If you happen to meet Hemendra Singh and Vrinda Kumari, you can’t help but wonder if they have travelled to the present through a time machine from the past. Hemendra stands tall, his back perenially straight and his twirled moustache stealing glances from everyone around him. Vrinda has a vintage Bollywood glamour about her, through poise and cheer.

That said, it only seemed right that the culinary couple are present at Royal Fables’ Kitchen of Kings dinner on the evening of August 27.

Pillars of the past

Founder of Royal Fables Anshu Khanna wanted no one but Hemendra and Vrinda when it came to showcasing the best of Rajasthan’s Mewar cuisine. And when a walkthrough is conducted of the courses and dishes on offer, it’s understandable why. Major hits of the Mewar cuisine include the lal maas, tender portions of chicken shikari and the hari mirch ka maas with green chillies.

As he stirs the fiery looking lal maas, he points out the more fluid consistency which is the original way to make for much more tender meat; now the gravy is known to be a little thicker. Many of the dishes are regaled with red chillies, a staple in Rajasthan for the kings to truly enjoy their fill.

Hemendra gets into the details of how Mewar cuisine has been a historical pillar in Rajasthani history. “We’ve spoken about textile heritage and artefacts, yes,” nods Hemendra as he observes how the guests are spooning piping hot curries on their plates, “but cuisine is a way of showing how the state’s geography and economics over time has evolved. The most notable element here is the use of spices.”

But what about the different strata of Rajasthani society centuries ago? Do Hemendra and Vrinda show the differences through their cuisine? “I’ve been doing a lot of pulaos... I’d never come to Hyderabad and prepare a biryani! We want to show the delectable side of Mewar cuisine. See, royalty and rural communities used different intensities of spice and where these spices were harvested play a huge role in how the resulting dish tastes.”

Massive amounts of cooking is nothing new in the Mewar realm; after all, the flavour-packed food was best celebrated during the wedding seasons and festivals. Hemendra doesn’t compromise on the ingredients but he also doesn’t compromise on the utensils used for the cooking.

“I always prepare these dishes in brass pots, never in aluminium. If you’re preserving that heritage, do it exactly right. Aluminium wasn’t around back then! The brass pots with the Kalai (metal alloy) lining elevates the flavour in the final dish to a new height.” This awareness is a testament to how copper and brass vessels have made a strong comeback over the past two years.