What's cooking for BRICS? From Kashmiri spiced walnuts to an edible lotus, here's the menu

From Kashmiri spiced walnuts and galouti kebabs to an edible lotus made with rose, saffron and cardamom, Delhi's luxury hotels are preparing a distinctly Indian spread for delegates attending the BRICS Summit, NDTV reported on Thursday.

With India hosting the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12 and 13, food is becoming part of the hospitality planned for the visiting leaders and delegations.

As per report, The Taj Mahal, The Leela Palace and The LaLiT in New Delhi have prepared special culinary offerings for the summit, combining regional Indian dishes with contemporary and international influences.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will welcome leaders from Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran and the UAE, along with other partner countries. The summit will be held at Bharat Mandapam, while several luxury hotels in the capital are preparing to host visiting delegations.

Here's what is being planned for the tables.

Regional Indian flavours to the table

The Taj Mahal, New Delhi, has created a culinary collection called 'Tradition to Table', featuring recipes curated by Taj chefs and inspired by their earliest culinary mentors, their mothers.

The hotel is also offering traditional savoury bites representing six regions of India. The selection includes spiced walnuts from Kashmir, Purani Dilli Maida Kaju, Maharashtra's Bhakarwadi, Rajasthan's Mini Kachori, Bengal's Kucho Nimki and Tamil Nadu's Murukku.

The selection is intended to highlight the different ingredients, textures and cooking styles that form India's regional food traditions.

Dr Anmol Ahluwalia, Area Director - Operations and General Manager, Taj Mahal, New Delhi, said the hotel has spent nearly five decades welcoming heads of state, diplomats and other international leaders.

He told NDTV that the culinary collection reflects the diversity of India's food heritage, while also representing the warmth and spirit of connection associated with Indian hospitality.

An edible lotus on the menu

At The Leela Palace New Delhi, the culinary offering comes with a strong visual and symbolic element.

The hotel has created a handcrafted edible lotus, inspired by India's national flower and its role in the identity of BRICS India 2026.

Made with rose, saffron and cardamom and paired with indigenous Indian fruits, the lotus has been designed as a representation of India's heritage and the hotel's hospitality.

The menu also includes Aujasya by The Leela millet cookies, handmade granola bars and wellness infusions.

Karan Thakur, Executive Chef, The Leela Palace New Delhi, said the hotel's culinary team had created dishes that have been popular with its guests and appreciated by visiting delegations.

He said the millet cookies, granola bars and wellness infusions bring together Indian ingredients with a contemporary approach to nourishment.

According to Thakur, the offerings have been planned to give international guests a refined experience rooted in Indian ingredients and The Leela's approach to hospitality.

Indian classics with global flavours

The LaLiT New Delhi has taken a broader approach, combining Indian regional cuisine with influences from other parts of the world.

Its BRICS menu includes refined versions of Indian favourites such as galouti kebabs and tandoor-baked breads. The hotel has also placed a strong focus on millets, bringing India's traditional grains into a contemporary menu.

Some of the more unusual preparations include Braised Eggplant with Miso Paste, Simmered Chinese Cabbage and Kidney Bean Sweet Japanese Style with Amber Sauce.

Vishal Sharma, General Manager, The LaLiT New Delhi, said these additions were intended to bring different culinary influences together while retaining the character of Indian hospitality.

He described the menu as a passion project for the hotel's culinary team and said it reflects The LaLiT's approach to hospitality as "warm, dignified and unmistakably Indian".

With dishes ranging from regional Indian snacks to millet-based treats and Asian-inspired preparations, the menus prepared for the BRICS delegates offer more than a standard luxury-hotel spread. They also give the visiting delegations a taste of India's regional food traditions while bringing different culinary influences to the table.