President to host lavish dinner for VVIPs

Gujarati popular dish kela methi nu shaak, mouth-watering chicken chettinad from Tamil Nadu, Punjab's dal makhani and Bengali dish Potol Dorma will be served at a private dinner hosted by President Pranab Mukherjee for visiting foreign dignitaries on Monday.

The visiting leaders from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation countries and Mauritius, who will be in New Delhi for the swearing-in of Narendra Modi as country's 15th prime minister, will have a lavish spread out at 'Yellow Drawing Room' of Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Dishes for the menu, which are popular in different parts of the country, were finalised by the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the external affairs ministry officials in consultations with in-house chefs.

The dishes to be served in the main course to the foreign dignitaries include Prawns Sukka or Chicken chettinad, birbali kofta curry (Mughlai), jaipuri bhindi (Rajasthan), dal makhani and potol dorma.

Gujarati dish kela methi nu shaak has bitterness of the methi (fenugreek) which is complemented by the sweetness of bananas.

The VVIPs will be served with chilled melon soup with snacks including chicken and mutton tikka, tandoori aaloo and arabi kebab as starters. For dessert, they will be served with mango shrikhand, sandesh and fruits.

At their departure from the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the VVIPs will be given a paan as mouth freshener.

The visiting VVIPs include Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, Prime Ministers of Bhutan and Nepal Lyonchen Tshering Tobgay and Sushil Koirala and Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom.

Speaker Shirin Chaudhury will represent Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as she will be travelling to Japan.

Besides the SAARC nations, Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam will also attend the swearing-in ceremony.

The dinner will also be attended by the new prime minister and his ministerial team.

After the swearing-in, refreshments will be provided to nearly 4,000 guests where six snacks, including dhokla -- a Gujarati vegetarian food, will be provided.

Asked whether dhokla was being served keeping in mind the fact that the new Prime Minister is from Gujarat, Omita Paul, secretary to President Pranab Mukherjee, said in a lighter vein, "No, no, it is a voluntary action."