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

From the hills to the Capital: Chef Prateek Sadhu’s restaurant Naar cooked up a storm at a State dinner at the Rashtrapati Bhavan

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 | Photo Credit: 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 | Photo Credit: 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.