Himalayan flavours set the tone at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday when President Droupadi Murmu hosted a special dinner for European Union leaders Antonio Costa and Ursula von der Leyen. The banquet paid tribute to India’s Himalayan food traditions, presenting regional ingredients and traditional techniques through a contemporary fine-dining lens. (Also read: Ursula von der Leyen dons stunning Indian ethnic wear at the 2026 Republic Day parade )
During their visit to India as chief guests for the 77th Republic Day celebrations, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were offered a menu rooted in the culinary traditions of Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and the Northeast. As reported by PTI, the spread celebrated the diversity of Himalayan cooking while giving it a modern culinary twist.
What was on the menu at Himalayan-themed banquet
The evening opened with delicacies such as jakhiya aloo served with green tomato chutney, alongside jhangora ki kheer paired with meah loon and white chocolate. Guests were then served a soup made with sunderkala thichoni, a buckwheat noodle speciality from Uttarakhand shaped by Tibetan culinary influences.
A selection of regional accompaniments followed, including yak cheese custard with bhaang mathri, mustard-coated bichhu buti patta with bottle gourd, and a warming winter carrot kadhi.
What did the main course and dessert include
The main course focused on guchhi (morels) and Solan mushrooms, slow-cooked with poppy seeds and a burnt tomato sauce, and served alongside fragrant Himachali swarnu rice. The plate was rounded off with an assortment of chutneys featuring rai leaf, Kashmiri walnut, roasted tomato and akhuni.
Dessert marked a sweet conclusion to the Himalayan-inspired meal, offering ragi and Kashmiri apple cake paired with timru and sea buckthorn cream, coffee custard layered with dates and raw cacao, and persimmon drizzled with Himalayan honey.
The menu was curated in collaboration with chefs Prateek Sadhu and Kamlesh Negi, underscoring Rashtrapati Bhavan’s ongoing commitment to celebrating and promoting India’s diverse culinary traditions.
