More on the historic dinner of 1947

Highlights

These dishes would have been created not by a team of master chefs, but by many young apprentices and cooks. The kitchens of the Taj in 1947 were majorly dominated by many of these apprentice cooks in their late teens, who were largely Goan Christian or Bengali Christian and were very familiar with meats and roasts thanks to their local culinary traditions.

These dishes would have been created not by a team of master chefs, but by many young apprentices and cooks. The kitchens of the Taj in 1947 were majorly dominated by many of these apprentice cooks in their late teens, who were largely Goan Christian or Bengali Christian and were very familiar with meats and roasts thanks to their local culinary traditions. Their subtle influences, blended with the French, can be seen in the dishes constructed for this menu which has hero fish, central to the Bengali tradition, and roast chicken, which would have been integral to a Goan Christian training.
Dishes would have been carefully selected based on a few factors: availability of produce and their adaptability to honour Indian Independence through local favourites as well as the popular French touch.
The eve of Independence was ushered in with music, dancing, speeches and merry-making at the Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai. Dosabhai Framji Karaka also known as DF Karaka, an Indian newspaper editor and then owner of Current Weekly, addressed the guests with speech to mark the memorable day. With packed streets outside the hotel, Taj was witness to hundreds of people who wanted to join in the merry making and celebrations.