2nd July 2024
To celebrate its 39th birthday, award-winning Babur restaurant will be serving a special ‘Flavours of Maharashtra culinary journey’ of regional dishes from 17th July to 15th September.
Every year, the family-run, 2AA Rosette-awarded, Michelin-ranked restaurant celebrates its birthday in
style; taking diners on a flavour-fuelled tasting tour of a new region of India, that
all begins with a big Bollywood-style party.
Babur’s Oberoi-trained Head Chef Jiwan Lal will serve 5-course tasting menu, spanning the
length and breadth of Maharashtra, with expertly matched wines.
The rest of the summer will see diners able to forge their own flavourful path through
India’s third largest state courtesy of the Maharashtra menu which captures iconic regional
dishes that are innate to the palm-fringed beaches, bustling cosmopolitan cities, and lofty,
cool, green mountains.
The state’s capital city of Mumbai is a good place to start, delivering one of the most famous
Maharashtra dishes, Vada Pav. Babur serves the satiating combination of spiced purple
potato, deep fried and placed in a charcoal brioche with mint sauce and pickled onion. Or
head to the city of Solapur for Fish Koliwada (Koliwada meaning ‘a fisherman’s colony’); a
simple, satisfying dish of fried fish served with kaanda kairi chutney. Meanwhile, Teesryachi
Amti (clam with drumstick and plain dosa) gives a Neptunian taste of the seashore district of
Sindhudurg.
The journey continues with mains including: a CKP Mutton Curry from the city of Parbhani;
and traditional Maharashtrian Silver Pomfret Rassa curry with mango and fresh coconut
indicative of Nagpur. Vegan-friendly Bharli Vangi – authentic stuffed brinjal (aubergine) with
fluffy sabudana khichdi and black truffle oil – represents the ancient holy city of Nashik on
the banks of the river Godavari; whilst coriander and spinach gram flour cake alu Vadi patra
with Maharashtrian Kadhi sauce, is reminiscent of the street food enjoyed in Pune.
Finally dessert has to be port city Ratnagiri’s chilled Aamras Gola; a refreshing kulfi made
from the pulp of ripe mangos with chia seeds, Gond Katira, and Bombay halwa.
5 courses for £75 per person (or £100 per person with wine pairings).