Sarah Todd talks about how her visit to the Northeast has inspired her food

Sarah Todd enjoying a traditional thali in KazirangaFormer Australian model and restaurateur Sarah Todd has a new nickname bhatua The Assamese word translates to rice muncher or someone who eats rice all the time Assamese cuisine is based around rice which I absolutely love So I would end up eating it for breakfast lunch and dinner laughs Todd while explaining how she acquired the moniker while on a recent weeklong trip to the rolling hills of the northeast The journey started along the southern bank of the Brahmaputra river from Guwahati to Jorhat and Kaziranga and culminated in Majuli one of the worlds largest inhabited river islandsA platter with boiled taro greens and other veggiesTodd is now back to business soaking in the crisp Melbourne air as she shoots for a TV show but the heady hangover from the trip has remained In Australia the oldest food tradition involves the family sitting around the table for the Sunday roast My visit to Assam brought back memories from home she says While travelling around India and experiencing its diverse cultures has always been one of her favourite things to do what made Assam alluring to Todd was that it was off the beaten path And as she was soon to realise also a food lovers paradise If you are nonvegetarian you are in for a real treat she saysIn Assam rice is a mainstayTripping on teaThe topography of Assam is a mix of wetlands grasslands and tea gardens Given her penchant for tea Todd chose to begin her culinary journey with Jorhat one of the lesser known tea producing gems of India On the way to Jorhat however she made a pit stop at the quaint town of Bokakhat I was told to try their famous aloo puri and potato curry which is served on a banana leaf along with chilli chutney This was followed by the equally famous peda a semisoft sweet made of khoya sugar and traditional flavourings she says Having whet her appetite she headed to Jorhat Jor means join and hat means market Here she picked up a couple of lessons on tea plucking The process involves extracting the bud along with one or two leaves That it takes a whole new level of dexterity is something I realised only after attempting it myself she jokesTodd picked up lessons in tea plucking from JorhatHer mornings would start with Assam tea famous for its malty flavour She believes its the extreme humidity generous rainfall and tropical climate which gives it a distinctive brisk and strong character No tea ritual is complete without something to munch on and thats how she also discovered til pitha which she calls the perfect teatime snack Usually prepared during Bihu a festival that celebrates the harvesting season pithas are delicious cookies where the soft chewy outer shell is soaked and ground with a sticky rice mixture This is then stuffed with a toasted black sesame and jaggery filling The outer shell is flattened filled with stuffing and lightly cooked on a tawa These cigarshaped treats left an explosion of flavour in my mouth recalls ToddThe restaurateur spent most of her time interacting with localsWhile visiting the other tea gardens there are over 65000 Todd even got the opportunity to dance with young women in a Jhumur which is a traditional dance of the tea tribe communities of Assam Even though we did not speak each others language we managed to have a laugh and have fun Thats the magic of Assam she saysEat like a localHaving travelled far and wide Todd believes that the best way to understand a new place is through the locals Thats why she decided to explore the island of Majuli home to multiple ethnic groups on her own Craving for a dose of adventure she chose to cover the villages on a cycle At Majuli she met members of the Mishing community which constitutes over 40 per cent of the islands population Their home she recalls is built on stilts with a thatched roof on a bamboo frame and has bamboo flooring And like most traditional homes its the kitchen that sees most activity I was greeted with some customary homebrewed apong a traditional rice beer she says Her host also prepared the tupla bhat rice wrapped in plantain leaves and a few pork dishes The Mishings use a lot of locally available herbs in their cooking she observes The cooking techniques include slowcooking on flame dehydrating and smoking all of which are cooking methods employed by chefs worldwide she addsShe even sampled the fullblown Assamese thali with 36 different dishes at a local joint in Kaziranga One of her favourites was a curry made of taro greens which are locally picked leaves turned into a curry Eating a traditional meal without any cutlery and sitting on the floor of a Karbi tree house in the middle of a national park is an experience that will be etched in my memory forever she smiles Inspired by her interactions and the delicious cuisine Todd has incorporated her version of jika maas fish and ridge gourd and kothal gabori pork with jackfruit on the menu of both Goas Antares and Lower Parels Wine Rack I felt there was no better way of paying tribute to a rich culture she saysCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates