By Devirupa Mitra, IANS
New Delhi : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s first breakfast in India Monday was the traditional English morning repast, but with an appropriate Indian twist.
Sitting in his Grand Presidential Suite at the Taj Mahal Hotel that overlooks the verdant tree cover of the Indian capital, Brown, who arrived here Sunday on a two-day visit, had masala omelette with bacon and poached eggs – accompanied by orange juice and fresh fruits like grapes, papaya and passion fruit.
After a hectic round of appointments, Brown returned to the hotel for a lunch of tomato basil soup, lasagna verdure and cr�me caramel.
Besides, the hotel staff had stocked the suite with his preference for sparkling water and Perrier water. “Mrs Brown has a preference for decaffeinated natural teas which was served to her,” said a senior hotel official.
The Grand Presidential Suite has special bulletproof windows, which according to hotel staff meets international security specifications.
Besides, the 4,500 square feet suite is outfitted with state of the art communications and electronic equipment, as well as a treadmill for use by the prime minister or his wife.
If the prime minister had any free time, he could also take a look at the Suite library, which is stocked with lithographs of Lutyen’s Delhi sourced from London, as well as a selection of international and Indian newspapers and coffee table books on Delhi.
Brown should also have no complaints about his evening meal, which will represent the diversity that is India and Indian cuisine. But there was one request from him for the state banquet here Monday night – some decaffeinated coffee and sparkling water please.
“We were not given any restrictions or requests on what the British prime minister will eat. Only that there should be decaffeinated coffee and sparkling water within his reach,” said an official who did not want to be named.
The feast hosted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the Hyderabad House for the dignitary will begin with tomato soup delicately flavoured with sweet basil. This will be followed by a smorgasbord of delights.
“The idea is to represent the best of Indian cuisine from all over the country, as well the seasonal vegetables,” said the official.
So, rogan josh from Jammu and Kashmir will vie with Awadh’s gobhi mussalam and dudhiya kofta from Maharashtra for attention on the high table. Besides, there will be boti burra and mahi kaliya. And for dessert, the chefs have rustled up gajar ka kheer.