Pak President Eats, Meets & Prays In India

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari was treated to some of the choicest regional delicacies of India at a State Luncheon hosted in his honor by the Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh. He sampled everything from cold melon and mint soup to the pride of Kashmiri wazawan, Goshtaba and joining him in this delicious joy ride was his son Bilawal Bhutto, who could be seen bonding deeply with India’s political scion Rahul Gandhi over the lunch.

1) Just Before Ajmer Visit

Zardari was to visit Ajmer Sharif, a Muslim shrine, located in Rajasthan State of India on Sunday but before he left for the shrine, he was treated to a lavish spread of sumptuous dishes that seemed delightful for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. The setting for the lunch and the seating arrangements was kept simple yet elegant as is visible in the photograph however the food was anything but that. The elegance was reflected in the beige table cloth and vases full of yellow roses as well as the silver cutlery.

2) The Starters

The lunch began with cold melon and mint soup, which everyone enjoyed, including President Zardari. Soon after, the guests were served starters in the vegetarian and non-vegetarian categories. The vegetarian starters were:-

1. Mini Masala Dosa – South Indian pancakes with a filling 

   

2. Sarson Ke Phool – Yellow mustard flowers, battered and fried
    
3. Subz Shammi Kebab – Vegetarian kebabs

The non-vegetarian starters included:-

1. Jaithooni Murg Seekh – Chicken covered in olive oil and spices and cooked in tandoor
    
2. Gosht Barra Kebab – Mutton kebabs made in Mughlai culinary tradition

3) The Main Course

The main course at the Singh-Zardari luncheon was a class apart, with the choicest dishes from the Indian culinary repertoire chosen to be served at the table.  The non-vegetarian guests had a delightful time eating the following:-

1. Kareli Dal Gosht – Mutton cooked with bitter gourd and lentils
2. Sikandari Khushk Raan – Lamb cooked in true Mughal tradition
3. Murg Kofta Makhni – Chicken meatballs cooked in a creamy gravy

The dishes were served with an assortment of rotis.

The vegetarian guests picked up from:

Avial – A South Indian mix vegetable dish

Moong Dal Tadka – Lentils tempered with ghee and a good dose of spices

Tori Bhujia – A Gourd curry

Paneer Jalfrezi – Cottage cheese cooked dry with lots of spices

Makai Palak – Corn and spinach cooked in ghee-based gravy

Bhindi Kurkuri – Crispy okra cooked in spices

To top it all, the guests were also treated to Kacchi Gosht Biryani, a variety of mutton biryani.

3) For the Sweet Tooth

The lavish spread at the Singh-Zardari luncheon was marked with the best dishes from all the regions of India, including South, East, West, and North, which made the whole meal a mouth-watering affair. Hopefully, the relations between the neighbors who love to hate each other will thaw a bit now. Would you have wanted to be there too? Let us know in your comments.

Image Courtesy: twitter.com, ifood.tv, foodiegang.wordpress; kashmirmonitor; lakshmiskitchen.blogspot.in; indiatvnews

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