Platter Game: How Chefs are Bringing Native Places on the Plates

From the native hills of Nepal, Prakriti Lama Patel, from Across - a contemporary dining space in Mumbai's Kala Ghoda - has not just brought from my native hills are not just ideas but tangible ingredients, techniques, and memories. "The Mustang Black Dal and Jimbu are sourced directly from the mountains, while traditional dishes like mutton pakku and corn dhido with nettle are reinterpreted into modern forms, such as a cutlet and soup," she says. 

In the age of globalisation and the increasing taste for international cuisines, where the booming travel industry is bringing international flavours home, there are chefs travelling with their regional flavours and moods. 

"Even staples like shya bhaley retain their original preparation, only recontextualised for a new audience. Each dish carries the flavour, method, and spirit of the mountains — allowing diners to truly taste where it came from," says Patel.

North to Nepal, China had its people come to Kolkata for economic opportunities, particularly as sailors and labourers in ports during the British colonial era, but this migration influenced the food in the city of joy, which Debaditya Chaudhury from Chowman, a Chinese dining space, is making evident in its food. Other than Kolkata, the dining brand is also available in cities like Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Mumbai, but Chaudhury has made sure that Kolkata’s Indo-Chinese heritage becomes evident when people eat.

Growing up amidst the city’s deep-rooted Chinese influence, especially the flavours that came from the old Chinese colony, Chaudhury says, "That’s how dishes like Kolkata-style Chilli Chicken and Kolkata-style Chilli Pork came to life. I use simple, nostalgic ingredients like soy sauce and green chillies, which were staples in the kitchens of Tangra’s Chinese community, to keep the flavours authentic yet familiar to the Indian palate."

Suresh Rajan Pillai, Chef De Cuisine from Hyderabad's Marriott Executive Apartments, keeps a little Madurai even in his experimentations with Malaysian cuisine. "I use Madurai-style chili thokku base and curry leaf tempering to give Malaysian sambal prawns a local character. The smoky heat of Madurai varuval masala, combined with Malaysian lemongrass and coconut milk, creates a perfect bridge between the two cuisines — one that feels familiar yet fresh," he says.

Similarly, even for small touches, he likes using banana leaf plating or parotta crisp to bring a bit of home into a modern fusion presentation. "It lets me connect Madurai’s bold street-style soul with the delicate balance of Malaysian cooking," he adds. 

Making Goa taste a slice of M.P.

Even domestically, travelling to Goa with the culinary influence of Madhya Pradesh might not be conventional, but Chef Divyanshi Patel, who is leading the culinary vision at The Astor Goa, does it well, and her reasons are quite straightforward. "Since MP’s food hasn’t been widely documented.....I often bring in traditional cooking methods and indigenous ingredients from MP into my modern dishes, which surprises even well-travelled diners," she says. 

One of her signature integrations is using Rasaj, a dish from M.P. "That is similar to Rajasthan’s Gatta, but unlike Gatta, we make gluten-free noodles from gram flour — a healthier, modern adaptation that aligns with current dining preferences." "M.P. sits at the crossroads of India and has naturally absorbed influences from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and local communities like the Bundelkhandis and Bhagelkhandis. The result is a cuisine that is inherently a fusion of cultures and flavours," she adds. 

Delhi-born Punjabi, Vardaan Marwah, when he became the chef partner at Pune-based FARRO, he made sure to include the recipes used by his mother and grandmother. "Naani’s Keema Pao reimagines her keema recipe with a golden poached egg infused with keema fat, light Parmesan sauce, and soft milk brioche pao," he says, adding that the Strawberry Mithai Pudding is inspired by the kheer her mom makes during Navratri, paired with fresh Mahabaleshwar strawberries.

The pairing of Thai Green Curry with Malvani spices — where coconut milk and Thai herbs gently embrace the deep heat of Indian chillies - gets real when the Chef of Sweet Basil, Sara Panisara, does it at Bhubhneshwar's Lyfe Hotel. The Thai native, talking about another such influence, says, "Som Tam with roasted peanuts and jaggery dressing preserves the crisp freshness of Thailand while welcoming the sweet warmth of India." He adds, "Each dish is a journey; a story told through spice, balance, and soul connecting two lands that both cherish flavour, aroma, and the spirit of family."

Back in Mumbai, Chef Harsh Shodhan of The Gourmet Kitchen and Studio could actually imagine giving a Gujarati touch to Pasta! "Khandvi, a traditional Gujarati snack made from gram flour (besan), a staple ingredient from my native region, was the inspiration behind my experiment. I reimagined it into delicate ravioli, filled with creamy goat’s cheese and served with a fragrant butter-sage sauce," he said, adding that it allows the younger generation to rediscover and appreciate the flavours and ingredients they may have grown up around, but in a new, exciting form.

'Holding two maps at once' 

Chef Sombir Chaudary of Kalpaney, Kompany Hospitality calls this influence, "holding two maps at once". Living in Bengaluru for nearly thirty years now, he cooks as if he is holding two maps at once, in his words. "Mornings meant kulchas in Harayana, where I grew up. It is a breakfast staple," he says while talking about Spicy Smoked Kulcha, a dish he introduced. 

On another such dish, Garlic Truffle Khichdi, he says, "Bajre ki khichdi was not something we ate only in the morning. We ate it because it is protein-packed and healthy, a comforting dish you reach for when you want something nourishing." Pillowy kulcha is another about which he says, "It is from my childhood,  and I often set it beside house South Indian pickles such as tangy artichoke pickle, bright Andhra-style prawn pickle, so, each bite becomes a small conversation between where I am from and where I live now." 

"For me, keeping native food alive is not about locking it in a museum. It is about keeping the memories alive and allowing a little nostalgia to sit at the table."