August ’25 Kengeri

Mild weather, wild hearts. LFC Bengaluru swaps homemade dosas and tech rants under sunset skies. Easy laughter, shared plates and community await!

Photos by host, Natasha.

HOST

Natasha Iype

CO-HOST

Geeta Kamath

WHERE WE MET

Courtyard Koota in Kengeri, Bengaluru, is a cultural space that hosts theatre, music, film, and community conversations. Designed as a warm, intentional gathering place, it nurtures creativity and connection beyond the usual stage.

What Members Said

What a delicious and delightful gathering that was! Special kudos to Natasha (host) and Geetha (co-host), for cooking up this perfectly organised gathering. The entire event was so thoughtfully planned, just like a well-balanced thali! Big thanks also to Courtyard Koota for being our cozy and charming venue. What a beautiful space to feast, mingle, and celebrate our shared love and passion for food! Can’t wait for our next flavourful meetup in September!

Harsha

What We Loved

The doodle board invited everyone to draw themselves as food or drink, filled with illustrated alter-egos of Red Wine, Idlis, Caramel Custard, and Mangoes.

The ‘Unlikely Friendships’ activity brought members together in pairs, turning strangers into collaborators as they dreamed up recipes out of eclectic desi ingredients.

Courtyard Koota, our venue partner, is surrounded by greenery, and a bustling community hub where people come together for performances and community events like LFCs.

MEET YOUR HOST

Passionate architect and believer in the power of community, Natasha is the founder of Courtyard Koota. Dedicated to creating spaces that foster engagement and nurture curiosity through the arts, her choices are driven by a belief in the transformative power of well-designed experiences and compelling stories. Natasha’s vision is to build a vibrant community that is continuously learning and shares her love for the arts, which she believes is a powerful catalyst for change.

What does local mean to you?

Living in cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru, the meaning of ‘local’ was not tied to farmers and their context, but more about what was available in the local market. Anything that was seasonal and abundantly available (which also meant it was reasonably priced) meant ‘local’. Now, it gets confusing with many exotic ingredients and online marketplaces crowding our lives. Several exotics are naturalised, and may be grown locally, labelled organic, and available at lower prices. So for me ‘local’ means what was eaten traditionally: typical meal combinations that have been eaten by people who reside in the region.

What is your most enduring food memory?

Making bread for the first time. The magic of what emerges with just flour, water, and yeast (even if it was not great that first time) still captivates my imagination.

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

Wild mushrooms in Bhutan.

What is one unusual food pairing you swear by?

Idli and Sindhi Kadhi.

How do you see your Local Food Club flourishing?

I hope that the Local Food Club becomes a platform for us to share our understanding of food and the choices we make in the larger context of the food ecosystem, both political and social.