Delhi is one city which keeps on buzzing with events and activities throughout the year. But for foodies it’s the mushrooming of food festivals which the Capital sees in the season. One change which I have noticed recently in last couple of years is that the hotels are coming forward and curating regional food festivals. There was a time when Italian, Spanish, Mexican food festivals were the favorites but not anymore, it’s changing. Surprisingly, they are replaced by the Assamese, Marwadi, Bengali, Bihari, Rampuri, Goan, Chettinad and the list can go on.
I have always believed that Indian regional cuisines are at par with any other International cuisine but it needs a platform to showcase the hidden culinary heritage. Last week, I met Pawan Soni, founder of Indian Food Freak, which is one of the biggest food groups in today’s digital era. In a conversation he told me that IFF as a group is associating with hotels and creating a platform for home chefs by curating regional food festivals across the country. This seems to be a nice step as I firmly believe that nobody cooks better than a lady cooking at home and if these hidden master chefs get a chance to cook in a commercial set up, I have no doubt they will give professional chefs a good competition. The first home chef to be featured by IFF is Abhilasha Jain. She is an expert of Marwari Cuisine and is showcasing the same at The Westin Gurgaon till 25th February.
I was lucky enough to taste her food which was a massive spread of home-style dishes. I started with a glass of freshly made chanch/buttermilk and liked it so much that I had it throughout my meal. It was followed by a portion of Kadhi kachori chaat which was really a revelation. Hot kadhi with hand crushed kachori stuffed with dal was a delight and seemed to be the perfect choice to start the wintery evening. Next I had couple of spoons of Bajra khichdi which I topped with pure desi ghee which reminded me of a royal dinner hosted by Raja of Mewar. Apart from the regular Dal Bati Choorma the star dish of the day for me was the kair sangri kofta which is Abhilasha’s home recipe and is paired to perfection with a missi roti. It was a wonderful experience and I am glad that finally these home chefs are being recognised.