The festival aims to offer a unique experience with an expansive selection of popular dishes having originated from various cities on the GT Road.
Ever imagined tasting authentic dishes from Chittagong, Kabul, Amritsar, Allahabad, Delhi, and Kolkata in Mumbai? Banjara Restaurant at Goldfinch Hotel, Mumbai has organised a feast for people to remember. In a one-of-a-kind fiesta called 'The Grand Trunk Road food festival', foodies can relish a range of delicacies from Chittagong, Kolkata and Kabul via Amritsar, Delhi and Allahabad.
The Grand Trunk Road is one of Asia's oldest and longest highways spanning across 2,500 km. It runs through parts of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Therefore, the festival serves flavours and authentic dishes from these regions. There are street-style delicacies of Amritsar, such as sarson ka saag with makki de roti and Pindi chhole kulche, as well as the iconic tandoori chicken from Crystal Chowk and kunna gosht, the goodness of Pashtuni dishes.
Besides this, Afghani dishes such as Kabuli palaw (the national dish of the country), qorma-e-gosht (lamb stew), Qqorma-e-lubia shaljam (kidney beans stew), chapli kebab (patty of lamb mince), bolani (stuffed thin crust bread), mantu (meat dumplings) and ashak (vegetable dumplings) served with tomato and yoghurt sauces can be enjoyed. Get the taste of Pakistani flavours in the form of Raan-e-Musallam, a spice-marinated lamb leg is slow-cooked overnight and Peshawari Charsi Murg Karahi, a speciality of Peshawar.
Other irresistible delicacies to try are gobi ameenabadi (mildly spiced wok tossed cauliflower), langarwali daal, patrani machi and mutton burra kebab. From Delhi, foodies can enjoy Kuliya Chaat from old Delhi, chhole bhature and crispy jalebi with rabdi.
Going further you have traditional Awadhi cuisine from Allahabad which includes succulent galouti kebabs and their vegetarian version, suran ki galouti, skewered by Masterchef Bapon. Some other must-tries from the region include a royal, culinary heritage include Zaffrani paneer tikka, machi begam bahar (mildly-spiced slow-cooked fish with caramelised onion and cashew nuts) and Awadhi biryani, a dish brought to India by Persian travellers and merchants.
“There is a misconception that Bengali cuisine is largely meat eaters' delight. Kolkata is also known for its hearty vegetarian specials,” says chef Surjit, who prepares begun bhaja. Surjit has also prepared bhapa paneer (paneer, flavoured with mustard, coconut and green chillies and steamed in pumpkin leaves), and patishapta (a decadent rice-flour crepe filled with coconut, khoya and jaggery).
Seafood lovers can relish katla macher kaliya and Chingri malai curry. Meat lovers can enjoy mejbani mangsho, Chicken chaap and murg rezala and end the meal with muktogachar monda and rasogolla or mishti doi.
Furthermore to entice the guests there will be cultural performances during the festival representing the cultures of the regions the G T Road is passing through. The festival is open to public till 6 October 2021.