Bengaluru, March 2026 – In honor of International Women’s Day, Citrus at The Leela Palace Bengaluru proudly hosts Chef Sonal Naik Nimbalkar Mahurkar for “An Ode to Maratha Cuisine.” Hailing from one of Maharashtra’s oldest Maratha families with roots in Dhar and ties to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s lineage, Chef Sonal is a celebrated home chef, consultant, and curator of royal Maratha food festivals. This four-day pop-up (March 5–8, 2026) spotlights women as the true custodians of culinary heritage, transforming regional recipes into a narrative of empowerment, resilience, and cultural preservation.
Chef Sonal’s philosophy is rooted in authenticity: she revives unwritten treasures from noble Maratha households, passed orally through generations, using slow cooking, hand-ground masalas, lavish ghee, indigenous ingredients, and subtle Mughlai influences. Her work with Paschim Maharashtra and royal Maratha cuisines honors family heirlooms like chicken parsundi, pandhra rassa (light coconut milk curry), mutton rassa, Baroda-style prawns, gola pulao, and hirva kheema, adapting them thoughtfully for modern diners while preserving their bold, nuanced flavors and historical depth.
The rotating menu evolves daily across dinners and a special lunch, offering an immersive journey through Maratha diversity that celebrates generational wisdom. Choose from Maratha delicacies which include
• Starters and Snacks: Mattar Karanji (fresh peas in garam masala pastry, deep-fried), Thalpit (multi-grain flatbread with butter and curd), Surmai Fry (tamarind and garam masala marinated fish), Mutton Kheema Kebabs.
• Mains: Traditional spicy mutton preparations, Bhakharwala Chicken (dry coconut and fresh masalas), Pandhra Rassa (chicken in coconut milk and spices), Gutta Soup and regional broths, Kheema Gola Biryani.
• Sweets: Festive Puran Poli, whole wheat kheer with jaggery.
More than a meal, this showcase is a heartfelt ode to women-led storytelling, regional identity, community memory, and living heritage, where each dish carries the soul of Maratha homes, hearths, and timeless traditions.
Factsheet
• Dinner Dates: March 5th–7th, 2026 (dinner service)
• Women’s Day lunch: March 8th, 2026
• Venue: Citrus, Lobby Level, The Leela Palace Bengaluru
Price: Rs 3500 ++ onwards
• Reservations:For Reservations:
+91 89519 74424 | +91 96065 83346
