New Delhi: India showcased a culinary treat to Russian President Vladimir Putin at a state dinner served to him upon his visit to India. Hosted by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi, on Friday, featuring a specially curated Indian thali with various regional flavours, seasonal produce, and prepared with traditional cooking methods to serve authentic flavours.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh were among the few key dignitaries present at the event. Footage from the banquet went viral, where they were all seen sitting together and having cultural and diplomatic conversations with one another.

The menu opened with a showcase of vegetarian delicacies, including Murungelai Chaaru, a delicately spiced broth of moringa leaves and moong beans, followed by Gucchi Doon Chetin (stuffed Kashmiri morels with walnut chutney), Kaale Chane ka Shikampuri kebabs with mint sauce, and pelmeni-inspired vegetable jhol momos.

For the main course, guests were served Zafrani Paneer Roll in saffron sauce, Palak Methi Mattar ka Saag, Tandoori Bharwan Aloo, Achaari Baingan and Yellow Dal Tadka, paired with dry-fruit saffron pulao and an assortment of Indian breads like laccha parantha, missi roti and magaz naan.

❗️PM Modi & President Putin Sit Side By Side At State Banquet As President Murmu Delivers Her Speech https://t.co/tlhmhNH5nJ pic.twitter.com/iwEmaZOKpf

— RT_India (@RT_India_news)

For the dessert, the spread included Badam ka Halwa and Kesar Pista kulfi, alongside fresh fruits. The dinner thali also included salads, traditional snacks like murukku and gur sandesh, with gongura pickle and mango chutney. Beverages included a variety of Indian freshness, such as pomegranate, orange, carrot-ginger, and beetroot coolers.

Adding to the cultural dinner night, a special Indo-Russian musical programme titled ‘Messinal Love’ was performed by the Rashtrapati Bhavan Naval Band in collaboration with saord, sarangi and table artists. The setlist blended Indian classical raagas with Russian melodies, beginning with Raag Amritavarshini and Raag Khamaj, followed by Russian folk classic Kalinka.

Performances of Raag Yaman, Raag Shivranjini and Raag Nalinakanthi were mixed with the popular Hindi song Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani. The event also paid tribute to Tchaikovsky with a piece from The Nutcracker Suite, and ended with Raag Bhairavi and Raag Desh.