SRINAGAR: An all-vegetarian dinner hosted for G20 Delegates by President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday evening had Kashmiri kahwa, filter coffee, and Darjeeling tea among the beverages served to guests.
President Murmu and PM Modi welcomed G20 leaders and other guests, including US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanual Macron, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa among others before the start of the dinner.
The dinner hosted at Bharat Mandapam, where the Summit was held, was attended by close to 300 people, including heads of state and those who were invited by the Government of India.
“A medley of traditions, customs and climate, Bharat is diverse in many ways. Taste connects us. We celebrate ‘Sharad Ritu’, the autumn season of abundance in this menu. It showcases the wealth of ingredients across Bharat, expressing our rich culinary heritage in a modern mosaic dedicated to the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ – ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’,” according to the menu paper of the dinner.
To give the taste of millets grown across India “to our esteemed guests, we have included a few dishes in the menu today”, which use different types of millets, namely: Foxtail millet (in Paatram), Little millet (in Vanavarnam) and Barnyard millet (in Madhurima),” reads another page of the menu.
The starter ‘Paatram’ – ‘A breath of fresh air’ – comprising of foxtail millet leaf crisps topped with a yoghurt sphere and spiced chutney which contains milk, wheat and nuts was served to the G20 leadres.
It was followed by the main course ‘Vanavarnam’, a jackfruit galette served with glazed forest mushrooms, little millet crisp and curry leaf tossed Kerala red rice, which contains milk and wheat.
Bread, including Mumbai pao, or onion seed-flavoured soft bun, bakarkhani, or cardamom-flavoured sweet flatbread, was served.
The desserts served include ‘Madhurima’, ‘Pot of gold’, a cardamom-scented barnyard millet pudding, fig-peach compote and ‘Ambemohar’ rice crisps containing milk, millet, wheat and nuts. Paan flavoured chocolate leaves were also served to the leaders.
