July ’25 Hauz Khas

Large-hearted, fast-talking, always feeding you more. Join us at LFC Delhi where we gather over samosas and stories—every plate a little louder, every memory a little sweeter.

Photos by Content Volunteers, Sayani and Malini.

HOST

Smriti Iyer

CO-HOST

Tanya Verma

CONTENT VOLUNTEER

Malini Pramanik, Sayani Saha

WHERE WE MET

Fort City Brewing, in Hauz Khas, New Delhi, is a lively microbrewery celebrated for its inventive craft beers like Poha Cream Pie and Cold IPA, and offers a vibrant atmosphere that is perfect for a night out.

What Members Said

The Prawn Curry by Pragati was my favourite. If I were to describe how I felt after I left the meet up, I can think of one word—satiated.

KARTIKEYA

The Locavore Shuffle was a lovely activity– was not expecting it! I give it five out of five stars.

VAISHNAVI

Such a great afternoon sharing wonderful stories and memories. Thank you, Smriti and Tanya, for hosting. Looking forward to many more!

SUKREETI

What We Loved

Asmita brought an assortment of pakoras, and jamuns—sweet and savoury monsoon highlights.

One of our favourite LFC activities this month was the Monsoon Wall—a space to doodle and get creative around our theme of monsoon.

There’s something about eating off a leaf plate (pattal) in the middle of the monsoon—humble, textured, and perfectly in tune with the season’s mood.

MEET YOUR HOST

Chef Smriti Iyer founded Smriti's Special, India's first online school for baking and pastry making in 2016. The school focuses on teaching students how to work with indigenous ingredients, keeping local climates, traditions, and culture in mind. In 2022, she started a sister brand, Ananth India, which is a modern take on Indian food showcased through pop ups.

What does ‘local’ mean to you?

Local food means aligning with the season and climate of a region—honouring the wisdom that the generations before us have cultivated, and then evolving with the times.

What is your most enduring food memory?

Growing up Tamil, Holi wasn’t part of our traditional festivals—but as kids, we played it every year. After a morning of colour and chaos, we’d wash up and sit down to a lavish meal prepared by amma, paati, and nani. It comprised hot pooris, chundal (made with chana), gujiya, and pori (puffed rice), followed by a long, satisfying nap.

What is the most adventurous food you've tried and loved?

Can we call [eating a] durian adventurous? Having heard a lot of horror stories about its smell, I was intrigued. But I ended up loving it—it was like eating a pungent, sweet cheese.

If you were a seasonal ingredient, what would you be?

Custard Apple. You have to work to get to the good, sweet part!

How do you see your Local Food Club flourishing?

Delhi is a wonderfully chaotic place, full of food lovers from across India with incredible stories, life journeys, and businesses. I see the Local Food Club flourishing through the enthusiasm of this diverse group of people.