Dozens of flickering lamps punctuate the inky blackness of the night accompanied by sounds of the forest. Large urns filled with marigold flowers add a fragrant scent to the air, coupled with the warm orange glow of fire burning away on chullahs in the open kitchen. I’m greeted by this rustic setting at Palaash, a brand-new culinary offering tucked away in the serene environs of boutique wildlife resort, Tipai by Wildlife Luxuries. Located on the fringes of the lesser-known Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra, the all-villa resort is just a two to three-hour drive away from Nagpur. The restaurant is the latest venture by chef Amninder Sandhu, known for her take on regional Indian fare, using techniques like no-gas and slow cooking.
TL Tastings
A Review of Palaash
Ambience
The intimate 25-seater al fresco dining space draws its name from the cluster of palash trees that shade this little enclosure. In fact, the restaurant has taken generous doses of inspiration from around the region–be it using local, indigenous ingredients and flavours from the interiors of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh to rustic design touches that extend from the serveware to the hand-spun linens, all whilst giving guests an immersive experience of dining in the wild.
Philosophy
Palaash’s ethos is rooted in local, personalised experiences, which also extends to the team working here. Sandhu is visibly proud of her all-women team working in the kitchen. “These are women from the neighbouring village, who now work with me. Nearly 80 percent of the workforce at the property are from nearby villages,” Sandhu says, adding that when she first came on board as F&B partner at Tipai some eight months ago, these women were working in the resort’s kitchens as cleaners, sometimes making homemade bhakri, thecha and other local fare. “We encouraged them to start working in the kitchen, with dishes they are comfortable cooking such as thalis and other homestyle food. Today, they are handling all the prep and cooking at Palaash,” she says with a proud smile.
The kitchen at Palaash is open-plan and offers diners a ringside view of the food being cooked, grilled and plated. As I walk around, Sandhu’s team is busying themselves in prepping for the courses, some at the chullahs and others overseeing the charcoal-fired grill and the tandoor.
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As I enter, I’m handed an amuse bouche to savour before I settle in for my meal. “Place it on your tongue, don’t bite into it,” Sandhu tells me, as I curiously wait for what comes after. An explosion of tangy orange nectar follows, which has been enrobed in a layer of white chocolate. “It’s an ode to the Nagpur oranges that grow aplenty in the region,” she tells me cheerfully.
Palaash offers a seven-course degustation menu with options of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian fare. I start my meal with the tangy and refreshing ambaadi with charred pineapple topped with a sphere of yoghurt. The ambaadi leaves, grown on the property, are fried and served as an accompaniment to the dish. It’s the perfect chaat-like appetiser to begin the meal with. Next up, is the ratalu gulab with lemon and crisp kashiphal or pumpkin. Beautifully plated and presented, the delicate dish is a welcome next course. However the base of black dal makes it a tad heavy on the palate.
The courses are well-paced and come out with precision, with the strains of classical Indian music playing in the background. Diners have a choice of pairing their meal with a wine list. I, however, decide to opt for a local-inspired drink featuring a sour ambaadi syrup, ginger ale, a pinch of honey and rock salt, garnished with an ambaadi flower.
Each of the courses are inherently local and Indian, presented with a contemporary touch, like the slow-cooked raan (that’s cooked in an underground barbecue pit) with bhakri and lal thecha served like a taco, or its vegetarian counterpart, arbi with bhakri and lal thecha.
Other standout dishes include the bater or quail, bathed in spices inspired by the local Saoji cuisine, and the Saoji vange or eggplant with torn paratha and charred spring onion — a dish I thoroughly enjoy. Soon enough, a delicate gendaphool or marigold sorbet comes out as a palate cleanser. Sandhu has also brought in personal influences of her time growing up in Assam. As an ode to this, one of the courses features bamboo-smoked mutton or jackfruit served with Indrayani rice wrapped in haldi leaves.
By now, the rhythmic sounds from the kitchen have slowed down as the dessert courses come out. I savour kala jamun soaked in mahua syrup with pista ice cream, served in a bowl made out of palash leaves. The super-sweet kala jamun balances itself out with the much-needed ice cream. In quick succession come two bite-sized sweets—puran poli profiterole and orange burfi.
Sandhu saves the best for last though—thandai-dipped paan that’s served in an earthen pot. “Eat the paan and then have the shot of thandai,” she tells me. As I wind up my meal, I ask Sandhu about her inspiration in putting the menu together. “When I first came here, I struggled to find a nice, local culinary experience,” she says, adding that the idea was to make F&B experiences at Tipai as personalised and local as possible. Admittedly, sourcing particular ingredients is tough as Nagpur is the closest city to the resort. “Even if I want an ingredient, it will take over five hours to get it delivered here. So, we’ve tried to be as sustainable as possible, growing as much produce in our kitchen garden.”
For now, her focus is on elevating the skill sets of her team and encouraging the women in her kitchen to expand their repertoire. “During one of my first few interactions with them, I tried breaking the ice and asked them names of some special dishes they would make at home, or memorable dishes growing up. One of them gave me a blank look saying they never had the money to purchase ingredients for a special meal. That really hit home,” Sandhu says, adding that she keeps telling them that this experience will change their life. “The sheer excitement with which they do everything, it’s really heartening to see.” I couldn’t agree more.
Our takeaway
If you’re looking for a truly experiential dining experience, in the middle of the forest nonetheless, then Palaash will tick the boxes. The resort itself is a relaxing haven with its serene villas immersed in the beauty of nature.
Quick notes
Meal for two:
- Food degustation: INR 2,500 plus taxes per person
- Food and wine degustation: INR 5,000 plus taxes per person
Address: Tipai Wildlife Luxuries, Gondwakadi, Maharashtra – 445302
For reservations, call: 09699786275
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