Some food memories don’t leave us, not just because the food was memorable but because the entire experience was memorable. A couple of years ago we had one such meal at a ‘somewhat’ progressive Indian restaurant and the spirit of the food and the chef stayed with us till date. I say, somewhat because it wasn’t hyper modernized but just slightly tweaked to create amalgamations of regional cuisines that seamlessly blended together to become fabulous food. The chef’s prowess was so apparent that I struck up a conversation and stayed in touch the months thereafter. I am so glad I stayed in touch because when he decided to launch his delivery service, he informed me and all I could think of was – I get to eat his food once more. His simple premise was, “Celebrating the real diversity of Indian regional food with a touch of modernity, the Pitaara menu features dishes from all 4 corners of the country lovingly prepared with 100% Indian products in sustainable packaging.”
However, Chef Udit’s food is anything but simple, it is subtle, nuanced and absolute culinary pleasure. He has created a menu that has some of his signature dishes along with a host of new ones, all with the joy of his kind of cooking. Celebrating regional food is easier said than done, it requires deep knowledge and loads of research, especially if a chef aims to please people who hail from the region the dishes come from. From my own personal research and travels, I can safely say, this chef has his knowledge and research pat down! He’s used local ingredients like Bandel Cheese, Kalimpong Cheese and Kudampuli but you’ll also find the likes of Bacon Kulcha and Broccoli Makhni, all in one glorious menu. I personally loved the Keema pao and Pulled Pork Samosa, may sound far fetched but it was like pulled pork belonged in samosa, effortless! For vegetarian starters, I suggest, Fake Wasabi Paneer which he recreated with green peas and the Kale Chane ke Kebab where you won’t miss the keema because the spice blend is so perfect. For the Main Course try the 90’s Shaadi Paneer for a dose of nostalgia and the Mushroom Stew which we are tempted to make a winter breakfast staple, though my next order is likely to include, Govind Gatte, a Rajasthani delight. The non-vegetarian selection is as eclectic, we tried the Bhopali Rezala, mutton cooked in yogurt and served with special Pitaara roti and the Kuku Paka, a chicken dish with meat eating Gujaratis settled in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, for me, this was revelatory in terms of information and food. Some of the accompaniments in the menu could well be a dish in itself, like the Pumpkin Seed & Green Chilli Pesto Naan, though we paired our meal with Brioche Pao, simply fantastic.
Even the desserts are as defined, choose between Salted Caramel Kheer and Chocolate Tart which is single origin Indian chocolate over a bajra biscuit base, this is where you will realize how biased our food choices are and how the simplest of ancient ingredients have lost their place in our pantries. This food doesn’t just satiate, it inspires and given the expanse of the menu, needs to be tried again and again!
However, Chef Udit’s food is anything but simple, it is subtle, nuanced and absolute culinary pleasure. He has created a menu that has some of his signature dishes along with a host of new ones, all with the joy of his kind of cooking. Celebrating regional food is easier said than done, it requires deep knowledge and loads of research, especially if a chef aims to please people who hail from the region the dishes come from. From my own personal research and travels, I can safely say, this chef has his knowledge and research pat down! He’s used local ingredients like Bandel Cheese, Kalimpong Cheese and Kudampuli but you’ll also find the likes of Bacon Kulcha and Broccoli Makhni, all in one glorious menu. I personally loved the Keema pao and Pulled Pork Samosa, may sound far fetched but it was like pulled pork belonged in samosa, effortless! For vegetarian starters, I suggest, Fake Wasabi Paneer which he recreated with green peas and the Kale Chane ke Kebab where you won’t miss the keema because the spice blend is so perfect. For the Main Course try the 90’s Shaadi Paneer for a dose of nostalgia and the Mushroom Stew which we are tempted to make a winter breakfast staple, though my next order is likely to include, Govind Gatte, a Rajasthani delight. The non-vegetarian selection is as eclectic, we tried the Bhopali Rezala, mutton cooked in yogurt and served with special Pitaara roti and the Kuku Paka, a chicken dish with meat eating Gujaratis settled in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, for me, this was revelatory in terms of information and food. Some of the accompaniments in the menu could well be a dish in itself, like the Pumpkin Seed & Green Chilli Pesto Naan, though we paired our meal with Brioche Pao, simply fantastic.
Even the desserts are as defined, choose between Salted Caramel Kheer and Chocolate Tart which is single origin Indian chocolate over a bajra biscuit base, this is where you will realize how biased our food choices are and how the simplest of ancient ingredients have lost their place in our pantries. This food doesn’t just satiate, it inspires and given the expanse of the menu, needs to be tried again and again!