With the country's myriad communities celebrating the spring harvest festival, here's where you can savour festive, regional delicacies from across India
Tuck into a Bengali feast in Versova
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A slice of Kolkata
Kolkata native Priyadarshini Gupta is opening her doors to guests to ring in the New Year. For the pop-up, she will prepare regional delicacies such as Mangsho Chop (succulent Bengali chops with a mutton kheema filling), Niramish Potoler Dolma (parwal stuffed with tempered dal and served in a tangy gravy), and Chingri Malai Curry (prawns in a coconut milk gravy). Dig into rich Payesh (rice and milk pudding)âu00c2u0080u00c2u0088and Khir Tokhti (deep fried dollops of thickened milk in a sugar syrup) for dessert.
ON: April 14, 7.30 pm
AT: Versova, Andheri (W).
LOGâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088ONâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088TO: authenticook.com
COST: Rs 1,100 (veg), Rs 1,250 (non-veg)
Poila Baisakh
From maa's kitchen
Pia Promina Dasgupta Barve (inset) is no ordinary cook. She happens to be the daughter of the late Meenakshi Dasgupta (author of the seminal Bengali cookbook Bangla Ranna), and the founder chef of the iconic eatery Kewpie's in Kolkata. Expectedly, Barve is a treasure trove of culinary knowledge, and will be bringing out her best to usher in the Bengali New Year.
Sharing a memory from her Kolkata days, she says, "The first time we put word out that we were serving a Poila Baisakh meal at Kewpie's — this must have been around 1998 — 150 customers queued up outside. And the restaurant was only a 12-seater!"
Her Bandra home can't accommodate an army either, nevertheless, her menu is extensive. "Some traditional items like luchi and pulao don't feature on the menu. I've swapped these for dishes that are more cooling," she reveals.
The menu includes Daab Chingri (prawns cooked in a green coconut; in pic, right), Kochi Pathar Jhol (young goat in a soupy stew), and Murgi Gwalondo (a spicy, unusual chicken steamer curry). "There's lots for vegetarians, too, like Enchorer Dalna, a light curry using jackfruit plucked off our tree, and Beulir Dal, a summery dal made with split black gram," says Barve.
ON: April 15, 1 pm AT 1B, Anand Court, Dr Raghunath Marg, Bandra (W).
LOG ON TO: goo.gl/P0RbPr
CALL:âu00c2u0080u00c2u00889920370638
COST: Rs 1,600
Baisakhi
An Amritsari treat
Tuck into authentic Punjabi cuisine curated by chefs flown in from Amritsar on the occasion of Baisakhi, which marks the first harvest of the year. The dishes will be prepared using traditional methods of cooking such as tandoor and slow cooking. Try dishes like Chhole Kulche, Machli Amritsari, Rajmah Chawal, Tikkis and Kebabs. Enjoy the fare while seated in a Punjabi village ambience, complete with charpais and cane furniture.
ON: April 14 to 16, 7 pm to 11.30 pm
AT: Lake View Café, Renaissance Convention Centre Hotel, Powai.
FORâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088RESERVATIONS,
CALL: 66927491
Decadence on a plate
Join in the celebration of Baisakhi by tucking into Mutton Saagwala, a typical North Indian dish made with lamb and spinach, Dum Wale Rajma Chawal, Makhana Kheer, Achari Paneer, Dahi ke Kebab, Punjabi Chhole, Pede Wali Lassi, and Sukhe Kofte, a cottage cheese dumpling stuffed with cashewnuts and raisins.
FROM: April 14 to 23 (lunch and dinner)
AT: Masala Bay, Taj Lands End, Bandra (W).
CALL: 66681234
Rongali Bihu
All the way from Assam
"People don't know much about Assamese cuisine. We want to make it popular, and Rongali Bihu is a great day to do it," begins Joyee Mahanta, who, along with her friend Priyangi Borthakur, will serve a traditional Assamese New Year feast this weekend. This Authenticook pop-up is the first ever for the duo, who plan on making it a regular occurrence through their new venture, O'Tenga.
The menu features vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes such as Masor Tenga with Bilahi (tangy fish curry), Rongalaur Aag (a dish made with pumpkin leaves), and Til Diya Murgir Manxoh (chicken cooked with black sesame seeds).
"We're also serving a dish called Omita Khar, prepared with raw papaya and kolakhar, which is made by burning banana stem," says Mahanta. This, along with a few other ingredients like bhut jholokia (ghost chilli) and ou tenga (elephant apple), are sourced from Assam. The duo also makes four types of pickles — black sesame, chickpea, banana flower and radish.
ON: April 14, 1 pm AT Goregaon (W).
LOG ON TO: authenticook.com
COST: Rs900 (veg), Rs 1,250 (non-veg)
Vishu
Kerala calling
"I'mâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088actually Sindhi, but I learned how to cook Keralan cuisine from my in-laws. It took a little getting used to, but today, Iâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088enjoy it more than any other food," says Shalini Aniket. The Marol resident is whipping up a vegetarian spread for Vishu, the Malayali New Year, on April 14. The meal will be served the traditional way, on banana leaves.
"The sadhya has its own set of rituals. For one, the narrow end of the leaf is always on the guest's left," she explains. Sip on Moru Vellam (spiced buttermilk) and dig into the feast, which includes Avial, Potato Stew, Sambhar and Rasam. "I'm also making Vellarika Kichadi, a spicy-sour side dish made with Madras cucumber, coconut and curd.
The end of the main course is marked by the Kaalan, made with yoghurt, coconut and either raw plantain or yam, which acts as a palate cleanser," says Aniket.
ON: April 14, 1 pm
AT: Marol Maroshi Road, Andheri (E).
LOG ON TO: authenticook.com
COST: Rs 1,100
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