Navratri food is closely tied to ritual, memory and the comfort of familiar flavours. For Chef Ananya, creating a festive thali for the season is less about reinventing traditional dishes than understanding what makes them meaningful in the first place. At Trident, Hyderabad, the idea has taken shape in a spread that brings together fasting favourites and more celebratory preparations, while staying faithful to the spirit of vrat cooking.
“I will remain true to the spirit of vrat dishes and how they are prepared, while making sure to present them beautifully and maintain a balanced plate,” she says. “The comfort food of Kuttu Ki Khichdi and Singhade Ki Poori is balanced by the celebratory feel of Zafrani Paneer, Badam Halwa and Malai Kulfi. This thali is both celebratory and faithful to fasting practices.”
The challenge, she explains, is to retain the soul of the food even when it is prepared in a luxury hotel kitchen. Familiarity matters as much as technique. Dishes such as Chutney Wale Aloo and Khatte Meethe Kaddu are intended to evoke the taste of home, while attention to quality, consistency and texture gives the preparations their finish.
“Through an appreciation of the soul of the food,” is how she describes the approach. Even a dish as simple as a raw banana kebab depends on getting its texture right. The Kacche Kele Ke Kebab, she says, is built around crispness, while local and sustainable ingredients are part of the kitchen’s approach to the menu.
The same thinking shapes the way familiar vrat ingredients are presented. Shakarkandi, for instance, becomes a chaat, raw banana is made into kebabs, and sabudana finds its way into kheer. The ingredients remain recognisable, but the preparations offer a different experience.
“Everyone knows what shakarkandi tastes like, but we make shakarkandi into Shakarkandi Chaat. Raw bananas become Kacche Kele Ke Kebab and sabudana becomes Sabudana Kheer,” Ananya says. “The first taste will make you think of your mom’s cooking, while the second will surprise you.”
For her, this contrast is central to the thali. It should offer the reassurance of familiar flavours without becoming predictable. Kuttu Ki Khichdi brings a hearty note, Khatte Meethe Kaddu adds a sweet-sour element, while Shakarkandi Chaat and Chutney Wale Aloo contribute spice. Zafrani Paneer lends a richer touch, and the meal ends with Sabudana Kheer, Badam Halwa and Malai Kulfi.
The menu has been designed around the practices of fasting, rather than assembled as a conventional festive spread. Singhade Ki Poori is served alongside Cucumber Raita, while the range of savoury dishes and desserts gives the meal a sense of balance. Ananya says the intention is to make the thali feel complete, both in its flavours and presentation.
“This is not just an ordinary thali with a new name,” she says. “It was developed around the concepts of fasting, or vrat, which is why we included items such as Singhade Ki Poori, Cucumber Raita to help create a sense of balance, and energetic sweet treats like Sabudana Kheer and Badam Halwa.”
The Navratri Festive Thali will be available at Kanak, Trident, Hyderabad’s Indian restaurant, and Amara, its all-day dining restaurant, from October 11 to 19, during lunch and dinner. Guests can begin with Shakarkandi Chaat and Kacche Kele Ke Kebab, move on to Zafrani Paneer, Chutney Wale Aloo, Khatte Meethe Kaddu and Kuttu Ki Khichdi with Singhade Ki Poori and Cucumber Raita, and finish with the three desserts.
The spread brings the season’s food traditions to the table without losing sight of what makes them enduring: ingredients that are familiar, preparations associated with home, and a meal shaped by the observances of the festival. In Ananya’s approach, the festive touch lies not in departing from those traditions, but in presenting them with care.