It is that time of the year where we once again prepare for a shift in the season, and our kitchens and produce begin to reflect this. Only a month ago, the heat wave had us praying for respite; now, extreme humidity caused by scarce-rainfall-but-forever-gloomy grey skies, has us wishing for the elusive, strong spell of monsoons in the NCR.
This week, I woke up to sniffles and a sore throat—the shift in the weather had me in its braces after all. In times like these, one seeks comfort food. Giving in to the want for all things warm and fuzzy, I prepped to brew a pot of tomato rasam for myself. Usually, I’d be generous with the amount of tomatoes that I’d use to make this comforting broth, but the disruption in regular market supply of one of the most necessitated vegetables struck my conscience too—leading me to restrict myself to a lighter concoction. Here, I further added a handful of coriander and some pounded garlic. The final product was delicious, comforting and nourishing for my soul.
The balance of my food journey over the past week wasn’t lost on me. Last week, I, a resident of Noida, travelled to Gurugram two days in a row. The promise of great culinary skills made me do it—first of which was at The Oberoi Gurgaon.
Here, renowned chef Vineet Bhatia opened the doors to his new, modern-Indian restaurant, Ziya.
After having tasted success in Mumbai over the past decade, the menu at Ziya’s new outpost pays homage to regional Indian flavours. In his signature style, Chef Bhatia serves with an air of unassuming, nonchalant swagger—while promising comfort with every bite. In this course, one dish that stood out and won us over was the oven-roasted cauliflower—marinated beautifully in mild spices, and whole-roasted and served on a bed of sesame raita.
The dish was reminiscent of the classic gobhi achaar served in North-Indian homes through the typically-harsh winters. But, what stole the show was the ‘ma choliyan di dal’—a dish that one almost never expects to see in a fine-dining setup. I beamed at the sight of it, accompanied by indulgent chilli-cheese naan. As I expressed my amusement to Chef Bhatia upon seeing this home-style dal in his menu, he quipped, “This is the ultimate comfort in our Punjabi homes, isn’t it? I’m here to serve just that.”
This isn’t just a one-off. In Chef Vikramjit Roy’s erstwhile venture The Tangra Kitchen in Delhi’s Saket neighbourhood, one of his greatest attractions was the ‘Sunday mutton curry’. While I, a vegetarian, refrained from it, every single other diner at the vibrant former outlet vouched for it. This, in every way, was a clear testimonial to our search for dishes that comforted our soul—even when we were in the midst of fine dining experiences.
A similar story also unfolded at home-chef Nitika Kuthiala’s latest Himachali pop-up, where she served traditional Himachali dham. While multiple communities claim that the dham’s origin was in the royal kitchens of the region—steeped in rich ingredients, many other folklore attribute the resplendent spread to the community’s zeal to celebrate occasions with whatever resources they had with them.
Whichever side of the debate you’re on, it is undeniable that the very ethos of dham lies in the simplicity of what’s served. Even in a fine dining setup, the key items—teliya maah and mitthe chawal—speak of fundamentally humble and simple food. As Kuthiala claims, dham is all about serving “absolutely simple food—no onion or garlic involved.”
It is this that reminds you of the virtues of simplicity even in the most complicated culinary affairs. The greatest chefs often create masterpieces that may look complicated, but at the heart of many of the world’s most famous dishes are concepts that are driven by the craving for soulful, simple flavours that one may have mentioned in childhood days. Food, as many will often tell you, is one of the world’s most theatrical elements. Yet, much like the veterans of theatre, there’s still no rival to sticking to flavours and textures that remind you of home, and of good times gone by. Here in NCR, the same holds true as well.