IF you like food that is more home-grown try these two food festivals that are essentially celebrating the essences of Indian cuisine.

The Rajasthani food festival at the Oberoi has put together a crisp menu that doesn't digress much from what is known as home food in that state.

The chef, who comes with ample experience from Rajasthan, decided against embellishing the traditional cuisine. So no daal bati churma for you here, simply because it's been done to death!

The dinner buffet at Cafe Masala too, has plenty of Indian fare in the offering but it also has a bit of international food here and there. While the options are really too many, and you may not be able to go through the entire spread, do try their kebabs and Indian desserts, as they seem to be doing much better than the rest of the fare.

Flavours from Rajasthan

There's something very rustic about eating papad methi dana, a dish made of Rajasthani papad and fenugreek seeds and bajre ki roti.

And even though I was sitting in the comfortable ambience of a five-star hotel, I could feel the essence of the earth in all the dishes Chef Uday had prepared. We started with the panchkuta shaakh and gatte ki subzi, gram flour dumplings simmered in a spicy yoghurt gravy. While I am not a big fan of gatte, I didn't mind a bit of it with some makai roti. If you like dal, you must try the dal panchmel that combined almost five different kinds of lentils and cooked over low fire in ghee.

The murgh aur makai ke soweta where diced chicken is cooked in corn was pretty decent but what won the lottery over it was the maas ki kadi, where lamb cooked in yoghurt-based gravy. And of course, the laal maas, without which a Rajasthani food festival would not be possible.

To end the meal I tried the malai ghewar, which had the right proportion of sweet and lapsi, which is broken wheat cooked in milk. Originally it was meant to be cooked in camel milk but that's not really easy to get used to, so here, it's just good old regular cow's milk!

At: Le Jardin, The Oberoi Hotel.
On till: July 26
Call: 25585858

I would have never thought of rating a vegetarian dish over succulent meat but the panchkuta shaakh rates the highest at this festival. Keeping with the desert life,where everything was dried and stored for the future, this dish has some of the traditional Rajasthani wild beans and berries cooked in a gentle curry. It tastes best with some bajre ki or missi roti.

The laal maas deserves special mention, as the chef has carefully preserved the flavours of lamb that is simmered in special chillies without going over the top. "It's not easy for people like us to eat it the way the locals do. The spice is simply too high," says Chef Uday Shenoy.

Till you lose count...
This Maha Buffet at Café Masala lives up to its name. Be it starters or desserts, you are spoilt for choice. From unlimited grilled starters, with five veg and non-veg grilled starters. By the time I finished with them, I was stuffed. The chicken broth had a rich peppery taste and I really relished it. The grilled paneer jus melts in your mouth and the ambade ka jhinga, grilled prawn with Indian spices is a must-try.

The chicken kalimirch however, was way too oily and I could taste the oil more than the meat. The salads have been given a global touch with generous helpings of vinegar and cheese. For main course, I had the option of four veg and non-veg dishes.

While I found the Goan fish curry too bland, the mutton biryani was just right. Wanting to dig into the desserts, I moved onto them; trying my luck with the the chocolate walnut cake, strawberry pastries and mango tofu. From the Indian counter, they had jalebis, badam halwa and rabadi. The menu is changed quite often, so you can call ahead and check what they have on offer.

At: Cafe Masala, Eva Mall, Brigade Road
Meal for two:  Rs 900
Call: 41118466