ROURKELA: For foodies and those drawn to culinary exploration, Jomha, meaning food in Ho language, offers an ethereal dining experience rooted in Odisha’s tribal heritage.
Founded in Rourkela by two tribal sisters Lalita Samad (29) and Reeta Samad (26), Jomha, the restaurant, brings together contemporary dining sensibilities with the authenticity of traditional tribal cuisine. Conceived in May 2025, Jomha represents their effort to preserving and promoting indigenous cuisine and practices, while offering it within traditional setting marked by earthy aesthetics and cultural warmth. In less than a year since its inception, the venture is already poised for expansion, with plans to expand from 600 sq ft to 2,200 sq ft.
Lalita, an MBA graduate, previously worked in the insurance sector before attempting a foray into the textile and apparel business in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. The economic aftereffects of the Covid-19 pandemic, however, compelled her return to Rourkela.
“My sister Reeta, a BEd graduate, and I have always shared the inclination to build something of our own rather than seek conventional employment. While we both grew up learning tribal cooking, Reeta has a finer grasp of it. We realised that authentic tribal cuisine is rarely available in its original form, and decided to take the risk of bringing it to a wider audience,” she says.
The sisters then pulled up the drawing board and sat down to sketch their dream venture. Arranging funds was the first bottleneck and they decided to start small with relatively less investment. But, whatever they served on the platter would have to be a unique blend of the tradition and the contemporary, they agreed.
“We brainstormed to create a meaningful bridge between tradition and modern dining, offering guests a soulful experience rooted in culture and community to celebrate, empower and honour the beauty of tribal life. We knew there is rise in appreciation for traditional tribal cuisine and some restaurants across states are offering tribal food. We took the plunge and it is satisfying to see guests’ trust and love for our food,” says Reeta.
During the initial phase, the Samad sisters got themselves involved from cooking to management to even cleaning utensils. Now that their business has grown, they have 13 staff, including 10 tribal employees. Three of their chefs recently participated in a culinary event at the IHM, Aurangabad, to showcase their creations and also sharpen their cooking skills.
Incidentally, there are very few tribal entrepreneurs in the tribal-dominated Sundargarh region in other sectors, which is also true for Odisha. The Samad sisters creating a niche for themselves has come in for appreciation from many quarters.
In September 2025, Union Tribal Affairs minister and Sundargarh MP Jual Oram visited Jomha. “I spent some time at Jomha and tried their food, and it honestly made me so happy to see people in today’s modern era still carrying our culture with pride. The way they promote authentic tribal food is truly admirable, and I genuinely appreciate it,” he saild
The tribal MLA of Sareikela in Jharkhand Dashrath Gagrai said,”Food and atmosphere at Jomha instantly reminded me of my village. The flavours truly matched the authentic taste of our tribal dishes, something you rarely find in restaurants. Seeing this made me genuinely happy, and my happiness is completely justified.”
The sisters’ duo say guests are liking ‘Patra Poda Meat’ so much that it has replaced chicken chilly and others as starters. They say, among the many tribal dishes the ‘Bamboo Rice/Biryani’, ‘Patra Poda Chicken/Mutton’ and ‘Handi Meat’ are most popular among the customer, adding they strictly adhere to the traditional tribal cooking method using fresh bamboo, Sal leaves, clay pot and firewood to retain the original and unique herbal aroma and earthy, woody and smoky flavor. They say along with local herbs they use hand-ground spices in rustic village style.
With tribal art forms dotting the interior walls of the dining space, food and water served in fresh Sal leaves and clay pots by tribal service assistants create a tribal village-like ambience.
Lalita says they procure fresh Sal leaves and bamboo from tribal vendors of Bisra block and clay pot from local potters to sustain the local economy. She adds the interiors of the extension space is getting painted with Dongria, Gond, Saura, Sahrai and Warli art forms by noted tribal art designer Dinabandhu Soren and his team. Most of the guests come from far and wide and the Jomha team reaches out to customers mostly using social media and digital platforms.
Residing in Railway Colony of Rourkela, their father Ramanand Samad is a senior technician with the Railways and mother Geeta is a social worker. Lalita is eldest among five siblings, followed by Reeta.