A gastronomical tour of India can lead you to many places. And homes! Our dinner last weekend was one such food tour. The Park, New Delhi is holding a unique food festival Raagas & Recipes 2.0 at their restaurant “Fire” where we tasted some of the delicacies from a Mathur household. The spread focuses on Mathur-Kayastha cuisine served in the milieu of Ragas playing in the background. The festival has been curated by Ms. Anoothi Vishal, a renowned food writer, and critic who hails from a Kayastha family.
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Kayastha Community of India
Kayastha is a community that does not fall under India’s conventional Hindu caste system – Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra. Kayasthas were writers or scribes who would work in administrators’ offices, record keepers, and so on. This group is spread in many parts of India, namely zones of North India, Maharashtra, and Bengal.
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Given the literacy rate among the Kayasthas as well as the wide range of administrative knowledge in fields of law and taxes, they rose to prominence in many parts of India in ancient, medieval as well as colonial times.
The Mathur Food & Hospitality
Mathur is a surname for members of the Kayastha community who hail from the Mathura region now in Uttar Pradesh. On the inaugural evening of the food festival, Vishal took us through an enchanting food journey of the Mathur clan among Kayasthas.
Starters – Methi fish, shami kabab, and veg kulle
Mathura is adjacent to Vrindavan and part of Vraj Bhumi, the land of Lord Krishna. One would expect a vegetarian diet in this part of the country. Yet we were surprised to see a balanced spread comprising vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian items. Vishal explained that the Kayasthas were traditionally clerics. They would work in the courts of kings and at other administrative offices in many Indian cities. Their food would be guided by local tastes and available ingredients.
Also Read: Food That We Would Not Mind Travelling for
In the Mughal period, the Kayasthas learned Arabic and Farsi languages. They were soon appointed as office bearers in the Mughal courts. Once the British took over, the Kayasthas picked up English and were forebears of the scribe culture in their office. Along with literacy, this community was exposed to the opulence of the Mughal era and later the sophistication of the British. The Kayastha lifestyle as well as their cuisine went through suitable refinement. Due to such foreign influences, non-vegetarian food gained entry into the Mathur-Kayastha kitchen. The cooking styles also went through changes to accommodate the new influences.
The Mathur group, hailing from Vraj known for its poetry, music, and art, were already culturally evolved. The food in a Mathur kitchen was reflective of their sophistication and fusion of Hindu, Muslim, and English cooking styles. This niche cuisine is on offer at the Raagas & Recipes food festival.
Kayastha Food Festival Menu
Vishal curated the festival and the family recipes were from her book “Mrs. LC’s Table: Stories About Kayastha Food And Culture”. The multicourse spread was segmented into vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian starters, a main course, an exciting selection of bread and rice, and desserts.
In terms of cooking styles, we could decode the use of a lot of whole spices which was a nod to the Mughal influence in the cuisine. Also, many of the dishes were prepared in the Mughal Dum style, a slow cooking process. The chats and Fruit Kulle took us straight to Banaras. Every dish was a melody but some items are just not to be missed.
Bedmi Poori – The perfect accompaniment with Kayastha dishes
In fact, Bedabrata, the carnivore within us could not stop himself from taking a second helping of the extremely delicious Bhuna Meat. Sundeep ordinarily stays away from red meat. Surprisingly, he enjoyed this dish too. Bedmi Poori is something that is had with spicy potato curry in Delhi. However, the dal-stuffed Bedmi Poori turned out to be the perfect accompaniment to the meat.
Main course at the Kayastha Food Festival
There was an array of simulated vegetarian dishes. The Dum Kathal (jack fruit) was a fine example of this decoy in food. Faux meat, therefore, was a part of Indian food way before veganism was in.
Sukhi Urad daal
We also loved the Sukhi Urad daal. This lentil dish was like a salad and worked as a palate cleanser among the spices. The fragrant Dad’s Yakhni Polao was as delectable as the cute name sounded.
Ending the dinner on a sweet note -Malpua with Rabdi and Lauki ki Lauz
The desserts were yummy and our vote goes to the Lauki ki Lauz, a barfi made with bottled gourd. Just the stuff for the season.
The Park New Delhi
The Park is centrally located off Connaught Place. You can park inside if you are driving. Also, any app-based taxi or auto rickshaw should take you there.
The nearest metro station to The Park is Rajiv Chowk on the yellow line. It is about 10 minutes walk from the metro station.
Raagas & Recipes 2.0 Festival
The Raagas & Recipes 2.0 festival is from 19th May to 26th May 2023. It’s a limited edition, so book your table in advance.
We threw all calorie caution to the wind and had so much of the delicacies served at the festival. No regrets, we loved the satiated feeling one has after an Indian feast. In order to enjoy Mathur hospitality firsthand, you must visit the Raaga and Recipe 2.0.
It’s fascinating to learn about the history of the Kayasthas and their cuisine in Mathura and Vrindavan. Despite the expectation of a predominantly vegetarian diet in this region, seeing a balanced spread of vegetarian and non-vegetarian items is impressive. It’s interesting to hear about the Kayasthas’ traditional clerical roles and their exposure to different languages and cultures throughout history, leading to the refinement of their cuisine. Seeing how food can evolve and adapt to different influences is excellent.
We agree!
Nnniiicccceeeee….of all the food I see here, I really want to try them all out! Food is one sure way to understand a people.
Interesting observation
The Raagas & Recipes food festival sounds great. Thank you for providing lots of background information, too. I love throwing calorie counting out the window when visiting a good fair of festival, too!
Our kinddo person 😀
It’s interesting that while the Kayastha men enjoy non-vegetarian dishes cooked by the women of the house, the women are vegetarians. And the women basically create two meals.
That all sounds fascinating, it’s great to know more about different types of food, I like that you say that food can be a reflection of someone’s sophistication, all the food on the photos look great and very sophisticated.
Wow, Ive never tried kayastha cuisine before. The festival has a huge rage of tempting delicacies.
Beth – You would love recreating some of these!
This all set to take us through a culinary experience of traditional Kayastha delicacies.
Indeed – you can refer to Anoothi Vishal’s book on the topic.
Wow, This festival is a celebration of traditional gourmet food. Thanks for the info.
Indeed!
This looks like an amazing experience. The food looks really good. We may not be able to join but would love to learn more. Where we can find Mrs. LC’s Table: Stories About Kayastha Food And Culture book?
The book is available with singing reviews on Amazon and other book supply portals.
I’d be honest — I have not yet tasted Indian food. However, that does not mean that I do not like it, it’s just that I did not have the opportunity to do so. Attending a food festival might be a good start to my Indian food adventure.
Indian food is a huge spectrum and this is just a super niche cuisine. But agree you got to start somewhere