Press Release 9th February, 2015 Haryana Tourism

Food Fiesta at Surajakund International Crafts Mela

Authentic cuisine of the Theme State Chhattisgarh is tempting the foodies at the 29th International Surajkund Crafts Mela that has entered its second week at Surajkund, Faridabad. A Chhattisgarh representative Shweta Sharma said her state is referred to as the “ bowl” with many sumptuous dishes being made from rice. Rice is the ingredient of lot of Chhattisgarh dishes right from ‘pakodas’ (fritters) to sweet dishes. Shweta said a typical Chhattisgarh ‘thali’ consists of ‘khapori ,’ ‘uradh wada,’ ‘jimikand,’ ‘godali bhaji’ and ‘dal.’ Visitors to the Mela can savour the ‘thali’ at the Chhattisgarh food stall in the Food Court. The desserts from the state on offer are ‘tashmai,’ ‘immarti’ and ‘gulgula.’ Apart from this, there is of garlic and chilli, ‘chawal ke pakode,’ ‘chilla’ and ‘papad’ to be had with chopped onion and tomato. Shweta said most visitors at the Mela were opting for ‘tashmai,’ ‘gulgula,’ ‘khapori roti,’ ‘urad wada, jimikand’ and ‘godli bhaji’. Delicacies from Chhattisgarh are tempting enough for the visitors to make the food stall earn about Rs 15,000-16,000 per day, she said.

Lebanese cuisine on a platter Food stall of the Mela’s Partner Nation Lebanon is a treat for those who love the Mediterranean food. Stall owner Aamir Turtuzee and his Indian partner Mohammed Wasim, from Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh), main dishes prepared by them include falafel (made from chickpea), ‘mankusha,’ chicken ‘nagettes’ and falafel roll. The Lebanese stall is also doing a brisk business with daily earnings up to Rs 25,000, said Wasim.

Tempting soya dishes Even the dishes made from soya are a great hit at the Mela. Rajan Mishra, who has set a stall of soya food items at the Mela for the first time, said their offerings include ‘soya chikka rogan josh,’ soya Indie fries,’ ‘soya chikka’ and ‘soya seekh kebab.’ “Our range of food items is attracting vegetarians a lot,” said Rajan.

Mughlai food from across the border Like previous editions, the food stall from Pakistan, specialising in Mughlai food, continues to tempt food lovers. Counter in-charge of the Pakistani food stall, Mohammed Tauseef, said they were preparing both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes to cater to all customers. “Our specialties include ‘dum biryani’, fried fish, chicken ‘tikka,’ kebab roll, mutton ‘tikka’ and chicken kebab. “This is the second time that we have come to set up a food stall at the Surajkund Mela,” said Tauseef.

Taste of South South Indian food stall also has a strong following. South Indian food stall manager Sanjay Joshi said their main dishes include ‘’ and ‘idli-sambhar.’ Apart from that the stall also serves ‘samosa’, sandwiches, ‘kachori’ and vegetarian ‘momos’ to those who want to snack.

Wide variety for ‘kulfi’ lovers ‘Tilak Raj di kulfi’ stall is never free as ‘kulfi’ continue to throng it to get their favourite sweet-cold bites. The stall serves ‘malai kulfi,’ ‘pista kulfi,’ chocolate ‘kulfi’, mango ‘kulfi’, ‘paan kulfi’ and special ‘matka kulfi.’

Rajasthani delicacies Food items from the neighbouring Rajasthan have always enticed visitors at the Mela. Narayan Lal, counter in-charge of a Rajasthani food stall, said they are serving authentic dishes from the desert state like ‘dal baati churma’, ‘piyaz kachori’, ‘bajre ki roti’, ‘missi roti’, ‘gatte ki subzi’ and ‘ker sangria.’ Narayan said they had put up stalls at the mela 12 times, including the current edition.

Offerings from the hosts The food stall of hosts Haryana Tourism offers a wide range of items from snacks to main course to desserts. Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes are being prepared keeping in view the preferences of the visitors. Apart from serving the main meals, there are snacks and sweet dishes available in between. Food is served in buffet and ala carte both. Hot selling items at the Haryana Tourism food stall include ‘kesari kheer,’, ‘Amritsari kulcha,’ Ram ‘ladoo’ and ‘pao bhaji.’