The Aamilicious festival at Rajdhani celebrates the spirit of summer and the king of fruits, mangoes. A plethora of dishes featuring mangoes as the star, including Kairi Chana Dal Dhokla, Mango Raita,Kairi Samosa Sabzi, Mango Kofta Pulao, Mango Pachadi, Aamras, Aamrakhand, Mango Jalebi, and much more features heavily in the menu.
One of the things that I love about Rajdhani is the incredible dedication of the brand to make sure you eat till you are about to burst. I kid you not. The mangolicious thaali (Priced at INR 399/- for lunch and 425/- for dinner) is a major test for dedicated eaters, and I love the way it panders to a plethora of taste buds. What I loved was the fact that there was so much attention paid to highlight the fruit – used in different formats, it was, however, not overwhelming, the special dishes synchronising well with their regular menu.
I was quite happy with the aam ki launji, which is tangy and sweet and perfect for a hot summer’s day when all you want is something to make your spirits soar. The servers were generous with the ghee-laden phulkas and puris, and soon I was dipping a hot puri into my bowl of aamras, made with Alphonso Mangoes pureed and served cold rather than at room temperature – this was the dish I returned to over and over again.
The Kadhi was laden with bits of mangoes in it as well, and it was so cooling and light, and especially after a rather heavy serving of daal baati churma you would want something like this to keep things balanced. I also liked some of the regular items from the menu – the thin and crisp maalpua, the simply cooked khichri served with a big dollop of ghee, and my favourite – the aam panna and masala chaanch.
Apart from the fluffy dhoklas and savouries, my other favourite were the tiny, crisp samosas, filled with a simple mix of potatoes and spices, and served with a generous helping of mint chutney – the meal ended with a rather rich portion of amrakhand, a mango shreekhand that filled me up to the hilt, and I was supremely satisfied afterwards. The Mango festival ends today, June 15th, 2016, so if you haven’t yet have a chance to sample the food, make a run for it, I say.
Disclaimer: Poorna Banerjee was invited by the management of Rajdhani for review.
