ABU DHABI // Amid the deafening thunder of drums, the Indian Food Festival opened yesterday at the Lulu supermarket in Al Wahda Mall for a 15-day run intended to highlight cuisine from the subcontinent. Talmiz Ahmad, India's ambassador to the UAE, and Yusuf Ali, the managing director of the Lulu chain, inaugurated the event by opening a wooden door painted to look like an Indian fortress.
For the next fortnight, 75 varieties of fruits and vegetables will be in the spotlight, along with Indian street food and regional specialities that are hard to come by locally. The event is sponsored by the Indian tourism ministry. Mr Ahmad braved the crowd of shoppers and toured a section of special produce essential to Indian cuisine. As he inspected an egg fruit - an orange, triangular fruit from the state of Andhra Pradesh - he said, "There is a lot of stuff that I have never seen before."
Alongside it were ripe cocoa beans with white, fragrant flesh that can be eaten, said K Zulfiker, the head of produce for Lulu markets. "People often don't know what to do with these fruits," he said. "I hope this encourages them to try new things." Also on display were green cardamom and green pepper, milder spices used for desserts; custard apple; banana flower; and fragrant red guavas, flown in from Lucknow.
Many shoppers were delighted with the offerings. Sayed Khalifa, a purchase manager for a flower and gift shop, walked through the two aisles that displayed the new produce. "This is the first time I have seen such vegetables," he said. "I will try to use some of them." During the festival, 20 artists will perform at various Lulu markets in the emirate. sbhattacharya@thenational.ae
