Meghalaya’s culinary depth and diversity showcased in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Now that this is the election season, let us juxtapose Meghalaya's cuisine with the places of origin of three candidates who are getting a lot of attention. One is the Shillong MP, Vincent Pala of the Congress, who's up for re-election, and he's from Jaintia hills. Second is his challenger, Anapareen Lyngdoh of the National People's Party,who is Khasi. Meanwhile, in the state's other parliamentary constituency, Tura, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma's sister and a prominent face on national television, Agatha Sangma, is in the fray. She is from the fertile Garo Hills, the state's so called bread basket.

Even a state that appears to be so small on the map of India has a culinary tradition that spans three cultures with their distinctive food preferences and ingredients. Those who've grown up in the Garo Hills swear by their fermented fish paste, Tung Tap, for instance, but Khasis are partial to Jadoh, a standout dish prepared with red rice and pork, and in Jaintia Hills, Dakharang, or smoked fish used in salads, curries and chutneys, is the king of the table.

Now, imagine getting this lip-smackingly diverse cuisine in the far end of one of Delhi's urban villages, Ghitorni, where contemporary style and rustic timelessness seem to coexist in harmony. It was at journalist-turned-gastronomer Damini Ralleigh's Indica, a space for sharing food knowledge, where Tanisha Phanbuh, Meghalaya's passionate culinary ambassador in Delhi, showcased the depth and diversity of her state's cuisine.

Tanisha had first come to Delhi to study fashion designing, then she went back to Shillong, only to return to the national capital in 2015 to work at Ek Bar, which made quite a splash when it opened. Over the years, she has mastered the art of avant garde cooking, without playing with the ingredients and original tastes, and becoming an articulate speaker, which has been her ticket to cookery shows such as MasterChef India and Femme Foodies.

It was at Femme Foodies that celebrity chef Ranveer Brar described her as the Tribal Gourmet, which she carries now as her calling card.

Opening the experiential afternoon with Phanbuh, a dainty dish made with crispy potato skin popping out of a potato espuma, Tanisha moved on to serve cured fish served on a bed of cold tree tomato sauce.

Featured in the medley of gentle flavours were perilla leaves, which the world associates with Japanese cuisine (they call it shiso and you're supposed to wrap a sashimi in a leaf, dip it in soy sauce and then eat it). Perilla seeds are commonly used for cooking in Meghalaya, but Tanisha has put the leaves to good use as well.

From fish, the agency’s connoisseurs moved to jackfruit dumplings that came wrapped in perilla leaves with a dollop of chilli oil on top, and then to pan-fried chicken with a 'bomb' aioli. As she served the dish, Tanisha talked about Shillong's tea shops ('dukan sha'), where people have tea with a host of savoury delicacies, including delicately fried chicken and pork. Again, what stood out was the way Tanisha presented the dish.

Then came the sorbet - or 'chuski', as Tanisha put it - made with a 'soh shang' coulis. The people of Meghalaya love their soh shang, a berry-like fruit that's both tart and sweet. And then, finally, arrived what Tanisha called the Jadoh risotto, her take on the Khasi speciality. It was served in a tea stall-style plate with long fish or pork, tea-pickled egg, 'tungrymbai' (fermented soybean paste) and chilli oil. It was really a memorable melange of flavours and textures for the northern guests. The meal officially came to an end with a serving of churros - Meghalaya is not famous for desserts - rolled in cinnamon sugar and served with a cashew nut praline (a major export of the state) and smoked sesame in chocolate sauce, another Meghalayan touch. Coffee from Meghalaya got served to wash all of the above cuisines down their throats.

It was a culinary tour of Meghalaya that the candidates won't forget as well, that too from an unlikely venue in Delhi's cowbelt, with Tanisha talking all the while about the good things of life with fellow foodies. It was really a memorable mélange of ethnic flavours mixed with unique culinary textures for the team. (IANS)

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