NEW DELHI: With the organic food trend showing an upward swing, The Oudh at The Ashok Hotel has launched a festival focussing on organic food along with showcasing the vibrant culture of Arunachal Pradesh.
The three-day-long Arunachal Food Festival, starting today, is taking place in collaboration with the Government of Arunachal Pradesh.
“We came up with the idea of holding a fest on organic food after consultations with Arunachal Pradesh government officials. They were quite open to it and we received a helpful team. Significantly, the ingredients used for making various food items will be procured from Arunachal itself,” says Executive Chef Sanjay Dasari, adding, “Northeast is an unexplored paradigm; the entire region has a lot many places and delicious cuisines. Through this festival, we want to give Delhi a taste of exotic Arunachali food that uses natural ingredients.”
This being an organic feast, minimal amount of oil is used to prepare various dishes. Apart from the fresh turmeric drink with which the visitors will be greeted, the rest of the menu too offers fresh wild greens, bamboos and more.
“Arunachal has 26 tribes and 100 sub-tribes, and each has a different style of cooking. The menu will feature a mix of all the tribes. We are getting fresh wild bamboos which will be stuffed with sticky rice and steamed in light charcoal. Thereafter, it will be served with a variety of chutneys. We are also using banana flour to cook chicken,” shared Tiku Taba, Catering Supervisor, Office of Principal Resident Commissioner, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, Arunachal Bhawan.
Taba will be working with the team at The Ashok for three days. The entire menu has been prepared under her guidance.
“This endeavour has helped our team learn a lot about the traditional Arunachali cuisine,” puts in Chef Dasari. At the Festival, you can try Tumpuluk Chok, a dish made with cherry tomatoes, spring onions, Sichuan pepper, salt and red dry chilli; Puta, one of the lesser-known dishes made with buckwheat noodles and fermented soya beans, chives, onions, garlic, butter and red dry chilli; Papuk, a dish made with banana flowers, chicken, red dry chillies, fermented bamboo shoots and herbs and Chura Pa, a famous dish in Monpa cuisine.
One can also relish on Byak, a local variant of Thai eggplant grown in Arunachal. Traditionally, this dish can be made with either roasted or boiled eggplant and local people prefer it in the form of chutney. Bamboo Shoots with Chilli, the famous and traditional bamboo shoot dish involves cooking tender bamboo, marinated in baking soda and ground spices on a low flame. It’s a hot and crispy side dish that Arunachalis relish. Along with providing exposure to the exotic cuisine of the state, the fest will also have cultural programmes, handicraft stalls and tourist information booths.
TILL: February 23