Her Circle Kitchens Of India brings you home chefs who will take you on a culinary trip across India. An exclusive series where home chefs specialising in regional cuisine open their homes and hearts to the foodie in us - cooking traditional regional dishes and sharing recipes that are passed on through generations.
It’s not every day that you get invited to a unique tasting and an exclusive cooking class at Gitika’s PakGhor. Home Chef Gitika Saikia who prefers the term ‘Assamese food evangelist’ serves up Assamese food to Mumbai’s food buffs through Gitika’s PakGhor. Once a marketing professional, this home chef who belongs to one of the ethnic communities of a tribe known as the Kachari is on a mission to showcase her native cuisine and celebrate authentic Assamese flavours.
The lack of familiarity or even the existence of her regional cuisine along made Saikia want to educate people about it. “When people think of Assamese cuisine, they immediately think of us as momo-eaters, or that we eat only non-vegetarian food and everything that crawls. We are often told that our cuisine is no different from Bengali and Chinese food. This is a perception I want to break. I want to educate people about the flavours, preparation styles, and even ingredients that are so unique and different from the rest of the country. I carry out extensive research when I am back home. I make it a point to visit a new tribal family from the village, cook with them and make minor changes, if needed, for my pop-ups here. I source all my ingredients from Assam to keep my food as authentic as possible.” Saikia shared.
Saikia moved from Assam to Mumbai in 1998 and had a flourishing corporate career until she quit in 2014. After facing some backlash from her mother who was unsure about her decision, she returned to Assam where she visited the Boro tribe, the community her in-laws belong to. “I’m from the Sonowal Kachari tribe and married into central Assam in the Boro Kachari tribe. So, I learned a lot of different things from both sides. When I visited my in-laws in 2014 and delved into research I realised there’s so much more to Assamese food than I am aware of. And I wanted to bring that to the forefront and share it with the world. My menus feature more of the ethnic community cuisine,” she added.
Through her social media, Saikia showcases her culture and food. Today she is a well-renowned home chef who runs a successful cloud kitchen and actively does pop-ups and collaborations with restaurants as well as luxury hotel brands.
PITANG OYING, MISHING DISH (CHICKEN COOKED IN RICE FLOUR AND LENTIL)
INGREDIENTS:
1. 500 grams chicken, bone-in
2. 2 tablespoons mustard oil
3. 1 medium onion, finely chopped
4. ¼ cup ginger- garlic, pounded to a coarse paste
5. 2-3 green chillies, slit
6. 150 grams red lentils
7. 1 cup warm water
8. 3 tablespoons coarsely ground rice powder
9. ½ teaspoon turmeric
10. 1 tablespoon black pepper powder
11. Salt to taste
METHOD:
· Heat oil.
· Sauté onions, green chillies, ginger and garlic.
· Add chicken and sauté well.
· Add soaked lentils and other spices.
· Once the chicken starts releasing the juices, cover cook with little warm water till dal reaches a mushy consistency.
· Add rice powder and adjust seasoning.
· Season with some pepper and broad leaves as shown in the video.
· Adjust the curry consistency by adding a little water (optional)
· Once the curry starts to boil and the chicken is completely cooked, serve with piping hot sticky rice.