COMFORT FOOD COMES FULL CIRCLE
Indians are returning to ingredients and dishes that had fallen off the map
When we go out to dine, we seek a balance between the familiar and foreign and choose experiences that excite our senses, transporting us to a world that was otherwise inaccessible. Paradoxically, one of the hottest trends in dining right now is about eschewing all that’s imported and going back to one’s roots. Till five years ago, restaurants were restricted to a monthly or annual festival of a regional cuisine but there were no standalone restaurants catering to specific regions. The invention of butter chicken and North Indian food centric restaurants did not bode well for the perception of Indian cuisine. All menus read the same; rogan josh, butter chicken, black dal, and paneer. Indian food was at its lowest point. People stopped eating out at Indian restaurants, especially youngsters who were not excited
by what they saw on menus.
There was thus a need to generate excitement and create a new menu for a new market. When we launched Indian Accent ten years ago, it was a restaurant in part that celebrated the idea of going back to one’s roots but also reimagined that space and gave people dishes which they had never seen. These new dishes tasted familiar but took a novel approach to cooking humble ingredients like jackfruit, yams, banana flower and the like. Diners realised that instead of chasing the foreign it was cool to eat what was homegrown. Restaurants like Comorin in Gurgaon, The Bombay Canteen in Mumbai, Bohemian in Kolkata, Gunpower in Goa, Nimtho in Delhi etc were game changers as they tapped into an area that was waiting to be explored. I have been working in Delhi for years and till recently regional food was not on any big chef ’s radar. India is so diverse and people have so much knowledge about food. Their palates have grown more adventurous and they are willing to discover the country through their plates. Kathal, or jackfruit, which was once a humble ingredient has now become a super star and you find tacos, sliders, and other interesting dishes featuring this ingredient. The cauliflower has also been elevated and menus finally have options that go beyond paneer to accommodate local heroes.
This has also meant that Indian food is now being received differently across the world as there is awareness that the cuisine is diverse and goes beyond the butter chicken routine doled out traditionally by Bangladeshi and Pakistani restaurants overseas masquerading as the Indian deal. By delving into their roots, chefs have started taking greater pride in their country and region and dishes like khichdi and moong dal were typically made at home are now being well received globally. It’s hip to use desi ghee and local berries and vegetables are in vogue. Indian fine dining has come full circle.