International airlines are revamping their menus with regional delicacies

When Aaron George was sent on assignment to Kuala Lumpur, he wasn’t very excited. The 23-year-old lifestyle journalist is a jaded frequent flyer. What settled him down for the rest of the flight on Malaysian Airlines was aviyal, the Kerala vegetable dish served on board and which tasted remarkably like the one prepared by his mom. While most international airlines offer meals packaged as Hindu Indian Meals or Indian Vegetarian Meals, now Lufthansa, Singapore and Malaysian airlines have rolled out new menus that combine the finest of Indian gourmet food with a slight international twist.

Hermann Freidanck, manager, F&B, Singapore Airlines, recently got celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor to try out some recipes for the airline’s Shahi Thali, a favourite with most patrons. “Singapore Airlines changes its economy-class menu every three months and the business-class menu every month. In order to serve a high-quality meal in an airplane, one has to overcome huge obstacles like in-flight temperature and pressure,” says Freidanck. The efforts have resulted in dishes such as vermicelli upma and neer dosa with stew.

Upping the ante a little more with South Indian cuisine is Malaysian Airlines: with Gongura Lamb and Chettinad Chicken as well as the aviyal that placated George and even a Kodaikanal Mutton.

Lufthansa is celebrating its 50th anniversary in India, and the good Germans have paid special attention to revamping their menu. The airline has introduced fine-dining in the skies and has begun their Star Chef Programme in India this year. The programme was conceived a decade ago with master chefs such as Paul Bocuse of Lyon and David Bouley from New York preparing a menu that goes beyond lip-smacking in both business and first class. “This year our master chefs are Farman Ali and Surender Mohan of The Leela and they have designed fine-dining menus for Lufthansa’s India routes,” says Axel Hilgers, director, South Asia , Lufthansa. The result: regional cuisine is flying Luft: there is Prawn Curry Masala, Tomato Pappu, Khade Masale ka Paneer, Paneer Scallion Masala, Lal Maans, Bharwan Zameen and even Alleppey Fish Curry to go with some jeera rice.

... contd.