22 May,2017 08:36 AM IST | Mumbai | Joanna Lobo
A new delivery service based out of an Andheri kitchen offers a feast of pitika, khar, tenga, payox and other traditional staples
O' Tenga Fish Meal with Payox; Pic Courtesy/Anushruti Bhatnagar
The first time we tasted Assamese food was at a friend's home. We instantly fell in love with the sour tenga, the fiery bhut jolokia pickle and watched, fascinated, as she cooked with bamboo shoots. Beyond that, savouring Assamese food in the city has been limited to a few pop-ups. So, it was with much excitement that we dialled O' Tenga, a new delivery space dedicated to just Assamese food, to place an order.
The venture was started a week back by friends Priyangi Borthakur, 31, and Joyee Mahanta, 30. "We've always complained about the lack of Assamese restaurants here, and how much we missed home food. A few months back, we decided to stop complaining and start something ourselves," says Mahanta.
Aloo Pitika
Home delights
The menu includes traditional food like khar (made by filtering water through the ashes of sun-dried banana peels), xaak bhaji (lightly seasoned green, leafy vegetables), dail (lentils), tenga (a tangy curry), pitika (mashed potatoes), besides fish, chicken and mutton dishes. "We've been experimenting with recipes from our mothers, grandmothers and aunts for a while now," laughs Mahanta.
This attention to detail is reflected in the food. After placing our order, we were advised to start with the khar (since it is alkaline and settles your stomach), and end with the acidic tenga.
The Omita Khar (Rs 180) was like a warm, thick soup with a faint hit of ginger, while Kosu Xaak Jalukia (Rs 125) was a light curry of colocasia leaves and black pepper. The Koldil Bhaji (Rs 200) was a flavourful crunchy, dry preparation of banana flower, with grated coconut adding extra texture and depth. Dal got a delicious upgrade in the Thekera Diya Mixed Dail (Rs 150), with mangosteen adding in lovely sour-sweet notes.
The duo sources many of the ingredients from Assam; they've even identified a woman who makes the water that is used in khar. "Besides elephant apple, we get lime, kajinemu (long green lemons), guti aloo (baby potatoes), jaggery, bamboo shoot, bhut jolokia and rice from home," shares Mahanta.
Fish Pitika
Protein fix
O' Tenga gets their non-vegetarian dishes near perfect - they are well cooked and packed with flavour.
Anyone who enjoys a good fish curry will find themselves entranced by the Ou-Tenga Bilhai Tenga with fish (Rs 240). This light, tangy fragrant, tomato-filled curry features the ou tenga or elephant apple and tender pieces of rohu maas (rohu) that gives the dish a hearty, stew-like consistency.
Pork Chilli Fry
Axomiya Mangsho (Rs 320) reminded us of a rezala. A tasty dish otherwise, it was marred by too much oil for our liking. It took us a while to warm up to the heat from the bhut jolokia in the Pork Chilli Fry (Rs 300), which was a tasty, if spicy dish. Our favourite, however, was the Til Diya Murgi Mangxo - tender chicken cooked in a comforting black sesame paste. The Pura Maas Pitika (Rs 120) was a tasty mash of rohu, potatoes, onions, coriander and chilli. It was soft and the fish had a nice smoky flavour. We liked the aftertaste of mustard in the Aloo Pitika (Rs 50). We ate the pitika plain but it is actually meant to be eaten with the Poita Bhaat (Rs 120), a fermented rice mixture with mustard oil and green chilli, commonly eaten in summer.
Priyangi Borthakur and Joyee Mahanta
Our meal ended with a surprise. The Assamese rice pudding Payox was light on the sweetness, and had an added flavour from an unlikely ingredient - camphor.
O' Tenga may have just started operations but people are already jamming their phone lines for deliveries. With food this good, it's no surprise.
