Namak, swaad anusar

In a small village in the Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand a mountainous region with verdant fields and sunshine Shashi Bahuguna Raturi and her group of 20 women chefs grind together rock salt herbs and spices on a traditional silbatta grindingstone Theyrsquore making pisyu loon a flavoured salt native to Uttarakhand cuisine ldquoIn our homes chutneys and salts are always ground on silbattas passed down from the grandmother to the mother and the daughter We know no other wayrdquo says RaturiRaturi who has been a social worker since 1982 started Namakwali in 2018 to give the women of the region gainful employment and to take the pahadi salt from Uttarkashi Tehri Garhwal Pithoragarh and Dehradun to the world and to make the humble silbatta famousPisyu loon is a staple Uttarakhand dish and is sometimes eaten with rotis instead of a bhaji The most common version hara namak is made by grinding green chillies garlic cloves coriander hing and mint adding rock salt and then roasting the mixture to remove the moistness Therersquos also the garlic and gingerflavoured salt made in much the same way ldquoWe eat it with everythingmdashdahi raita boiled potatoes ragi rotis and pahadi kheera a type of cucumber found in the hillsmdashitrsquos deliciousrdquo she reminiscesNamakwali which refers to the quality of a woman being assertive and salty also sells homemade chutney powders ghee spices and masalas made from herbs in the region While itrsquos sometimes a derogatory term the ldquonamakwalisrdquo wear it as a badge of honourVarsha Rajan Berryrsquos family always had a bottle of red chilli salt at their table which inspired her to craft and sell flavoured salts for her brand Homemakerz which she runs with her sisterinlaw Anuradha Chandra PicANURAG AHIRECloser to home Oshiwarabased Varsha Rajan Berry and her sisterinlaw Anuradha Chandra who is based in Malad have experimented with flavoured salts for their homegrown gourmet brand Homemakerz Growing up in Lucknow Berryrsquos breakfast table always had a bottle of red chilli salt made of roasted and powdered cumin hing and red chilli flakes The social sector professional says it was a recipe created by her grandmother and passed down to her family a spice blend they would add to every recipe ldquoIf salt was less or a dish didnrsquot taste flavourful wersquod add chilli salt insteadrdquo Her grandmother and mother also used a curry salt made of amchur and garam masala as an allinone tadka mix for dals curries and graviesIt was this chilli salt and curry salt that years later she would process and sell under Homemakerz which she set up with Chandra a corporate trainer in the city in 2018 The preservativefree brand has four flavours to choose frommdashItalian salt grill salt heritage red chill curry salt and a range of readytoeat millet noodles and saucesGoabased home chef Archana Potdar has experimented with four types of flavoured salt seasoning cumin salt garlic salt cayenne salt and even pepper and salt PICARCHANA POTDARThe salts last nine months after opening and can be used as an allinone spice mix for dishes Here women from lowerincome households are also employed to grind the salts mix the spices and prepare the final product ldquoItrsquos not just a saltmdasha flavourrdquo says Berry ldquoMy children live abroad and they depend on it as do our customersrdquoThe Italian salt for which the base is sea salt combines all the main spices used for pastamdashroasted dehydrated garlic rosemary thyme and oregano The grill saltmdashwhich customers call Kapil Dev given its versatilitymdashis made of dehydrated and powdered lime leaves thyme and garlic and can be used as a flavouring for grilled or sauteacuteed veggies chicken and paneerldquoIf you want to cook a good curry but yoursquore in a hurry you can skip the masala process and add the curry saltrdquo she says adding ldquoOr if yoursquore craving pasta just sauteacute veggies and sprinkle the Italian salt over them for a quick and easy meal It is healthy tasty and convenientrdquoUsing flavoured salts requires one to balance the tastes and flavour profiles of the foods it is added to Archana Potdar runs the recipe blog The Mad Scientistrsquos Kitchen named after her inclination to fashion measurements and mixtures out of intuition rather than a recipeArchana PotdarShe loves using chilli salt to lend an extra layer of oomph to specific dishes The Goabased food blogger has been making flavoured salts for a while now it began as a recipe challenge for her blog last year ldquoI make cuminflavoured salt garlic salt cayenne salt and pepper saltrdquo she tells usPotdar says the idea for flavoured salts came to her as a different spice mix for her dishes ldquoI make cumin salt by roasting cumin seeds letting them cool and then grinding them with salt with a mortar and pestlerdquo she says Itrsquos best to make small quantities because moisture makes the salt lumpy after a while She adds that it can be sprinkled on sweet potatoes chaat cucumbers radishes and fruit salad toomdashit works incredibly well topped on pineapple and mangoes ldquoIt brings out a pop of flavoursrdquo she saysShashi Bahuguna RaturiHer husband Girish is a massive fan of garlic salt ldquoHe uses it on everythingmdashfrom dal to salad to boiled eggs to French friesrdquo she laughs Mixed with grated cheese it can add a flavourful kick to a sandwich Her daughter on the other hand likes her cayenne salt mix ldquoThey love itrdquo she adds