Photos by Host, Suparna and Co-host, Nithin.
HOST
CO-HOST
WHERE WE MET
It was a truly wonderful gathering, and what better way to spend Friendship Day than with great food and company! Hoping to see the Local Food Club grow multifold in the coming days.
Suparna
Surely the best Meetup so far! Each element was seamlessly presented and executed by Host Suparna and Co-host Nithin. The room was filled with food banter, lots of laughter, and a curated table loaded with great food. Happy people and happier bellies! This tribe must grow.
Tsarina
I had a fantastic time listening to each of the creative recipes and beautiful stories associated with the food. Thanks to the Host, Suparna, and Co-host, Nithin, for the warm and welcoming space. Thanks a ton to ChefTZaC and The Locavore for building this community over food.
Nida
Cochin’s iconic ghee cake is soft, fragrant, and born in the city’s old bakeries where Anglo-Indian and Malabar traditions met.
Egg Roast, a Kerala-style preparation where hard-boiled eggs are simmered in a spiced onion-tomato masala until it clings thick and glossy. In Kerala, ‘roast’ doesn’t mean a traditional oven-bake but this slow-cooked, reduced style of curry, rich with depth and flavour.
From the coastal kitchens of Mangalore, Kori Roti brings together two elements: a fiery, coconut-based chicken curry and dry, crackling rice rotis that soak up flavour with every bite.
MEET YOUR HOST
What does local mean to you?
‘Local’ is comfort, a knowing that feels like home. The flavours and ingredients you grew up eating that are accessible with minimal effort. It’s how you are able to identify produce or a dish—from the familiarity with and the knowing of ecosystems that help them thrive.
The lunchboxes we shared during school and college. The anticipation of waiting for lunch on days that I knew my mum had packed a dish that I really enjoy, like flaky Parathas and spicy Mussels Fry. Through the years, you develop a special bond with the food in your friends’ lunchboxes. There is little distinction between ‘my food’ and ‘your food’ because we’ve relished it all so many times.
The Jamun Shots at the Manek Chowk food street in Ahmedabad changed my life.
On Onam mornings, when you have Sadya being prepared in kitchens, there is a mix and match of some dishes for breakfast. One combination I’ve grown to love is Banana Chips and Puliyinchi (a sweet and sour tamarind-based side dish), and Idlis with Mango Pickle, Sambar, and white Chutney.
I love that LFCs are spaces where a bunch of food nerds get together to celebrate food! I hope to see LFC flourishing in how it brings communities and cultures together through food, through organising events, and preserving regional recipes and ingredients. It would also be interesting to see a recipe book compilation of the potluck dishes that were devoured at the many meetups.