J. W. Marriott, Pune

The last property I was invited to and wrote about involved a ton of Rajasthani food. It was like circling back to my now favorite Indian cuisine preference when I stayed at the J.W. Marriott, in Pune.

My association with the Marriott group stretches way back to around 6 years. My initial introduction was at the newest Courtyard property near my house. I spent many days with Chef Praiwan fiddling around in his Asian kitchen called Red Zen, learning the finer nuances of the cuisine of the far east. What has been a constant feature with this hotel group is their communications team, the GM’s and the various chefs who, no matter how many transfers or shifts, have always been in touch with me over time.

The association extended to my family too when about 2 years ago they decided to become preferred members of the J. W. Marriott in Juhu. I mean, its good value for money when you dine out often (this property comes closest to our neighborhood) and urges you to take a staycation of sorts at least once a year apart from spa coupons and F&B discounts. Plus Chef Himanshu (the then executive chef of the Juhu property but has moved on to another luxury property) was my to-go guy for hanging out and talk shop.

I indulged in a mini-vacation at their Pune property last month, one of the reasons being a part of their team who I knew from many moons ago and the promise of an excellent F&B experience. My love for Pune stems from the extended family I have living there since two decades and it has always been a getaway for me whenever I was to take a short break from buzzing Bombay. I was told about the hip Miami nightclub at the hotel by my younger siblings several times, the upmarket (and one of the finest) rooftop bar (24th floor with a view of the Sahyadari hills) called Pasha by the older siblings and whispers of Italian fine-dining and a multitude of other cuisines at Spice Kitchen from a variety of sources.

Somehow, it turns out that in Pune anything beyond a distance of 15 minutes in driving time is considered a ‘plan’ and is to be made by the folks a week in advance at the least. I never got a chance to visit this hotel since the day it opened (way back in 2010) as we always got sidelined at the various other hotspots Pune has to offer.

This time around it was well worth it. I checked in for 2 days and was whisked into a world of food which I had heard of, and yet there was more. The hotel is 400+ room strong with around 43 suites steeped in luxury. The hotel is situated between the Pune airport and the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. The Soho Suite (one of the only suites which offer an exemplary view of the hills and a private balcony) is a stay-in delight. Once you step into the property it is easy to forget the outside world (especially a day well spent at western India’s largest Spa – Quan Spa, which provided holistic and rejuvenating experiences including a milk and rose bath which left me a little too pampered).

The property has a delicious blend of multi cuisine restaurants. Starting from the top, North West Frontier cuisine at the opulent Paasha and has some real talent behind the bar – mixologist Abhijit Kotkar is a true whiz in classics. Anmol, who was attending to me that evening – he and I got talking about his future and I found out his hidden desire towards the fine art of mixology. I asked Anmol to make me a simple dry martini – and boy did he make one – crisp, cold and well stirred, truly turned out to be a priceless find (true to his name, ‘Anmol’). The cuisine is rich, wholesome and the flavors go down well with heavy alcohols. The decor itself is enchanting losing you in its high arches and ambient lighting.

Though I am nocturnal, one really needs to goad me into a nightclub scene on a weekend night. I peeped into Miami (the one the young un’s of my circle talk excitedly about) and it turned out to be an uber chic blue hued space, sprawling over 15,000 sq.ft. with feather white bed lounges. Though pulsating with beats which angled for tequila shots, I settled for a Negroni, recollecting the one Abhijit had sent up to my suite – speak-easy style.

Though I did not get a chance to meet Chef Christian Huber, the star behind Alto Vino, their authentic Italian fine dining experience, his protege Chef Sandip Kangude (an unassuming fellow, one you would least expect at an Italian kitchen) churned out antipasti, pizzas and a luscious tiramisu at this brightly lit restaurant. I’d like to run back to sit at their wine tasting table and nibble on a crisp salad while tasting some of their wines from an exhaustive wine list.

While all these spaces were talked about often (including the quick-pick Pune Baking Co. where one can have a corporate lunch and pick up OTC goodies and a food truck serving up street fare), I seemed to have over familiarized myself with them. I was introduced to some hidden gems at the property. While one was new the other has been around since 6 years and is a closely guarded secret – open to the knowledge of the exclusive few, but not restricted to anyone.

The latter was the hotels exclusive whiskey lounge called “Bar 101”. I was ushered in by Soumyadipta who later goes on to be one of my favorite mixologist at this property. This space was also one I would happily disappear into. I was quickly entrapped into a world of single malts to choose from (101 to be precise, from Highlands, Lowlands, Speysides, Islays, North American and Japanese), a cigar in my hand (yes, the whole space is smoke friendly with leather armchairs and deep, dark recessed spaces) and Adi’s adept cocktail making skills speckled with stories. I know I sound like I am 60 speaking so passionately about this particular space but I would not have minded growing old in here.

The other new space I was introduced to was nestled on the 1st floor of the hotel. Shakahari, which is an ode to the ancient Indian practice of Vegetarianism and has a maharaj to boot. Under the tutelage of Maharaj Jai Kishen’s expertise, Shakahari offers a royal extravaganza into regional Indian traditional fare, picking two regions from India every month and showcasing the delicacies through a set meal right from starters to desserts. One would wonder how a fine-dine setting could inspire a traditional thali experience (the Thali has been a buffet goers drug, but this experience is careful on the amount they put on your plate and they don’t rush you into stuffing your face), it works like a charm. The beverage menu boasts of premium liquor, eclectic ‘vegan’ wines and refreshing iced teas. For those with a sweet tooth, the restaurant also has an entire room dedicated only to an array of sumptuous desserts at the misthan bandhar.

Shakahari was a place I was drawn to learning more about our Indian cuisine and parked myself in the show kitchen for practically one whole afternoon. I met with the restaurants Chef De Cuisine – Chef Gaurav Herwadkar. Chef comes with over a decade of experience in the kitchen. He has been a part of the Marriott family since 2012. His journey began with Spice Kitchen (Another of the hotels all-day dining restaurant after which he was a part of the launch team at J.W. Marriott Kolkata).While Maharaj Jai is the whole and soul of the place, Chef Gaurav indulged me in a tete-a-tete of cuisines spanning across India and the future cuisine picks for the next month (Its Gujarati by the way).

They were cooking up Rajasthani and South Indian dishes while I was staying there. I was curious (praying it would not be fusion) and wondering how this combination would work. It was almost abstract. I was glad to see no fusion (Maharaj would’ve screamed sacrilege was he to serve his Baati served with Sambhar) but instead saw a beautifully curated list of dishes spanning both regions from cold and hot plates, curries and dals, rice and breads all placed into the experience very smartly.

I tucked in to the spread heartily that night, the afternoon was where I got the actual taste of behind-the-kitchen scenes. Chef Gaurav had put together a showcase of a popular Rajasthani dish called Dal Baati Churma. I had the privilege of having this dish for the first time in New Jersey at a friends house who’s wife was a Rajasthani. She would make this dish every public holiday and it would be a community affair. My affection for ghee (without which this dish is incomplete) was akin to that of hugging a skunk but once I had a taste of fresh homemade ghee poured hot over the Baati and then taking spoonfuls of the Dal (made of 5 lentils), with bites of the sweet churma, I never looked back. This took me back to 2006 when I had tried it for the first time. (The other time I had indulged in it was when I visited ChokhiDani in Jaipur about 5 years ago).

This dish has an interesting history stemming from the Kingdom of Mewar. The baati was a war time meal favorite where our soldiers would bury unleavened wheat dough in the hot desert sand, leaving it undisturbed and then came back to a bland, unseasoned but nutritious baked bread. Since it was dry and tasteless it was sweetened with ghee and consumed with dairy sought from camels. The dish evolved once the silk route was opened to include the five lentil dal which added to the nutritional value, making it richer and more palatable.

It is a slightly painstaking process to put the elements together but Chef Gaurav tried to keep the recipe as authentic as possible (though I wish there was a sandpit nearby with a heat source). It is well worth a try and on a particular indulgent day when you have guests over, this is a dish which is bound to impress.

Dal Baati Churma

For the panchmel dal

• 1/3 cup chana dal (split Bengal gram)
• 1/3 cup toovar (arhar) dal
• 1/3 cup moong dal (split green gram)
• 1 tbsp urad dal (split black lentils)
• 1 tbsp whole moong (whole green gram)
• 3 tsp chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
• 1 tsp coriander (dhania) powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 3 cloves (laung / lavang)
• 2 bayleaves (tejpatta)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 2 green chillies, slit
• a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• 2 tsp dried mango powder (amchur)
• 2 tsp tamarind (imli) pulp
• 3 tbsp ghee
• salt to taste

For the baatis (for 10 baatis)

• 1 cup whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta)
• 1/2 cup semolina (rava)
• 2 tbsp besan (Bengal gram flour)
• 8 tbsp milk
• 4 tbsp melted ghee
• salt to taste

For Churma

• Whole wheat flour (atta) 2 cups
• Pure ghee to deep fr cup
• Semolina (rawa/suji) 4 tablespoons
• Milk as required
• Powdered sugar 3/4 cup
• Green cardamom powder 1/4 teaspoon
• Cashewnuts chopped 10
• Almonds chopped 10
• Raisins 10

For serving

• Melted ghee
• Churma

Method

For the panchmel dal

1.Clean and wash the dals and add 4 cups of water. Pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles or till the dals are cooked.

2.In a bowl, combine the chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala with 3 tablespoons of water and mix well. Keep aside.

3.Heat the ghee in a pan and add the cloves, bay leaves, cumin seeds, green chillies and asafoetida. When the cumin seeds crackle, add the prepared masala paste and saut for 1 to 2 minutes.

4.Add the cooked dals, amchur, tamarind pulp and salt and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Adjust the consistency of the dal before serving and if required, add some water.

For the baatis

1.Mix all the ingredients and knead into a firm dough. Knead well for 5 to 7 minutes.

2.Divide the dough into 10 equal portions and shape each portion into an even sized round. Flatten the rounds lightly using your thumb to make an indentation in the centre of the baati.

3.Heat a gas tandoor and put the baatis on the grill of the tandoor. Cook them on a medium flame for 30 to 35 minutes. Cooking the baatis over a medium flame will ensure that the baatis are cooked on the insides also.

4.Arrange the baatis on a serving plate, break each baati into two pieces and pour melted ghee on the baatis.

For Churma

1.Mix flour and semolina in a bowl. Add half cup of melted ghee and mix well. Add milk as required and knead into a supple dough

2.Divide the dough into twelve lemon sized balls. Heat sufficient ghee in a kadai and deep-fry the balls on medium

3.Drain and place on an absorbent paper and cool. Coarsely grind the wheat balls in a mixer.

4.Add powdered sugar, cardamom powder, cashewnuts, almonds and raisins and mix. Serve churma with ghee.

How to proceed

1.Pour hot panchmel dal over the baatis.

2.Serve hot with churma.

The fact that regional Indian cuisine is left to not only the experts but is slowly becoming a part of a meal experience in Indian luxury hotels, is a big step towards the future of how our dining is perceived. You would be surprised as to the amount of tourist (and I include even Indian ones) who have yet to make their way around the vast cuisines of India. If this continues, we won’t have to travel much farther to taste what India has to offer from its lost kitchens.

This trip was sponsored by the JW Marriott Luxury Collection group. While I have been visiting their properties on my own accord several times a year and mainly indulging in their F&B, the stay was a first for me. I have the privileges of being their guest but just like most luxury properties this hotel meets international standards of service and personal attendance. I have used my discretion and observations to the best of my knowledge and remained unbiased. Hotels are fairly wide open to personalizing your experience should you choose to stay with them. If you are reading this blog at a later date and I would presume the people I spoke about are around, please don’t hesitate to reiterate my good words and I am sure you will have some of you own.