New TV show will explore the royal kitchens of Western Indian palaces

Chicken Gondal

A sneak peek into unexplored palaces, royal culinary treats and secret recipes that have been passed on from generation to generation, is what a new television show called Food Tripping will offer. The inspiration came from the personal experiences of the channel's team who felt it would be interesting to see two chefs take a road trip together and sample cuisine in a royal setting. "

(From left) Chefs Ranveer Brar and Gautam Mehrishi at the start of their journey

The six palaces that air on the show on Living Foodz, include Balasinor, Gondal, Bhavnagar, Wadhvan, Chula and Sayla, all located in the vibrant state of Gujarat were selected because they are unique and their history, ethos and cuisine are unexplored. We tried to bring out the rich heritage and gastronomic secrets of the royal families in this area, says chef Ranveer Brar who will present the show with chef Gautam Mehrishi.

Royal melting pot
"Indian royal cuisine is very different from other regions because it is influenced by different cultures. Royal families used to travel extensively and this heavily influenced their food. The kings were food connoisseurs and loved introducing different dishes at their banquets. Indian royal food is the perfect amalgamation of local ingredients with international cooking techniques," shares Mehrishi.

Chicken Gondal

According to Brar, India's royal cuisine does not have geographic boundaries. "While there is a distinct influence of the local produce, the dishes and techniques used for preparing food are global. This is because royal families would appoint chefs from Europe to entertain their overseas guests. We were also told that the marriages between the royal families across India brought in an interesting mix of pan-Indian recipes," he points out.

Tales from the tour

>> The staple diet of the royal families in this region is simple and comprises fresh ingredients and subtle flavours. They eat extravagant food only on special occasions and festivals.

>> Strangely, we also discovered that the kings and princes loved to cook as much as the queens. They were well versed in cooking, and understood the nuances of finer flavours

>> We discovered a green vegetable called Cheel, which is a variety of bathua but distinctly floral

>> Almost all the palaces that we visited had a huge staff; however, the Bhavnagar Palace had
the largest.

>> The Begum Sahiba of Balasinor spoke to us about a Murgh Musallam recipe, which was stuffed with nuts, mince and eggs. The dish would take two hours for preparation and another two hours to cook!