Photos by Host Swetak, and Co-host Jinnie.
HOST
CO-HOST
WHERE WE MET
It was my first time co-hosting and it was a great learning experience for me. I want to encourage more people to take up these volunteering roles, it’s a different experience altogether! Thank you Team Locavore for this wonderful initiative.
Jinnie
Swetak and Jinnie, you guys were wonderful, and this was such a nice way to end a Sunday evening.
Sanjana
It was my first meetup, and I absolutely loved the laughter, food, and knowledge we shared. I’m genuinely grateful for the kindness and encouragement I received.
Abhisankha
A lively collage of ideas with postcards and post-its, each scribbled with creative tips and tricks on using kitchen scraps—from peel powders to stem stocks!
Torani Kanji, a traditional fermented drink from Odisha made with rice starch water (torani), mustard seeds, and chillies. A wonderfully scrappy base that can be enriched with any mix of vegetables, it’s left to ferment naturally until tangy, spicy, and refreshing.
Champeta Raita is a refreshing yoghurt dish made with champeta (sun-dried mango peel), mixed into curd and tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and chillies.
MEET YOUR HOST
What is your most enduring food memory?
The Bela Pana (a Bael juice made on the day of Vishub Shankranti in Odisha) that was made for me separately by my grandmother because I have so many food restrictions, and it was particularly bad back then.
A slightly alcoholic drink called Salap, that is made from a variety of the palm tree found in clusters of Koraput district. For someone that is largely a teetotaler, it was a thrilling journey.
A ripe mango—bright, bold, and something everyone looks forward to.
People associate warm things with comfort, but it is slightly different for me. When I fall sick for more than two days, my mother says to keep the belly cool and running. So she steeps mishree (rock sugar) every night, and hands me a glass of mishree pani in the morning. For someone with a sweet tooth like me, that first feeling on my tongue is the best.
Recently I paired Chitou (a rice and coconut based pan-steamed cake) with slightly sweet Mitha Dahi, even though people think the sweet-sweet combination never works.