Turning the pages of Gwalior’s food history
puran poli and pohe to mutton barbat, pasande and Nepali ande as part of the city’s culinary landscape, offering a taste of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Awadh, and Nepal in the heart of Madhya Pradesh. Like many old cities, Gwalior too has witnessed the rise of many dynasties, including the Guptas, Tomars and the Scindias, movement of people due to marriage, wars and work, and more.
Each has added a unique culinary dimension to the food of Gwalior. And today, select homestays such as Krishnayan Heritage and restaurants like Silver Saloon at luxury hotels are offering a taste of this history.
But why should we be talking about the cuisine of Gwalior? The fact that it was a major princely state at one point of time, enjoyed proximity to cities such as Delhi and was cosmopolitan in nature, makes it an interesting study. With its overarching dominance in the last days of the Mughal empire, it imbibed a lot of influences from there, including in the food.
With certain members of the Scindia family marrying into families from Nepal for three generations, a strong Nepalese influence has seeped into Gwalior’s food habits. The Silver Saloon at the Taj Usha Kiran offers a glimpse of this Maharashtrian-Nepalese culinary jugalbandi.
Also read: When art meets food on a plate Curated by Priyadarshini Raje Scindia— who champions the craft and culinary heritage of the city through the Gwalior Design Project and the food and hospitality organisation, the Seeti Movement—the menu at usha Kiran palace showcases the conversations between the two cuisines. So, you will find, both in the a la carte menu and the royal thali, a mix of dishes such as the tamatar saar, chara ko raas, or chicken clear soup flavoured with cumin and cinnamon, the sekwa,
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