There's no better way to taste regional Indian fare than to relish it at the hands of seasoned home cooks. This weekend, three wizards promise to take Mumbai’s foodies on a delicious culinary ride
Fish Fry
Mangalore on a platter
"Mangalorean food is not just about prawn gassi and neer dosa," begins Prabha Kini, who will be hosting a smorgasbord of coastal delights at her Santacruz home this weekend.
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Chicken Ghee Roast
To showcase the range that the cuisine of the region offers, she will be cooking dishes from two Mangalorean communities — the Tuluvas and the Goud Saraswat Brahmins (GSBs).
While Kini will be whipping up classics such as Chicken Ghee Roast and Fish Fry, she will also be serving delicacies that haven't found their way into Mumbai's food map. "There will be Fish Phanna Upkari, which you won't find in any restaurant. It is a semi-dry gravy that uses only three main ingredients — fried onions, tamarind pulp, and red chilli powder," says Kini.
Prabha Kini
As in this dish, the cuisine of the region relies on the use of tamarind as a souring agent, as opposed to kodampuli, used in neighbouring Kerala, or kokum, used by the region's Christian community as well as in Goa.
This is the eighth meal Kini is hosting with Authenticook, and the first time she will be offering Mangalore Buns. Fluffy, sweet and flavoured with banana pulp, you'd be hard pressed to find these elsewhere in the city. "Of course, the meal wouldn't be complete without Dalitoy," says Kini of the humble dal dish that takes on a new avatar with the addition of asafoetida (hing). The pop-up will end on a sweet note with some delicious coconut milk-and-jaggery Payasam.
On September 18, 1 pm onwards
At Santacruz (W) (full address given out on confirmation).
Cost Rs 1,050
Log on to authenticook.com
Flavours of Kumaon and Meghalaya
Wouldn't you just love to be in the mountains right now, breathing in the fresh pine-scented air and digging into a hearty meal at a villager's home? While you likely can't take off right away, it shouldn't stop the mountains from coming to you.
Meraki’s signature Chia Pudding, which uses fresh seasonal fruits
Meraki, which is spearheaded by Pooja Pangtey from Uttarakhand, and Teiskhem Lynrah from Shillong, presents you with the best food from both their worlds. Kumaoni food, which is Pangtey's preserve, is heavy on the use of lentils and vegetables, whereas Lynrah's Khasi cuisine is all about meat. However, they do have one thing in common. "Both cuisines use simple ingredients. The focus is on making the produce shine, so you won't find too many masalas in any of the dishes," explains Pangtey.
The menu at the upcoming pop-up mostly features favourites from previous events. Expect to find rustic dishes such as Doh Thad Sdieh (Shillong-style wood-smoked pork sauté), Doh Neiiong (Jaintia-style pork slow-cooked in black sesame), as well as Kumaoni Alu Gutka (Himalayan herb-tempered potatoes) and Munsyari Rajma sautéed with Jumboo and Caraway Seeds.
Doh Thad Sdieh (Shillong-style wood-smoked pork sauté)
There will, however, be a couple of new entries. Pooja says, "The dishes that are making an appearance for the first time are a Khasi delicacy from Meghalaya called Jadoh, which is rice cooked in meat broth or blood, and the Jhangore ki Kheer, a dessert made using Garhwali barnyard millet, which we recently managed to source."
Meraki's recipes come from family and friends in Meghalaya and Uttarakhand, and the amount of thought put into the sourcing of indigenous ingredients is apparent. Pangtey and Lynrah bring back essential ingredients every time they travel home.
(Left) Pooja Pangtey and Teiskhem Lynrah make up Meraki
"We are aware of the villages in our home that have the best ingredients," informs Pangtey. For instance, the rajma used in one of the dishes is sourced from Harkot, a small village in Uttarakhand, and is grown using age-old techniques. Meanwhile, smoked pork comes all the way from a hamlet in Meghalaya called Smit, which is known for its smoked meats.
This is Meraki's last and biggest event of the season, as the duo is off to the hills once again to source ingredients for the next series of pop-ups, to be held from November.
On September 18, 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm
At Temperance, St Xaverian Court, Sherly Rajan Road, near Rizvi College of Hotel Management, Bandra (W).
Cost Rs 1,800
RSVP meraki.bombay@gmail.com
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