[gallery td_select_gallery_slide="slide" size="medium" td_gallery_title_input="Elaf Indian Food Festival kicks off in Jeddah" ids="32774,32775,32776"] Hassan Cheruppa FEEL the real taste of India's strength, diversity and culture through its authentic and mouth watering cuisine. This was in a nutshell of what was highlighted by several prominent figures at the opening of a four-day Indian Food Festival at Elaf Jeddah Hotel (Red Sea Mall) on Wednesday evening. Well-known media and political analyst Khaled Almaeena, Saudi Gazette's Editor at Large, inaugurated the festival by cutting the ribbon in a colorful ceremony, attended by B.S. Mubarak, consul general of India, Abdullah H. Bakri, vice president of Elaf Hotels Company, and Mohammed M.S. Binmahfouz, vice president of Elaf Travel and Tourism Company. The opening ceremony was also attended by consuls general from half a dozen Asian and African countries. They included Matahiro Yamaguchi (Japan), Dharmakirty Syailendra Putra (Indonesia), Shoaib Caso (South Africa), Mohammed Ali Selamat (Malaysia), Raziff Aljunied (Singapore) and Haji Sulaini Hj Said (Brunei). In his speech, Almaeena said Indian cuisine is among the best in the world. "The strong bonds of ties between India and Hijaz, including Makkah and Madinah, date back to centuries and the influence of Indian cuisine is more evident in the Kingdom's present day western region (Hijaz). Many traders from Hijaz came to India and this resulted in Arab influence in Indian cuisine too," he said. Almaeena, who is also managing partner of Quartz Communications, urged people of Saudi Arabia to try Indian food and visit the great country. On his part, Mubarak described Almaeena as an Indologist who knows India more than himself. "I always call Almaeena India's ambassador to Saudi Arabia. He loves India, and I was amazed to see many of his fans there when he visited Hyderabad, Kerala and other parts of India." Earlier, addressing a press conference, Mubarak urged Saudis to seize the real taste of India by enjoying the dishes prepared by renowned chefs, specially brought from India. "Indians excel in two things – human resources and cuisine, and the Indian cuisine is not exclusive but is influenced by the Mogals, British, Portuguese and the Arabs." While drawing attention to the popularity of the Indian cuisine around the world, he said: "There are 10,000 restaurants in Britain, and if we put together all those working in UK's shipping, steel and coal industry sectors, their number is less than those working in the Indian restaurants. Many of the fish curries prepared in Kerala are influenced by the Arabs who came to Kozhikode and other cities from the Arabian Peninsula." He said that the visitors can interact with the chefs to know closer the authenticity of real Indian cuisine. Addressing the press meet, Bakri thanked former Indian Consul General Faiz Ahmed Kidwai and Consul General Mubarak for initiating and continuing the festival, which was a great success in promoting tasty Indian cuisine with Elaf's professional standard. "We are proud to be associated with the Indian consulate and the community for organizing this festival. It asserts our commitment to showcase our talent in the hospitality industry," he said while noting that Indian restaurants are highly successful throughout the Kingdom as Saudis are fond of Indian dishes very much. Bakri also thanked Indian Tourism Department for flying three leading Indian professional chefs within short notice to create mouthwatering dishes in association with the Elaf kitchen. Binmahfouz said Elaf Hotel team, headed by Hussein Rauf, the general manager, will spare no efforts to showcase its commitment and services to make this festival a memorable event. Speaking to Saudi Gazette, the consuls general said that they like Indian cuisine very much. The Indian cuisine speaks volumes about the great nation's richness whether it is in its diversity, culture, hospitality, adaptability and embracing of everything good from others. Lathifa Mubarak, the wife of Indian consul general, shared the great experience she had while attending the Indian food festivals. "I saw many prominent Arab women and spouses of diplomats talk about their fondness of Indian cuisine, especially the spicy one. Many of them are fond of dosa, idly and sambar," she said, adding that bringing well-known chefs from India enabled them to know the real taste of India. Shahid Alam, deputy consul general and Haj consul, consuls — Anand Kumar, S.R.H. Fahmi, and Dr. Irshad Ahmad are among the consulate officials who attended the opening session of the food festival. A large number of community leaders and media personnel also attended. The India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) is instrumental in sending three renowned chefs from the Ashok Hotel, Chanakyapuri, of New Delhi to the festival. They are Gaurav Malhotra, executive chef, Rohtas Raj, Demy chef de Partie, and A.P. Girish Kumar, Demi chef de Partie. They are showcasing varieties of North Indian, South Indian and Hyderabadi dishes at the festival, which will run through Saturday. The chefs are known for their expertise in preparing food for several Indian and world leaders, including US President Barack Obama, Sonia Gandhi, former President of India Pratibha Patil, as well as for banquets for Prime Minister's office as well as at Hyderabad House. The Consulate General of India and Indian Ministry of Tourism, in association with Elaf Jeddah Hotel, is organizing the event. With a chance to view daily live cooking demonstrations, the festivities are a must-visit for not only the gourmet, but also those wishing to experience an exclusive and sumptuous dining palate, all in the heart of the city. The festival is open for public from 1930hrs to 2330 hrs from Thursday to Saturday.
