Goya is thrilled to bring you the Farmers’ Feast. Three farms from across India, two community-tables, and one incredible chef.

Date: Sept 9th, 2023
Time: 12.30 pm, lunch
Venue: Ekaa Mumbai
7 courses; 3 cocktails
(More on the menu below)

As India’s burgeoning food scene continuous to expand, stretching in new directions, leaning into new ingredients, cuisines, and culinary techniques, we want to take you back to basics: Back to the land; to the farmer who works with this beautiful dirtball that is our planet.

The farmer is forced to reckon with the landscape, the vagaries of nature, and climate change. She negotiates with the whims of a mistress that can be both fickle and bountiful. Through the Farmers’ Feast, we aim to highlight the voice of 3 farmers, representing 3 diverse regions of India – Kerehaklu brings produce unique to the dense tropical forests of the western ghats; Vrindavan Farm, working with the deciduous landscapes of Maharashtra; and from the unforgiving sub-tropical climes of the north, Krishi Cress brings unique offerings from outside Delhi.

Despite this, they share a common vision. Pranoy Thipaiah explains that at Kerehaklu, they “work to be agriculturists in harmony with local biodiversity,” given that they share borders with the forest and the incredible wildlife that the Western Ghats are home to. Gaytri of Vrindavan Farm, echoes this philosophy. She dreams of a farm that is a self-sustained forest, growing healthy and nourishing food, harmonious with nature.

At Krishi Cress, Achintya wrestles with a vision rooted in struggle. “The first time I had exposure to high quality ingredients, and the incredible way that produce was handled at farmers’ markets, was when I lived abroad. My vision with Krishi Cress has been to develop a model in agriculture that leaves a mark nation-wide. I’m heartbroken when I hear that farming is an industry that people don’t aspire to. People would rather see their children chained to an office desk or a cleaning facility in an urban space, than work the fields.”

Through the food system, one voice that is often invisible to the end-consumer, is the voice of the grower. “Several years ago, I was nominated for a piece I had written for Goya. When I was at the awards function, I realised there were only a handful of producers in the room. As farmers, we’re the ones who are connected with this side of the world – this side of the food chain. We know the head and tail and heart of it. We understand what the possibilities are with produce; we can bridge that gap, push the limits!” Pranoy works closely with chefs that use produce from Kerehaklu. That on-going conversation enables him to push the possibilities at his end of the value chain.

The farmer’s unique position offers the diner a perspective that is often-times invisible: “To experience the pleasure of a perfectly ripe strawberry, many things must go right. Produce is at its prime for a very small time. If it is harvested 10 days too early, or 10 days too late, everything changes,” says Achintya. “Very few people have experienced the sweetness of a perfectly ripe strawberry plucked at the exact right moment.”

“From east to west, north to south, India has staggeringly diverse and beautiful produce,” Achintya says. “But our supply chain is poor; our post-harvest handling so dismal, that smaller countries, with a fraction of the diversity we have, lead the global supply on fresh produce.”

Pranoy’s farm, famous for its coffee internationally, is building a name domestically for its avocados. And he faces similar challenges. “In India right now, it is every man (or woman) for himself. Elsewhere in the word, when avocados are harvested, there are cooling trucks waiting at the ready.”

Parallely, the sharing of knowledge between producers is essential to building the industry. “The most priceless exchange between farmers is stories,” says Gaytri. “There is no one formula for any farm. Each of us three farmers grow different produce, we’re located in different environments, we have different setups and challenges, as well as hacks to overcoming them. We’re threaded together in the single effort — of working soil to grow food, and bound by a huge responsibility of environmental stewardship. Sharing stories makes each one’s toolbox more vibrant.”

The one truth that every farmer can verify, through deeply personal experience, is that everything is connected. “Today’s climate makes us all have to participate. To talk about seasonality, food miles, food waste, packaging, composting, growing methodologies, impact on our shared natural resources,” says Gaytri. “And beyond that — to let these conversations impact decision-making. The only real way forward.”

FARMERS’ FEAST MENU
Meet Gaytri, Achintya and Pranoy to hear the stories that only they can tell.

TARTARE
Kombucha, beet

GARDEN
Sambal, greens

OPEN FIRE
Sour glaze, brine

HEARTH
3 cultures

‘Noodle bowl’ 
& fruit

घर
Red rice, protein, pepper palm relish

Citrus

Date: Sept 9th, 2023
Time: 12.30 pm, lunch
Venue: Ekaa Mumbai

7 courses | 3 cocktails
INR 5,500
(veg & non-veg options dining options)

Ekaa’s mixologist Jishnu will be creating 3 craft cocktails featuring Godawan Single Malt. Godawan is Diageo’s first luxury and artisan single malt, crafted in the spirit of the desert of Rajasthan, where it is distilled. Named for Godawan, the Great Indian Bustard, a majestic bird on the brink of extinction that finds refuge in the vast deserts of the state, Godawan also draws inspiration from the artisans and craftspeople of the state of Rajasthan, their pursuit of beauty in a region marked by scarcity.

Ekaa is an ingredient driven restaurant in Mumbai’s historic Fort district, led by chef Niyati Rao and her philosophy of play and exploration “We don’t like to work with a blueprint, we experiment with cooking techniques, culinary styles, and ultimately do what allows the ingredient to shine.” For Niyati, the Farmers’ Feast is a chance to showcase their core philosophy in a new way. “While most people know this at the back of their minds, it is never the first conversation at the table, or the story that wraps around the culinary philosophy. This is a chance to tell that story front and centre - farm-forward and produce-centric, with equal emphasis on both the chef and the grower, both of whom impact the produce in very fundamental ways.”

Thank you to our partners for bringing this experience together.