Lifestyle /
Progressive Indian Cuisine Spots In India
There You Go Again, Breaking My Dill.
Silly puns aside, Desi ingredients and regional cuisines are on a roll. They’re squeezing into beakers, gracing blackboards in hipster cafés and sexing up brass thalis on very expensive tables across India. Purists will balk and the bourgeoisie will sulk at Indian progressive cuisine, but it's only imitating a worldwide trend of returning to indigenous ingredients. What’s not to love, homies!
On two India-bound trans-Atlantic flights last year, I’ve been asked the same question by two wonderful air hostesses. Each time, I cringed visibly.
"What on Earth is a Hindu meal?"
"Vegetarian? Satvik? Bland chana and basmati with orangey plops of paneer?"
If the simple fact that all Hindus aren’t vegetarians isn’t as widely known as it should be, what chance does the wonderfully complex and varied world of Indian cuisine stand outside home — nay, state — shores? To be fair, I’ve had some unexpectedly lovely Desi khaana up in the skies, a spiffy dal aboard South African Airways and Etihad’s fluffy pulao. But every time a well-meaning non-Indian chirps, “Oh, I love Indian food,” and proceeds to dissect his favourite chicken tikka masala, my heart deflates. I want to engage him in conversations on vaalachi usal and ragi mudde, undhiyo and dhuska, and here we are, after decades, still flapping around in curries, vindaloos and biryanis.
Bombay Canteen Choriz Pau Bunny Pa?o
Three years ago, while urban India was still in the throes of Norwegian salmon and foie gras dinners and gorgonzolla-smothered artisanal bread brunches, I recall meeting Gresham Fernandes, the 30-something group executive chef of Impresario Entertainment and Hospitality (they own Smokehouse Deli, Mocha coffee shops and the terribly hip social chain of restaurants across Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru). Gresham, tattooed and supremely chill, was just off to Copenhagen, and we spoke for over 30 minutes on Noma and then Peruvian cuisine and, somehow, our globe-trotting talk swerved around to dill. A dill devotee — friends suspect a hidden Danish lineage — I’ve grown up on shepu bhaji, a simple stir-fry with garlic and chillies. I remember him being gung ho about it at a time when a hot young chef would have brushed aside any talk of homely sabzi roti as infra-dig.
.jpg)
The dill talk came rushing back last month when a friend raved about methi theplas topped with Goan pulled pork vindaloo and crispy shards of pork skin. This peculiar — but impressive — combination is to be devoured at The Bombay Canteen, Mumbai’s hipster mecca du jour. Despite their scary pricing and the cocky reservations staff, nostalgia wafts off their Desi-cool menu — from mandeli (golden anchovies, popular on India’s West coast) and murabba to pui saag and kothu roti.
The Bombay Canteen's Tandoori Pork Bada Pao Sandwich
The Bombay Canteen is hardly the first restaurant to celebrate local ingredients, spanning the length and breadth of the Indian subcontinent. Twice Michelin-starred Mumbai boy Vineet Bhatia’s Ziya — at the Oberoi in Mumbai, which turned five this year — has been serving up beetroot-chana dal upma, asparagus korma and apple gojju for a long time. In Delhi, chef Manish Mehrotra douses his bajra khichdi with parmesan, chucks avocados into his anar raita and whips up divine kathal tacos at his wildly popular Indian Accent. Zorawar Kalra’s Farzi Café, pulling in Gurgaon’s young and restless by the droves, promises to trip the sentimentalist on their rooh afzah crème brulée and woo the skeptic with a dashing Karela kalamari. The Kalras’ flagship Mumbai outpost, the upscale Masala Library, is notorious for its theatrical flourishes — sending chaat riding out on a mini cycle-rickshaw and reducing diners to frisky children at the end of a meal with its signature paan-flavoured candy floss.
Masala Library's Signature Amuse bouche – sev puri on the go
A little flamboyance never hurt anyone. Indian cuisine in particular, I’d like to think, is progressive and inherently open to kinky pairings. We’ll survive and thrive while dunking truffles in kadhi, sticking syringes into a raan or dehydrating chaas. With our man in Bangkok (Chef Gaggan Anand) catapulting his progressive Indian restaurant to the top of Asia’s best, Desi experimentation is the call of our times. Meanwhile, I’m still on the hunt for a rad, Millennial version of my humble shepu!
Masala Library's pista paan coconut ice cream rose foam
Image Credits:
Bombay Canteen food images from homegrown.co.in.
Masala Library images courtesy of masalalibrary
Aparna Pednekar
Author
Aparna is an India - based travel writer for leading lifestyle and fashion publications. She's also a gemologist and jewelry designer. New cities, new food, cats, dogs, snakes, hours of walking and driving fuel her incurable ADD.
COMMENTS
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
-
Not Into Flu Shots? Try These Centuries-Old Desi Home Remedies Instead!
-
Diwali Gift Guide: Barbie® Diwali Doll & 8 More Unique South Asian Gift Ideas
-
From Turkey To Tadka: Desi-Inspired Thanksgiving Recipes
-
Mommy's Time-Out: How To Reclaim Your Zen After The Back-to-School Scramble
-
Khichdi Cups & 5 South Asian School Lunch Recipes For Busy Desi Parents
-
6 Complaints Desi Grandparents Have About Keeping Pets & How You Can Counter Them
-
Raksha Bandhan Gift Guide: Celebrate The Festival With A Modern Twist!
-
Summer Elixirs: Healthy South Asian Cooling Drink Recipes To Beat The Heat
-
Stay Cool: Build a Summer Garden Oasis At Home With Tulsi & Shade
-
Celebrating International Yoga Day: Find Your Balance Through Chakra Meditation
-
Spice Up Your Summer BBQ With These 5 Mouthwatering South Asian Recipes
-
South Asian Heritage Month: Journey Through Time With 8 Iconic South Asian Travel Destinations
-
How To Add Ancient South Asian Spiritual Cleansing Rituals To Modern Spring Cleaning Techniques
-
Toronto's Living Luxe Design Show Sets a New Standard for Luxury Exhibitions
-
Savouring South Asian Style: Elevate Your Home Decor with Cultural Flair
-
6 Ways To Create Fun Quality Time With Your Kids & Parents That Both Will Love!
-
Celebrating South Asian Literature: Must-Read Books by Female Authors
-
Flavourful Festivities: Traditional Holi Recipes To Spice Up Your Table
-
The Living Luxe Design Show Presented By JennAir Announces Powerhouse Program Of Speakers
-
7 Ways Yoga Will Save Your Mental Health
-
Ask Dr. Monica Vermani: How Can I Convince My Friend That Her Threatening Boyfriend Is The Problem, Not Me?
-
10 Tips To Manage & Survive Long-Distance Relationships
-
Ask Dr. Monica Vermani: I'm Afraid My Childhood Bully Will Be Back In My Life, What Do I Do?
-
Ask Dr. Monica Vermani: How Do I Create "Me Time" In My Demanding Life?
-
Hot Spot Alert: Mishree Cocktails & Cuisine Exhilarates With South Asian X Middle Eastern Cuisine
-
BioAro Founder Dr. Anmol Kapoor Wants You To Be The CEO Of Your Health
-
Savour the Holidays With This Paneer Pakora Recipe By KFI Sauces!
-
Here's How To Craft And Achieve Meaningful New Year's Resolutions
-
Snack It Up This Holiday Season with Indian-Inspired Potato Wedges by KFI Sauces
-
Butter Chicken Nachos Recipe By KFI Sauces Is Perfect For Your Holiday Spread
-
Ask Dr. Monica Vermani: How Do I Tell My Friend She's Taking My Emotional Support For Granted?
-
Anjali Pathak of Patak's Shares Her Favourite Recipes For The Holiday Season
-
Ask Dr. Monica Vermani: Why Does Our Family Get Togethers Always End With A Fight?
-
Ask Dr. Monica Vermani: How Do I Tell My Sis-In-Law To Stop Intruding In My Daughter's Wedding Plans?
-
Event Alert: The Auric Living Conference Brings Holistic Healing To Toronto
-
Ask Dr. Monica Vermani: I'm On The Outs With My Friend Because I Supported Her Breakup What Do I Do?
-
Event Alert: The Desai Foundation Rings In 10th Anniversary of "Diwali On The Hudson" Gala
-
South Asians & Arthritis: Busting Myths And Sharing Facts About This Disease In Our Community
-
Ask Dr. Monica Vermani: How Do I Convince My Kids That My Granddaughter's Best Friend Is A Bully?
-
Make Your Brunch Brilliant With This French Buckwheat Crepes & Dosas Recipe!
-
Ask Dr. Monica Vermani: How Do I Tell My Sis-In-Law That Her Messy Dog Is Not Welcome At My House?
-
You Just Need A Hot Pot To Make This Amazing Masala Style Vegan Tomato Soup
-
Ask Dr. Monica Vermani: How Do I Tell My Friend To Stop Interrupting Me?
-
Ask Dr. Monica Vermani: How Do I Trust My Husband After He Cheated On Me?
-
Check Out This Insane Recipe For Mini Masala Idli
-
Ask Dr. Monica Vermani: How Do I Tell My Brother That His Cottage Rules Ruins All The Fun?
-
Ask Dr. Monica Vermani: What Do I Do When My Fiancé Shares His Dog With His Ex?
-
Ask Dr. Monica Vermani: How Do I Convince My Partner That Our Six-Year-Old Is To Young For Sleepovers?
-
Ask Dr. Monica Vermani: How Do I Deal With My Friend Who Always Wants To Start A Fight?
-
Here's Why Paris Calls Tharshan Selvarajah The Best Baguette Baker In The City
-
Ask Dr. Monica Vermani: Help! My Bestie Roommate Is A Nightmare
-
Pride 2023: Why Is India's Supreme Court Taking So Long To Legalize Same Sex Marriage?
