Chef Prateek Sadhu cooks a Himalayan tasting menu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan State dinner

Chef Prateek Sadhu has cooked in many kitchens around the world. Yet, cooking in the kitchen of the Rashtrapati Bhavan was nerve wracking, he admits.

This week started with Prateek and his team from Naar whipping up a multi-course meal on January 27 — showcasing flavours from the Himalayan belt and the Northeast — for the President of India, the Prime Minister, EU leaders, diplomats and members of the Cabinet.

One of the dishes served at the dinner
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

“When I got the call to cook at a State dinner, at first I thought it was a prank call. The caller said she was calling from the President’s residence,” laughs Prateek on a call from Naar, his restaurant in the hills, near Kasauli. However, a string of video calls followed, to help Prateek understand what was required. He learnt it was a bigger showcase, a trade deal, and a crucial dinner.

Chef Prateek Sadhu
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Special Arrangement

Normally State dinners have a set format that includes a thaali along with soup, starters, and dessert. This time, they did away with the thaali and Prateek served a tasting menu. It featured five small bites before the distinguished members sat to eat, and five after. Favourites such as Sunderkala thichoni; yak cheese custard and bhaang mathri; nimbu saan; guchhi, poppy seeds, burnt tomato sauce, rice; Himalayan ragi and Kashmiri apple cake with timru and seabuckthorn cream… from the Naar menu featured at the dinner.

“A bunch of tasting sessions were done for the President’s team. The final tasting happened with Droupadi Murmu herself, who said it was amazing,” says a now relieved Prateek.

“On D-Day the five-course sit-down menu was to be completed in 45 minutes — that was the brief; a departure from the otherwise languid sit-down meals people normally expect from dinners at Naar. There were 12 of us and we served 86 people,” Prateek adds. While the dinner was on in full swing, Prateek stood at a spot from where he could see the plates. He says, “When I saw them coming back clean, I knew it was going well.”