When food is therapy: A Pune-based food studio aims to highlight local ingredients

As we walk into a building full of corporate offices located on Punersquos Dhole Patil Road we are not too sure about what to expect from our afternoon adventure We have signed up for a cookalong at Aragma Food Studio and will attempt a traditional Thai curry We are nervous because while we love to cook it is always in the privacy of our own kitchen Having opened its doors in 2019 the studio offers masterclasses and private dinners making it a oneofakind experiential spot in the cityThe kitchen overlooks a rare patch of green that cuts one off from the chaos of the street below We are greeted by Poornima Somayaji the founder of Aragma whose presence makes us feel at home ldquoDo you like to cookrdquo she asks us before revealing that she doesnrsquot have a culinary degree but has always been passionate about food ldquoFood helped me sail through the toughest of times So I wanted to work towards creating a food experience that would help people make memoriesrdquo Somayaji tells us adding ldquoThe name Aragma is derived from a Greek word that means appreciating the small joys of liferdquoPineapplecaramel sorbetThe core team comprises chef Amit Ghorpade our teacher for the day and assistant manager Anurag Godbole The duo has a decadelong experience of working with Michelinstarred restaurants across the globe Understandably our excitement peaks Lab of experimentsThe kitchen can accommodate up to 14 people and is stocked with stateoftheart equipment a long metallic table with induction cooktops and storage shelves at the bottom The masterclasses and cookalong sessions are open to families and kids too wersquore told As we lay out the ingredients and don our apron we take a large gulp of the fresh orange and ginger drink that Godbole has placed in front of us It is both refreshing and soothing for the nervesOrange and ginger drinkWe start off by roughly chopping onions stalks of coriander which are otherwise tossed away lemongrass garlic galangal Thai ginger and red birdrsquos eye chillies We then deskin and chop fresh raw turmeric which stains our fingers yellow While we chop Ghorpade dryroasts the spices After blending the chopped ingredients we sauteacute the curry paste with kaffir lime leaves while leaning in to take in the aroma ldquoCooking helps you live in the moment Yoursquore soaking in the aroma and watching the ingredients sizzle This is why I wanted Aragma to be a lab and not a restaurantrdquo says SomayajiVocal for localApart from cooking workshops Aragma hosts sitdown multicourse dinners that feature modern fare prepared with local everyday ingredients sourced from around Pune ldquoThe underlying ethos is to showcase who we are and to give due credit to the food ecosystem largely led by farmers and their producerdquo explains Somayaji The team turns ingredients like doodhi bottle gourd into exotic offeringsWontons with plum sauce Pics CourtesyPuneet SamtanildquoEvery ingredient used in our cooking has a special story If you travel from Mumbai to Pune by train you will see small berries called karvandas Bengal currants being sold on leaves We cook that with doodhi to make a savoury tartinerdquo On their menu one can also find a boozy pudding made of mahua flowers from a tribal village in Maharashtra chocolate chikoo mdash a toffeeflavoured mousse with a spiced chikoo and blueberry filling bread prepared with chakli flour rice and urad dal and grated smoked Bandel cheese mdash an indigenous unripened salted soft cheese variety now only available in towns near Kolkata among numerous other delicaciesThe studio offers space for dining inAs we chat the chicken Thai curry starts simmering in the pot At this point we are instructed to tip in the coconut milk followed by the basil leaves we bring it to a boil and wait for a few minutes to dig in The team at Aragma has also whipped up a raw papaya salad fried chicken wontons with plum sauce and an exquisite dessert mdash pineapple cooked in spices served with a caramel and pineapple sorbet on a bed of coconut milk mdash that showcases their skill set When we tuck into our labour of love we realise our inhibitions have evaporated As they say food is therapy indeedAt 201 Insignia Dhole Patil Road PuneLog on to aragmafoodstudiocomCall 8484804201Cost Rs 2900 onwards per head cookalong Rs 2400 onwards per guest sitdown dinners