Portland, Ore. (July 20, 2012) –East India Co. brings the Hindu festival of Ganesha Chaturthi to Portland Sept. 19 – 28, 2012. The festival is in honor of Ganesha, the elephant god riding a mouse, who is widely worshipped as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. Hindus believe Ganesha grants his presence on earth to his worshippers during the annual festival. In keeping with Hindu traditions, East India Co. will celebrate with a special three-course vegetarian tasting menu for $20, created with Lord Ganesha’s love of sweets in mind. Reservations can be made by calling 503-227-8815.
In India, Ganesha Chaturthi is celebrated mostly in Western and Southern India. Each Indian town taking part in the celebration erects an artistic clay model of Lord Ganesh. The town priest then symbolically invokes life into the statue by chanting special mantras and townspeople offers items such as coconut, blades of grass and red flowers to the statue. For 10 days, Ganesha is worshipped and on the 11th day, the statue is paraded through the streets in a lively procession that includes dancing and singing and then placed in the nearest body of water, symbolizing a ritual send off of the Lord in his journey towards his home.
GANESH CHATURTHI VEGETARIAN MENU
$20 per person, gratuity not included
First Course
Bombay Bhel Puri
Puffed rice, spicy ‘sev’, house chutneys, served cold
Second Course
Kashmiri Kofta
Red bells, Kofta, tomatoes and ‘khoya’
Or
Navratan Korma
Nine gems vegetables, cashew nuts, spices
Served with
Peas Pulao Rice
Side of Vegetables
Phudina Paratha
Flaky whole wheat bread with mint
Third Course
Kulfi
Choice of mango or pistachio homemade Ice cream
ABOUT EAST INDIA CO. GRILL & BAR
East India Co. Grill & Bar features classic Indian cuisine from northern and western India prepared with a contemporary flair. Culinary Director Pradeep Chandrana remains true to the classic Indian recipes and recently developed a new dinner menu featuring an extensive selection of new vegan and vegetarian dishes offering a vast array of dishes for all types of diners. Trademark dishes from East India Co. are also included, such as kebabs grilled over hard wood charcoal, Biryani, an assortment of entrees from Goan Jhinge ka Salan (Goan Shrimp Curry) to Begam Bahar Ratan (Scallops & Asparagus) and a variety of breads and sides. With a warm and contemporary interior design, East India Co. pays attention to details – from the jeweled napkin rings to the sepia images of historic India and the small culinary touches that give the cuisine its authentic touch. East India Co. welcomes the after work imbibers with a long, narrow bar that draws attention to the list of tropical cocktails and Indian beer and a popular happy hour from 4-7 p.m. A $25 seasonal tasting menu as well as a $20 vegetarian prix fixe menu is available from Monday to Saturday from 5 p.m. to close. Find more information at www.eastindiacopdx.com, on Twitter @EastIndiacoPDX, Facebook at East India Co., Grill & Bar or by calling 503-227-8815.