Get a taste of history with heirloom dishes from Thanjavur royal palace

Going back to the historic texts from the late 18th century, in which the culinary legacies of the Thanjavur Maratha kings were documented, the Madras Pavilion at city-based ITC Grand Chola is presenting the kingdom’s heirloom recipes through a 10-day fest.

“The kingdom documented thousands of its food cultures and recipes, many of which we don’t see in the current day. We went back to referring their texts so as to understand and revive the forgotten food traditions. The royal heirloom recipes were distinct in a way that they used a lot of chillies and freshly pounded all their spices — making their food very rustic. The royals were meat eaters, and consumed kebabs and meat curries. The food is peculiarly different from other south Indian cooking,” Chef Praveen Anand tells us as we sit down for a taste of the royal food, along with Abaji Rajah Bhonsle and his family.

From a komdichi kebab (chicken drumstick cooked in coriander, pepper and ginger on charcoal embers), khendata (a mixed curry of vegetables and pulses, which reminds one of sambar), khichdi pulao (roasted moong and rice pulao, which tastes like a close cousin of pongal) to kesar maas (pounded shreds of mutton tossed in poppy and chilli) — the food feels largely familiar to the South Indian palate, yet so unique. “The palace has had different kitchens for various food preparations — a Maratha kitchen for non-vegetarian food, a Brahminical kitchen for vegetarian food and an English kitchen for European food,” Abaji Rajah Bhonsle informs us. Laat bhakri (rice chapatis) is another uncommon preparation, which is prepared for the royal family during Pongal festival, using freshlyharvested rice.

The heirloom recipes were drawn from Sarabendra Pakashastra, an ancient text which was written in Modi script (script used to write Marathi), and contained details of the foods cooked in the palace. A chef from the palace is also in the city to help decipher the ancient cooking methods. For instance, the shakar biranji (sweet rice pulao with almonds and sultanas) takes nearly two hours to prepare — in three elaborate steps of boiling dal with spices, and then making a poppy paste and in the end cooking the rice the way a biryani would be cooked (sautéing whole spices in ghee and then adding the rice). Komda kalia (a country chicken curry), is another such slow-cooked delicacy. With a variety of kebabs, kalias (curries) and meat, seafood dishes in unconventional preparations, the fest not only is a way to take a bite of the royal food, but also delve into the rich history of the kingdom.