Home chef Anuradha Joshi Medhora brings the cuisine of Indore’s Malwa rulers – which has Marathi, Rajasthani, Mughlai and even Afghani influences – to Mumbai. As a major kingdom placed smack in the middle of the Indian subcontinent, Indore’s cuisine is a melting pot of Marathi, Rajasthani, Mughlai and Afghani influences exerted over the centuries – as well as a result of a royal fondness for decadent feasts.
The meat-dominated cuisine is rich like the cuisines of Delhi, Hyderabad or Lucknow. But what sets it apart from its better-known counterparts is that the food weds the techniques of Mughal kitchens with the rustic flavours and ingredients beloved to the local Maratha, Rajput, Gujarati and Marwari communities.
It takes restaurants years to learn and replicate a dish or two from the Malwa repertoire. Luckily for Anuradha, she’s been doing it all her life. The feast consists of many courses, and our favourites included a keema and dry fruit dish, a chaat that reminded us of Varanasi, three types of mutton and a yoghurt with mutton liver. Here’s what we loved about them.
You can expect authentic Malva delicacies on the menu including taaza masale ka maas, sabi murg, khatti dal, maas khusk, murg ki kadhi, maas ka zarda pulav, kheema banjara, dum ka murg, safaed dal, nariyal murg, masoor kheema pulav and many more.
She also does special course meals during festive seasons like Diwali.