Bukhara’s ‘Obama Platter’ waits for the Obamas

NEW DELHI - Chefs at ITC Maurya Hotel’s Bukhara restaurant have been on their toes since morning Monday with indications that US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle will stop by in the evening to sample the ‘Obama platter’ - a mix of kebabs, tikkas, salad and traditional Indian sweets.

“The president has shown keen interest in tasting our ‘thali’, which we call the ‘Obama Platter’. He also mentioned his love for Indian food. We are sure that today (Monday) will be the D-day. A team of chefs, after carefully understanding their (Obamas) likes and dislikes, has come up with the menu,” an official from ITC Maurya’s Bukhara restaurant told IANS on condition of anonymity.

The Obama platter is a good mix of north Indian and Mughlai delicacies like tandoori raan, tandoori salad, murg khurchan, fish tikka, reshmi kebab, sikandari raan and tandoori aloo. For desserts, the Obamas will have a choice between ras malai and kulfi.

“Our ras malai and kulfi were loved by Hillary Clinton also. So we are hopeful that they (Obamas) will like it too,” the official said.

“The staff and our team of chefs are on their toes since Monday morning. We are expecting them to be here later in the evening,” he added.

Obama had a hectic Monday with a presidential banquet at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in the evening capping a day when he was ceremonially welcomed to India and held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Indian delegation.

The ITC hotel had played host to former US president Bill Clinton in 2000 and his wife Hillary Clinton, now secretary of state, in 2009. While both of them have platters named after them, their daughter Chelsea too has her own vegetarian platter.

“Out of the seven dishes, two of them overlap which were also in Clinton’s menu. They are sikandari raan and tandoori aloo,” the official said.

“All preparations to give Obama a taste of our dishes are done. We are ready to show our hospitality and eager to know their opinion about our food. Since the president mentioned that he will have at least one meal before going back, we are positive it will be today (Monday),” he said.

“Once all their meetings and visits are over, they may get free by late evening and have dinner here,” the official told IANS.

Back in June, Obama had himself declared his intentions to create an ‘Obama Platter’.

The US first couple are on a four-day visit to India. They reached Mumbai Saturday and arrived in New Delhi Sunday afternoon. They will leave for Indonesia early Tuesday.