The Year of Millets, 3 New Cookbooks & Where to Eat This Mont

Masterchef pop-ups, the year of millets, vrat meals on trains, and more. Joanna Lobo puts together the essential guide on all things F&B this month in the country.

MasterChef Australia has been a fan favourite in India since its launch, spawning its own desi version, and bringing many of the show’s home chefs and winners for pop-ups and visits. One even opened a restaurant in Goa, and showcased a fair amount of Indian food in her latest appearance on the show. It’s no surprise that, with the new season just wrapping up, we saw a slew of renewed activity. Chef and two-time MasterChef Australia contestant Michael Weldon toured India in September as part of the Australian Government’s Taste of Australia campaign. He hosted a series of curated dinners, interactive food and beverage demonstrations, and masterclasses in New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bengaluru. On October 1, former winner Chef Sashi Cheliah made his first visit to Goa for a pop up at W Goa, serving Malaysian and Singaporean fare.

Indian food is certainly making news abroad, and in India, some of it good, some of it a matter of concern. Here’s what to look out for:

Global to local

The United Nations General Assembly has declared the year 2023 as the International Year of Millet. India has been pushing for this for a few years and the news should come as relief for millet farmers. Recently, the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) announced an attempt to introduce millets in their canteens and in meetings.

Elsewhere, the Indian Railways will offer free meals to all passengers of Rajdhani, Shatabdi, and Duronto trains if they are delayed for more than two hours. Keeping in mind the season, they will also be offering vrat meals — without onion and garlic— across stations (till October 5).

Ekaa will be heading to The Elephant Room, Singapore to celebrate their third anniversary with a special takeover featuring a combination of Indian and Singaporean flavours. And, UK-based Griffith Foods will be launching a new line of sauces for the Indian market including a Naga Jolokia Sauce, Makhani Gravy Base, Schezwan Sauce, Bhuna Gravy Base, and Guntur Hot Sauce.

Open for business

Novotel Goa Resort and Spa launched its new Italian meets Goan cuisine restaurant, Forno Tinto, while Taj Resort and Convention Centre’s first standalone fine dining restaurant, C2C, offers seafood from across the world. Elsewhere is The Outpost by the people behind Sly Granny; the Spanish tapas bar Isabella’s, fresh ice-creams and gelatos at The Ice-cream Man, and the Burmese SOPÓ.

Pune will see India’s first restaurant residency at The Ritz-Carlton. Alta Vida is a poolside cocktail bar and grill, which will welcome a rotating line-up of international chefs, every six months. Pune’s JW Marriott has Tao-Fu that celebrates China’s rich food heritage using generational recipes; The Westin Pune Koregaon Park opened the upscale modern Indian restaurant Aafreen — Inspired Indian. In addition, the city saw the openings of chef Amninder Sandhu’s cuisine agnostic Nora, and a cocktail bar, Cobbler & Crew.

Delhi has the earth-friendly café Fig at Malcha, the European Bergamo, and Effingut – The Tru Craft Brewery. Bengaluru has the contemporary Nerlu Café promoting artisanal Indian coffees.

In Mumbai is Pizza Dude, a delivery kitchen offering Roman style sourdough pizzas that can be bought by the slice, or even square; Salud is a boutique restaurant serving international fusion cuisine; Project Hum aims is a fast-casual restaurant that serves healthy, organic food and details where every ingredient comes from. Ekaa’s founders launched KMC* offering comforting but elevated fare. The Lovefools launched a new bakery with a menu that includes Kashmiri brioche naan with yakhni curry, Japanese pull-apart bun, cookies and more.

High spirits

Mizoram, which is a dry state, recently implemented the Mizoram Liquor (Prohibition) Draft Rules, 2022, which allow the sale and production of wine.

There were many new launches by beverage brands: BACARDÍ India’s MIX’R range of premium non-alcoholic mixers; Radico Khaitan’s flavoured rum, 1965 Spirit of Victory Lemon Dash Rum; Third Eye Distillery’s Short Story that includes a classic London dry gin, a triple distilled, charcoal-filtered grain vodka, and an Indo-Caribbean white rum; and United Breweries’ Heineken® Silver.

Bira 91 partnered with wellness brand, VAHDAM India to launch Chamomile Tea Lager, made with green tea, chamomile, and dried orange peels; and Igloo Beers launched two special Dabble Dubble — a Belgian style brew with spices and dark fruits and Ludwing’s Party Fesbier — a light malty toffee brew. On their second anniversary, Spaceman & Company launched The Secret Orchard gin collection — Grapefruit & Rose, Lemon & Elderflower, Coffee & Hazelnut — in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi and Goa. Also in Goa is a new limited-edition, single malt whisky from Fullarton Distilleries, in collaboration with All Things Nice called Woodburns: A Tale of Oak.

In other news, gin brand DOJA won a silver at the Gin Masters Awards (by Global Spirits Masters Competition) in the super premium category. Ronin Wines Private Limited, the people behind Moonshine Meadery have raised $2 million as part of its pre-Series A funding.

Recipes and more

Baker and Instagram favourite, Shivesh Bhatia has a new book — Eggless Baking with Shivesh — which includes recipes like pina colada tart, oat and raisin cookies and more. Paachakam is author Sabita Radhakrishna’s second cookbook, and aims to shed light on Kerala’s heritage community-based cuisine including that of the Nairs,, Poduvals, Syrian Christians, Moplahs (Mappilas), Cochin Jews, Thiyas and Nambuthiris.

Cookbook author Archana Pidathala’s second book, Why Cook, is now available on her website. It features stories and recipes from women who have inspired, influenced and cooked with Pidathala. She also announced the launch of Five Morsels Press, an independent publishing house founded by the author

Sudha Menon’s Recipes for Life features recipes from well-known Indians and their mothers, including Mary Kom and Vidya Balan. Monish Gujral, the chairman of the Moti Mahal chain, launched a book, On the Pickle Trail, detailing 100 pickling recipes.

Nandita Iyer has announced her fourth cookbook, The Great Indian Thali – Seasonal Vegetarian Wholesomeness, published by Roli Books, an all-colour, hardcover book with 80 recipes. It is available for pre-order here.

And Goya’s very own cookbook will be shipping out soon. The media house is self-publishing its first cookbook, and crossed its crowdfund target of 10 lakh last month. The book features 40+ family recipes from the Goya community, representing regions and cuisines across the length and breadth of the country, many of which are being documented for the first time in print.  

Joanna Lobo is an independent journalist from Goa who enjoys writing about food, her Goan heritage, the freelance life, and other things that make her happy. Follow her on @thatdoggonelady.

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