Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted Swiss President Guy Parmelin for an elaborate lunch at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on October 5. The meal came after the two leaders held talks and signed agreements covering transport technology, mobility systems and infrastructure.
But it was the food that offered a different glimpse of the India-Switzerland meeting. The menu brought together Swiss staples, regional Indian flavours and a few playful combinations that would not usually share the same plate. (Image: ANI) There was also Besani Lauki Lachha, made with crisp pan-fried bottle gourd peel tossed in toasted chickpea flour and heirloom spices. The humble lauki, often associated with everyday Indian home cooking, appeared here in a considerably more elaborate form. Another unusual dish was Paneer Sawchiar, combining Mizo-spiced basmati rice, whole aromatics, fresh spinach and pan-roasted paneer. Assorted Indian breads accompanied the meal. Lapsi Nusstorte Pie combined Swiss nusstorte pastry with Indian roasted cracked wheat halwa flavoured with cardamom. Walnuts and ghee finished the dish. Then came masala chai ice cream, made by combining black tea, warming spices and caramelised ice cream. The combination also became a talking point online. Journalist Shiv Aroor called it the standout dish, while joking that the lauki was the one item he avoided. The menu was not simply a collection of Swiss and Indian dishes. Several plates were built around familiar ingredients presented through another culinary tradition. That is what makes the meal interesting. Raclette did not replace Indian flavours, and traditional Indian dishes were not stripped of their identity. Instead, the menu placed ingredients such as raclette cheese, barley and nusstorte pastry alongside tamarind, jaggery, chaat masala, paneer and regional spices.
