Edible Taj Mahal created

by Taryn Davies | 24 October 2011

Reza with the Taj Mahal made from Indian food

An edible Taj Mahal sculpture has been unveiled, consisting of the nation's favourite curry ingredients from pilau rice and poppadoms to Bombay potatoes.

The renowned and iconic white domes of the Taj Mahal were immortalised in Indian cuisine, outside one of the UK's most famous landmarks, St. Paul's Cathedral.

The spicy sculpture was comissioned by Food Network UK to celebrate the launch of its new series Reza, Spice Prince of India, starring celebrity ched Reza Mahammad, and consists of some of the most-loved ingredients used in Indian cooking:

Pilau rice creates the structure of the Taj
Poppadoms make up part of the garden leading up to the palace
Green chillies were placed in the garden as trees
Mango chutney was used as part of the garden
Chipati bread forms the main dome of the Taj

Reza says: "Whilst filming the show in Rajasthan, we visited the most extraordinary royal palaces, all which took years to complete, so it was incredible to watch this beautiful, edible Taj Mahal being constructed with such detail, and even better to taste it."

Whisst the Taj Mahal took 22 years in total to complete and needed the help of more than 1,000 elephants and 20,000 North Indian labourers, this version, created by food artisit Pridence Staite, took 5 days, hours and 30 minutes to construct.

Nick Thorogood, managing director of Food Network EMEA says: "Our new show Reza, Spice Prince of India sees Reza exploring the magnificent palaces of Rajasthan, learning about the history and sampling local cuisine - so it's only fitting that we created the most famous Indian palace out of food, giving people a unique taste of India here in the UK."

Reza, Spice Prince of India premieres on Food Network UK on Monday October 24 at 6.30pm. The show follows Reza Mahammad, as he embarks on an unforgettable journey around India's residences to discover the fascinating traditions of Rajasthan food and royal feasting, with Reza offering his own contemporary take on traditional Indian dishes.