The Haveli: A Mewar Table
Rooted in the court of Maharana Pratap. Ten guests. One afternoon.
Hi, I am Samridhhi Mandawat. We served the Maharana Pratap's court in Mewar (India) for generations - as soldiers who fought his campaigns, and as the scribes who wrote the royal accounts of Udaipur. "The Haveli" is hosted by their descendant - ME!
Twice a week, ten guests are welcomed into a home in New York for an afternoon rooted in the rituals, royal anecdotes, and living history of Mewar, Rajasthan.
The afternoon unfolds like this:
You arrive to a tika on your forehead, a mauli thread tied at your wrist, and a glass of chilled chhas in a peetal glass. A small pooja marks the beginning.
In the living room, we talk. About Udaipur. About the court of Maharana Pratap and what it meant to be a kingdom that never surrendered to the Mughals (Akbar). About the food his soldiers carried on campaigns and the Mandawat recipes that survived four centuries to reach this table. About what it means to bring all of this (intact and unhurried) to a home in New York.
Then we move to the dining table.
The thali is Mewar, not a menu. Dal baati - the battlefield bread, baked in ember fires, eaten by Maharana Pratap's army on the march. Millet rotis ground and rolled by hand. Gatte ki sabzi. Bhindi. Kadhi. Red lahsun chutney made to an old Mandawat recipe. Each dish placed with context, and involves all the five senses.
The afternoon ends with games and churma - the soldier's sweet. And then, before you leave, a handwritten note and a small package of dry fruit halwa to carry home.
This is not a restaurant. It is not a pop-up. It is a table in royalty, hosted by someone whose family was the legacy.
Ten seats. $150 per person. Dates confirmed upon curation of each table.
The Details
Format: Intimate seated lunch, one long table
Guests: Maximum 10 per lunch
Duration: Approximately 2.5 hours for an entire experience
Price: $150 per person
Location: Queens, New York (exact address shared upon confirmation)
Frequency: Twice weekly
Dietary: Vegetarian. The food shall contain ghee, and lots of ghee, nuts, millets, and gluten
Samridhhi Mandawat is a descendant of the Mandawat family of Udaipur (the soldiers and royal scribes of Maharana Pratap's Court of Mewar). She is a published author of six books, a TEDx speaker, and Principal at Quantix Strategies - a global advisory firm. She has spoken at the New Delhi World Book Fair, the Gujarat Literature Festival, and the Jaipur BookMark.
She grew up in Udaipur, Ahmedabad, and New Delhi. "The Haveli" is her most personal project!