In Noida’s Sector-29, in an old apartment complex that resembles the likes of the houses in an army cantonment, Nitika Sood Kuthiala has restarted her pop-up kitchen after the pandemic. Pahadi Pattal is Kuthiala’s small home-based venture specialising in the food of the Sood community from Himachal Pradesh. As you enter her house where she hosts these pop-ups, you are greeted with the smoky aroma of mustard oil and a whiff of steamed rice. “I have cooked the Himachali dhaam to mark the new beginnings”, Kuthiala mentions. Akin to the Kashmiri wazwan, Himachali dhaam is a vegetarian no onion-no garlic meal that is cooked to mark celebrations in the state of Himachal Pradesh. Cooked by Brahmins who are called “boti”, it is made on a large scale and consumed course-wise with portions of steamed local rice.
Kuthiala had made a feast consisting of aloo-chana madra, sepu vadi, mahni, boondi ki kadhi, teliya maah and steamed rice. She explained the order in which one must eat the meal - everything arranged clockwise for the ease of her guests. “Madra is intrinsic to Himachali cuisine and varies across different regions of the state - from rajma madra which is most popular in Chamba, to the aloo-chana madra which is integral to Kangra.” It is a curd-based gravy spiced with whole garam masala and is best enjoyed with rice.
Originally from Kangra, Kuthiala started her venture a few years ago to bust the myths about the cuisine of her state. “Most people who visit Himachal don’t even try to explore the local cuisine and stick to the roadside Maggi and momos stalls. And this does more injustice to the culture and cuisine of our state which is otherwise so rich in its cuisine and traditions”, she says.
With the onset of winter, she will be sending out order after order of the much-loved Himachali siddu - a fermented and steamed bread stuffed with paneer, walnuts, dry fruits, or even chana dal in some cases. Topped with ghee as the steam comes out of it when cut into two, and served with a side of anardana, mint chutney, as you soak in the winter sun- it is a dish that deserves poetry of its own.
Through her home-kitchen she aims to host people who are interested in not just trying the cuisine, but also learning more about it.
In Delhi’s Chitranjan Park, Sneha Saikia’s home comes alive during her ‘Table for Six Luncheon’ that highlights the cuisine of Assam. Started in 2018, her home pop-ups are a rage amongst diners, where most people come for the delectable pork with fermented bamboo shoots, pork salad and masor tenga (tangy Assamese fish curry).
“Although, of late my vegetarian meals are a hit amongst diners”, Saikia adds. Ask her about the vegetarian specialities and she lists out multiple dishes like maati dail aru kumura (an alkaline dish with black lentil and ash gourd), tengamora paat xoite mosur dail (red lentil with roselle leaves), xoroyoh diya mora paat (jute leaves knots cooked with yellow mustard) and aloo aru bhekuri tita pitika (mashed potatoes).
The highlight of the show for home-chefs like Sood and Saikia is a taste of traditional cuisine that the hosts offer. It is this experience, coupled with the feeling of being part of a community from within, which is not found in commercial restaurants. Most such experiences bring together stories by the host and even the guests, who typically come from a wide variety of communities and cultures across the country. Ideas are swapped, common threads are found, and the unequivocal joy of sharing something your own with the world takes over every bit of the home chef experience. Perhaps it is this that has helped the home chef trend last well beyond the pandemic, making it one that is here to stay.
Vernika Awal
is a food writer who is known for her research-based articles through her blog ‘Delectable Reveries’
