A Culinary Trail Across India with Club Mahindra

Food often gives you a different way into a place. You notice what grows there, what people cook at home and which recipes have stayed in families for years. At Club Mahindra, those details find their way into the holiday too, whether that means sitting down to a Kumaoni thali, walking through a coffee estate, discovering the flavours of coastal Maharashtra or exploring Sikkimese specialities beside the Rani Khola River. 

At a Glance 

Madikeri: Where Coffee Meets Kodava Cuisine

In Coorg, food and coffee are deeply connected to the landscape. Club Mahindra Madikeri reflects that connection through its regional cooking and coffee-focused experiences.

The local menu has plenty of character. Pandi nalla malu bharthad is a dry pork preparation seasoned with crushed peppercorns, while cigadi varuval brings shrimp together with a tangy masala before frying. Akki otti/kadambuttu, meanwhile, puts rice at the heart of the meal in the form of traditional rice bread or dumplings. Together, they offer a good sense of the bold, peppery side of Kodava cooking.

Coffee is part of the story here too, with experiences that take guests into the estates themselves:

• Wild Coffee Tour: Follow the coffee-growing process through the plantation, ending with a freshly brewed cup.
• Beyond Coffee – A Coorg Farm and Estate Life Experience: Explore the estate's farming practices, fruit trees, herbs and fish ponds, followed by estate-grown coffee and a local Kodava snack.
• Chef's Table: Heritage Coorgi dishes take centre stage, accompanied by stories about the ingredients, techniques and traditions behind them.
• Coffee Plantation Trail: A naturalist-led walk through a 200-acre coffee plantation traces the journey of coffee from bean to brew.

Patkote: Discover the Flavours of Kumaon

At the quieter edge of Jim Corbett National Park, Club Mahindra Patkote sits amid forested hills and open landscapes, with Kumaoni food adding another layer to the setting. The regional menu leans into earthy, hearty cooking.

Kumaoni shikar is a rustic meat preparation inspired by the flavours of the mountains, while Bhatt ki churkani pairs black soybeans with a flavourful gravy. For dessert, Jhangore ki kheer brings barnyard millet into a traditional Kumaoni sweet.

The resort also has some distinctive experiences for guests who want to explore food beyond the plate:

• Chef's Table: Chef Anand brings lesser-known Indian recipes to the table, along with stories behind preparations that have largely faded from everyday cooking.
• Unique Dining Experience: A private five-course dinner unfolds in a candlelit setting, with Levantine flavours and grilled specialities on the menu.
• Junior Pizzaiolo Session: Children get 45 minutes to make their own pizzas, choose their toppings and watch them bake in a wood-fired oven.

Alibaug: A Taste of the Konkan Coast

At Club Mahindra Alibaug, food has a distinctly coastal Maharashtrian character, with seafood, coconut, rice and familiar regional preparations finding plenty of room on the menu. Kombadi vade pairs local-style chicken curry with crisp rice-flour vade. Chimburi cha rassa takes crab into a rich gravy made with ground coconut and spices, while kolambi bhat combines prawns and rice in a local-style preparation. Together, they paint an appetising picture of the Konkan kitchen.

There are also ways to turn the meal into an experience in its own right:

• Chef's Table: A multi-course Maharashtrian meal where the chef talks through the ingredients, techniques and stories behind each preparation.
• The Bloom & Brew Experience: An interactive farm-to-table high tea centred around freshly harvested bougainvillea blossoms, local flavours and slow tea rituals, served in the relaxed setting of the resort's lawn.

Le Vintuna: Sikkimese Flavours by the River

Set beside the Rani Khola River, Le Vintuna Resort offers a relaxed backdrop for discovering Sikkimese food alongside Indian and international favourites.

The regional selection has plenty of warmth and spice. Tel ma khaareko maacha is crisp fried fish seasoned with local spices, sungur ko masu features local pork cooked in a thin, flavourful gravy, and bhansaghar ko kukhura brings chicken together with a blend of local spices. Each dish has its own character, but together they offer an introduction to Sikkim's regional cooking.

The Unique Dining Experience gives the setting an altogether different mood. A quiet corner of the resort becomes a private dining space for a five-course dinner, with candlelight, Levantine flavours and grilled specialities setting the tone for the evening.

Let Food Lead the Way

A destination has its own way of dining, and paying attention to it can make a holiday feel a little more connected to the place itself. At Club Mahindra resorts across India, that might mean learning about coffee in Coorg, sitting down to a Kumaoni meal in Patkote, discovering coastal Maharashtrian recipes in Alibaug or trying Sikkimese specialities beside the Rani Khola.

Sometimes, the best souvenir from a holiday is a flavour you didn't know before you arrived.