Tarun Kumar Basu, President of Indian Cultural Centre, inaugurates the festival by lighting the traditional lamp along with senior chefs and management of Sharq Village and Spa.
From the fragrant infusions of the north to the
exciting and punchy flavours of the south, the Indian
food festival at Sharq Village and Spa encompasses
regional diversity. By Umer Nangiana
For all the foodies who love Indian cuisine, here is the good news. Sharq Village and Spa has brought in exotic flavours and all-authentic Indian delicacies to Doha. But hurry, the festival lasts only till tomorrow.
“Take a cook’s tour around the regions of India to discover the vast range of this ancient cuisine. From the fragrant infusions of the north to the exciting and punchy flavours of the south, the five-day event will have everything,” said a statement by Sharq Village and Spa.
Indian food encompasses a wide variety of regional cuisines which lead to diversity of flavours. This gastronomic occasion is hosted by resident Chef Janardan Das and his team. At the event, he has put up a spread laden with traditional dishes ranging from curries and naans to grilled specialties from the tandoori oven and desserts.
There are more than 20 types of appetisers from different parts of India. Achari shrimps salad, kutchumber salad, curried pasta salad, dahi vada, pani puri and papdi chat are some of the popular picks. “Some of the dishes are really authentic. Fortunately, the chef is from the same town of mine. They have dishes from almost all the provinces of India here,” Tarun Kumar Basu, President of Indian Cultural Centre (ICC), told Community.
Basu inaugurated the food festival being held in the beautiful setting of Sharq Village. At dinner, as Basu moved to the desserts table, the chef recommended him gajjar ka halwa (a sweet dish made of carrots). “He was suggesting gajjar ka halwa. He said it was the best, so it must be good because the chef was recommending,” speculated Basu.
Some of the notable Indian dishes were vegetable biryani, aloo dum Kashmiri, dal makhani, badshahi biryani, mutton roganjosh, prawn malai curry, chicken tikka makhani, kakori kebab, murg malai kebab, lassoni kebab and jhinga kebab. In the dessert section, there were gulab jamun, chum chum, jallebi, jaggery ice cream and kulfi with falooda.
“We express our sincere thanks to the management of Sharq Village & Spa for arranging this wonderful Indian food festival,” said Basu. “We have noticed that in recent years most of the star hotels in Qatar are conducting such Indian food festivals and it has become very popular.”
From the feedback he received, Basu said Sharq Village, which is part of Ritz Carlton Group, was hosting the festival again after a successful exhibition of Indian food at the parent hotel. “We are very happy to know that all the major hotels are coming up with the idea of Indian cuisine.”
Besides Indian food, Basu said he personally enjoys kebabs the most. It is, he added, the best food for both as a late night snack and dinner.
The Sharq food festival is available for dinner from 6.30pm to 11pm and is priced QR250 per person inclusive of soft beverages while QR125 for children aged six to 12 years.
With restaurants and food and beverage options recognised as amongst the best in the region, Sharq Village and Spa offers unique dining experiences as each venue blends the rich ambience of the ancient Qatari village with five-star service and comfort.
The village restaurants offer al fresco seating at ample beachfront and rooftop terraces. Dining options include all day dining restaurant Al Liwan, modern seafood restaurant, Al Dana, Arabian-styled cafe Al Jalsa, rooftop shisha terrace Al Wanis, a cigar lounge, lobby lounge and Al Seef the outdoor pool and snack bar.