Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Australian Assistant Minister of Trade, Tourism and Investment, Mark Coulton with celebrity Chef Vicy Ratnani. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

Desi-Aussie jugalbandi
What do you get when a desi chef and an Aussie politician jam in a culinary space? A spicy jugalbandi, we think. Well, something similar took place when chef Vicky Ratnani whipped up a series of Aussie-inspired dishes using Indian cooking techniques at a session yesterday.

Mark Coulton, Australian minister of trade, tourism and investment was in rapt attention as the chef created fusion dishes like Aussie laal maas chops with grilled haolumi cheese and Mumbai winter salad with cumin honey dressing. "The event was all about seasonality," the chef told this diarist, as he served the delish spread to bloggers and media in an Aussie- style setting.

Foodie talk in Zaveri Bazaar
A vegetarian food walk in a bejwelled area of the city. Sounds appealing? It all started when food blogger Romi Purkayastha's friend from the jewellery industry took her to the food market in the heart of the jewellery market. She was bowled over by the spicy Banarasi moong dal kachori, made by a man who's moved from Banaras, Gujarati specials like khichiya papad and pudla.

There are stalls that date back to over 100 years, she tells us. "It's unlike any other food I've found in the city. Though it's like street food, it's made fresh in front of you," she concludes. The walk that begins at 6 pm today, will also entail a visit to a khau galli. A priceless treasure, this.

A date with literature fests
It's a busy time if you are a litfest-hopper. This year, two festivals, one the big daddy, and the second a strong contender for second place, have a partial clash of dates. And both, the first in Jaipur and the second, in Kolkata, will seek to lure the literati next week, despite the overlap.

The organisers of the Kolkata fest have also managed to wrest the honour of hosting the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. Once the big draw at Jaipur, the prestigious prize is now a sailing ship, having debuted in Galle and Dhaka as well. We'd love to see how this veiled war pans out, literally.

Galloping fame
The Amateur Rider's Club is all set to kickstart its 2019 polo season on January 25, but things will be zara hatke this time. The first match will witness international and Indian women polo players galloping away at the Mahalaxmi Race Course.

While the international players include veterans like certified arena polo umpire and instructor, Meghan Carter Judge from California, the Indian side looks equally promising.

Many of the players are contenders competing for the Los Polistas International Women's Polo Cup, and include 16-year-old Ashley Parekh (top), one of the youngest polo players in the country. Designer Rina Shah, the first woman in India to own a polo team, is also part of the team.

Time to party, Mumbai
A top comment on an Elrow video featuring German DJ Claptone, that this diarist is watching while writing this piece reads 'I'm gonna quit my job after listening to this.' Elrow, is the Barcelona-based party house known for their hedonistic parties that capture the spirit of clubbers all over the world.

After hitting every continent and touring over 50 cities, Elrow will be making their India debut this year. A couple of days back, the brand announced on their Facebook page that they will be coming to Mumbai soon, but haven't left more details. Well, for techno in India, the sooner the better.

Every dog has its day

This stray stole the spotlight at a fashion show in a suburban five-star earlier this week. We love how the amused models carried on cue, as the doggie posed with them for the final frame. Pics/Shadab Khan

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