It can get really really hard to put together a fantastic meal if you’re calling over a large number of people but instead of resorting to bulk orders of biryanis and kebabs, how about trying out a Maharaj for your Diwali party this year?

Maharaj is term that applies to traditional brahmin cooks that ruled the kitchens in noble households. Today, a maharaj isn’t necessarily a brahmin but they are just as respected and coveted, especially amongst old, large, Marwari and Gujarati families. Besides cooking for large families, Maharajs are also in great demand to run the kitchens at weddings, large parties, festivals and even for Indian tourists travelling abroad, craving great home food. A maharaj is the epitomy of skill and efficiency in the kitchen.

Here are a few good ones we’ve come across or had recommended to us:

Bombay

Uma Maharaj

Uma Maharaj’s lovely samosas with the most delicious potato filing and his awesome sweets made of chenna stay with you for a long long time. Uma Maharaj has been a resident of Mumbai for over 25 years and has built a clientele of loyalists who swear by his food. A true innovator, while he can do the standard Indian dishes very easily he does not hesitate to try out other vegetarian cuisines with his unique touch. His pricing is flexible. He can work ground up and get all the ingredients and cook for you and charge you by the plate, or he can have you buy the ingredients and then cook in which case he charges around Rs.2500 for 25 to 30 people. You can reach Uma Maharaj at +91 99-69-404725.

Bhaleshwar

Bhaleshwar is an incredibly meticulous cook that goes over the menu and ingredients in such detail that he even specifies the sizes of the vegetables and the brand of spices he prefers to work with. He knows what he is doing so the best thing would be to let him handle everything. A Bihari, he specialises in whipping up the most delicious North Indian delicacies and works with vegetarian or non vegetarian food with equal ease.
Once, when cooking for over a 100 people, he made puris stuffed with peas, gulab jamuns and the most delicious sabzis ever. On another occasion, there was his killer Rohu (river carp) stew that had guests clamouring for more. His charges vary depending on the number of people and the menu that you select. He can be reached at +91 98-21-408945

Gurgaon

Dinesh

While filling in for his brother as an ironing guy, he took the opportunity to advertise his work. And what very fine work he does! He discusses the menu with you and gives you an extensive list of ingredients that you need to stock. And then he takes over your kitchen for a few short hours on the day and cooks up a feast. He made two different kinds of succulent chicken kebabs, two vegetarian starters, a huge quantity of delicious chicken curry, a vegetarian dish, a perfect dal makhani and a pulao, for around 20 people, all in about three hours.
And all for about Rs.2000. This was off-season though and his Diwali pricing might be a little higher. But if you find yourself throwing a party that is larger than you can manage, give him a call. His number - +91 97-71-130894