Once in a while, we get invited to a stylish and glamorous dinner that we talk about even after it’s over. Well, that’s just what I’m going to do here folks. The Ravi Report was recently invited to an exotic Indian dinner hosted by the captivating Kelli Delaney-Kot of KDHamptons.com and her husband, the charismatic and well-known Dr. Mark Kot at their beautiful and historical house in Water Mill, a hamlet of the town of Southhampton.
“India Night At The Kots” spared no details in making it one of the most enduring and glamorous dinner parties ever to be seen in the affluent town of beautiful people. Gorgeous ladies dressed in silk designer sexy saris, the aroma of Indian food coming from the kitchen (later served by the wait staff) and traditional Indian music playing, all were a part of the cultured event. It felt like home people!
The special invited guests mingled and nibbled on tasty vegetarian samosas and bajias catered by one of the top celebrity attended restaurants in NYC called Chola and drank champagne while getting to know each other. I have to be honest here, I felt like I was at back in Mumbai at one of those fancy Bollywood dinners that are attended by Bollywood stars, dignitaries and famous politicians.
Delaney had been preparing weeks for the dinner paying close attention to every small detail. “It was such a joy putting this dinner together that it did not seem like a lot of work at all. I wanted the food & the decor to be perfect for our guests. We wanted everyone to have fun and have a taste of Indian culture- in the Hamptons!”said Delaney. And boy, did we ever! Kelli told me that I inspired her to host the Indian themed dinner as I am always sharing my culture with her.
“With readers of KDHamptons being cultured, well-traveled and curious about the world, I thought it would be appropriate to introduce a little bit of Indian culture to them by way of our dinner.” added Delaney.
The dining table was a masterpiece. Plain and simple folks. The table-cloth was made from Banarasi silk saris (heavy, expensive hand-woven silk saris from the holy place of Benares) Indian vintage statues served as showcase pieces, gorgeous red and pink rose flower arrangements lined the table and designer dinnerware complete with gold-plated drinking glasses and light blue silk napkins made the dinner fit for a Maharaja!
The delicious cuisine consisted of traditional chicken and lamb dishes, mouth-watering palak paneer (a spicy spinach and cheese dish), rice, Naan, (Indian bread baked in a clay oven) and spicy chickpeas called Chaana served with a yogurt based salad called Raita.
The ladies complemented the men who were wearing traditional tunics called Kurtas, a fancy Indian shirt made of silk. A sari, has most of you may know, is the Indian dress that is worn by ladies and consists of 6 years of fabric wrapped around the body and the tail end is then draped over the shoulder. I will be honest here, I was so amazed at the way the beautiful ladies carried themselves since they had never worn a sari before and they walked around like pros! They completed the Indian look with Bindiyas (the Indian circle shaped mark on the forehead) and an arm full of colorful bangles.
The Kot home was decorated with vintage silks saris, Lord Ganeshes, Indian bracelets placed in trays and traditional fall flowers both inside and outside the house welcoming people just as they do in India. The driveway was decorated with white candles lighting the pathway for the guests as they entered the home. A sheer touch of class!
“India Night At The Kots” was one of the most enjoyable dinners I have ever been to and sincere thanks to Delaney and Dr. Kot for bringing Indian culture into their home in such a stylish and glamorous way.
The journey continues….namaste!
Ravi