Vancouver chef creates a Taste of Rajasthan for Indian Summer Festival’s finale
The Indian Pantry’s Tushar Tondvalkar has designed two menus inspired by his travels to Udaipur and Pushkar
Mirchi bada is the Indian Pantry’s potato-stuffed chili fritter with tamarind date chutney, one of several dishes on chef Tushar Tondvalkar’s Taste of Rajasthan menu for Indian Summer Festival 2021.
AS INDIAN SUMMER Festival heads into its closing week, local chef Tushar Tondvalkar of the Indian Pantry is creating two special meals for the event’s finale on July 17.
A Taste of Rajasthan is intended to be enjoyed at home while the festival’s 11th edition wraps up that evening with a virtual performance from the Orpheum Theatre featuring the Naadaleela Ensemble as well as Mohamed Assani and Friends.
The menus—one vegetarian, one non-vegetarian—are inspired by Tondvalkar’s travels to the state of northwestern India. The trip taught him much about hospitality and food, and he’s dedicating the meals to the people he met along the way.
“In 2019 I travelled through several cities in India and fell in love with Udaipur and Pushkar,” says Tondvalkar, who was born and raised in Mumbai. “This menu has been curated with our favourite meals, the sort that you go back twice in one day for. During my time there, I had the pleasure of learning how to cook these recipes from locals and family friends.”
Lal maas is a dish of tender goat on the bone cooked in onion gravy and Rajasthani red chili.
Both versions feature mirchi bada, potato stuffed chili fritter server with tamarind date chutney, and panchmeal dal, which consists of five types of lentils slow cooked with garam masala, onions, and tomatoes. Gatta pulao is a Marwari speciality rice cooked with chickpea-flour dumplings and fragrant spices.
For vegetarians, Tondvalkar is making Rajasthani dahi kadhi, a spicy yogurt curry with onion fritters; non-vegetarians will have lal maas, tender bone-in goat cooked in onion gravy and Rajasthani red chili.
Each meal comes whole-wheat roti and house-made pickle. Dessert is by Mithai & Co: Ghewar & Rabri, a crispy, sweet cake topped with milk solids and nuts.
The Taste of Rajasthan vegetarian meal for two people is $75; the non-vegetarian meal for two is $85. Ten percent of proceeds go toward supporting ISF.
Orders must be placed by midnight July 13 for pick up on July 17 from Coho Commissary (1370 East Georgia Street) between 11 am and 3 pm PDT. The ISF2021 Finale takes place July 17 at 7 pm PDT.
Another culinary offering at this year’s ISF is the Punjabi Market Gift Box. The limited-edition novelty item features goods from Vancouver’s Punjabi Market curated by artists Minahil Bukhari & Mustaali Raj and ISF2021 featured artist Jag Nagra. It’s $125 and can be delivered nationwide via Canada Post.
For more information, see https://indiansummerfest.ca/.
Gatta pulao is a Marwari speciality rice cooked with chickpea-flour dumplings and fragrant spices.
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