Photos by Co-host, Devayani.
HOST
CO-HOST
Our intimate group had a blast discussing food, stories related to food, and other hobbies, leading back to food again. Honestly, we were content but would have loved a larger group for the activities.
Devayani
Thanks to Sukriti, I now know water chestnut flour exists. I was passing by a market in Jabalpur and picked up some. I’m excited to cook with it.
Arpitha
Brought by member Arpitha, Uppad Pachir is a coastal Karnataka monsoon staple where raw jackfruit is preserved in brine, then cooked into a spicy coconut sukka dish. It is paired here with rice.
Laddoos made with water chestnut flour, roasted peanuts, and jaggery. These laddoos are a traditional treat often prepared during festivals and fasts.
Members drew themselves as desi ingredients on keepsake postcards describing themselves as tamarind, kokum, mango, jamuns, and more!
MEET YOUR HOST
What does local mean to you?
‘Local’, to me, means not only the ingredients that carry the memory of a place—what was once grown or is still grown—but also the people whose hands they pass through and the relationships they hold with them. It’s about being attentive to the ecologies we are part of, and recognising our place within these systems.
A warm bowl of nettle soup and a Himalayan/Nepali bread served with a local stonefruit jam after a long day of trekking. It was one of the most unexpected yet incredible foods I’ve had so far.
I would probably be a Kuntala, a smaller jamun. It’s overlooked, full of layered flavours, and a little unexpected, but leaves behind a trace you can’t forget. For those who know it, it sparks a wave of nostalgia—of picking the fruit on the way back from school or during a hot and long summer day. Like the Kuntala, I hope to leave a lasting stain either through my work or through the stories I have to share.
Uppina Sole or Uppad Pacchir (stir-fried jackfruit in a salt brine) makes for one of the best sandwich fillings!
I’d love to see more people bringing their parents and grandparents to LFC, so they can share stories about the foods and ingredients they grew up with but don’t encounter as often today. Over time, I imagine members rediscovering, re-creating, and falling in love with those dishes again.