balasinor, Bhainsrorgarh, Bedla, Bhopal, Bolangir, Deolia, Kalan, Jhabua, Jhalamand, Jodhpur, Kangra, Kanota, Kishangarh, Kotwara, Loharu, Mahmudabad, Nimaj, Patiala, Raghogarh, Sandur, Rampur, and Santrampur.

Six luxury tents would be set up to create the royal look, and each tent will serve 35 guests at one point of time. Two meals will be served everyday (lunch and dinner) by different royal families.

The tents, decorated by some of the renowned art designers, will be unique in their representation of the heritage of the princely states serving the meal.

The festival, to be held at the Belgian Embassy, will continue till October 29.