India is a land of deities. There are literally hundreds of deities and thousands of temples across the country. Some have staunch followers who make pilgrimages to these centers of worship every year and swear by the Bhog or Prasad or the offerings that are made in honor of the deities.
The wheat flour Halwa at the Amritsar gurudwara, the Laddoo at the Tirumala temple in Tirupati, or the Nei Payasam at Guruvayoor. The bhog is as famous as the temple and its divinity.
Although it is not possible to travel across India and try these different bhog from different corners of the country, Pune residents can, for a short time, enjoy these temple delicacies at Four Points By Sheraton, Pune during the 2015 Navratri festival.
Executive chef Sanjay Mitra has come up with a mind boggling 50 odd recipes to give his patrons a taste of temple food. Cooked without garlic, onions, or sea salt, the dishes adhere to all the strict rules of prasad or bhog.
I have always been skeptical of no-onion, no-garlic food and was prepared for a some bland preparations. But everything turned out to be delicious and there is no way you will miss the taste of onion or garlic in your meal. In fact, I am already thinking of making some not so pure recipes based on the amazing spread put out at the Sheraton, Pune.
No colas or mocktails here. The soothing instrumental chants, marigold flowers and a big diya will instantly make you feel relaxed and inviting. Add the cool, fresh Kharbooz Ka Panna to this list, and you will be all set for an appetizing meal.
Sattvic food is food that is pure and does not include ingredients that stimulate or agitate the senses. But this doesn’t mean that it should be tasteless. The Bhog Festival buffet includes four appetizers that are served on the table.
Today, we had Dahi Ke Kabab, which were creamy and had the subtle sourness of hung curd. For those who like their food to be spicy and dread that temple food might be bland, the Rajmah Kacche Kele Ki Tikki would be the appetizer of choice.
The seemingly unassuming Adrak Ki Bati packs a flavorful punch. This simple, fried dumpling tastes Gingery, which is further enhanced by the stuffed Ginger.
I am not much of a temple tour person. The few that I have visited were purely for architectural reasons. But it is amazing that with all the Bhog at these places, you can come up with a complete Soup-to-Dessert meal.
The Dahi Ka Shorba might sound like a Kadhi, but it is not. The sour curd based soup uses completely different spices and does not fit into any of the Maharashtrian, North Indian, or Rajasthani Kadhi that you will find on the Thali restaurant menus.
After you let the soup whet your appetite, it is time to decide what you want to focus your meal on – a difficult decision. The Salad counter for the Bhog Festival looks as lip-smacking as the mains.
Along with the usual Patra and Khaman Dhokla, you may find the rare Khandvi and the Mathri from Brajbhoomi Srinathji temple.
But the real surprise in the different types of Koshimbir or Indian Salads like the Udupi Koshimbari with a blend of cucumber, soaked Moong daal and herbs or the Sweet potato based Singju Salad.
The main course promised to be as mouth-watering as the salads. Kaale chane without onion and garlic do not inspire much, but I was wrong once again. The Guruji Ke Kaale Chane from Vaishno Devi temple were as flavorful as any other chana preparation. The Big surprise here was the Paneer Curry. The simple looking, soupy dish did not look inviting, but I am glad that I tasted it. I can bet that the minimalist curry is not something you have tasted anywhere else before. Although cooked in a curd based gravy, it does not taste like any of the Kadhis on the menu.
Chef Sanjay elaborated that the secret of this preparation and the one thing that differentiates it form the Kadhi is the quality and the taste of the curd used to prepare the gravy. While a Kadhi is traditionally done with sour curd, the Paneer here was prepared with fresh curd that was not sour.
Why not use cream? The use of cream, and milk is somewhat debatable in terms of Sattvic diet and that could have been the reason why it is was not used in any of the preparation today.
Another delicious veggie main course which is not part of the usual menu is the Avail. The fresh coconut with a combination of specific spices and specific vegetables comes from Udupi. The veggies here had just the right bite and tasted fabulous.
You can get Tandoori roti for your main course. But I will suggest you try something different that is on the menu each day. The Bedmi Puri and Jowar roti seemed like the better choice today over the usual Tandoori Roti.
Savory Bhog is not common and found in fewer temples. Bhog and sweets are, of course, synonymous. A temple visit as a kid always meant pedha or simple sweets. The Dessert options during the Bhog Festival will surely bring back these childhood memories. On the buffet you will get a few different types of Rewri. There is also the Pedha from Brajbhoomi or the sweet boondi from the temples of Southern India.
The Bhog Festival at Four Points by Sheraton in Pune is through the Navratri until 22nd October 2015. Most of the menu today will be on the buffet again on 17th October and 21st October. You can also try other amazing unheard of dishes like Pottal Rasa from Jagannath Puri or the Dusrangi Subzi from Kashi Vishwanath.
And while you are there, don’t forget to click a few pictures. Why? Because you have a chance to win exciting prizes. Just Share the pictures of your favorite dish on the Sheraton Pune Facebook page with the hashtag #NavratriWithBhog.