Foodies on their feet

An innovative tour through vegetable markets and restaurants in Mumbai and across India gets to the heart of Indian cuisine.

Once upon a time food came out of the kitchen onto our plates, and was eaten, enjoying the comfort of familiar tastes and traditional cuisine. Over time, the food scenario in India has been transformed. People now think about how the food gets to our plates, the local history behind dishes, the significance of ingredients, and the magical way flavours mingle on the plate and the palate. Tapping into foodie curiosity about the cultural, gastronomical and historical dimensions of even the simplest dish, Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal, reputed food blogger and cooking consultant, has launched Masala Meanders, a tour concept that takes food-lovers behind the scenes of lip-smacking Indian food.

“Cooking has become trendy in India, especially through TV,” says Rushina. “Of course, Masterchef India is a disaster, but shows like Highway on My Plate and Khana Khazana get deep into Indian food and tap into a reservoir of latent interest in food.”

So what’s Masala Meanders all about? Conceptualised and guided by Rushina, it’s going to be a way to visit the bylanes of Mumbai in search of the best ingredients, the most authentic Indian food and “the perfect bite”, where participants get to visit the fresh produce markets and then eat at restaurants where that produce is turned into a delicious meal. There is also the possibility of a cooking demonstration at the end where you learn to replicate those flavours in your own kitchen.

The first tour kicks off on November 20. Gujarat nu Jaman is a vegetarian food tour where Rushina takes you through the bhaji galis (or vegetable lanes) of Grant Road as she explains the seasonal approach to indigenous vegetables in traditional Gujarati cuisine. Wind up at Soam Restaurant for unique Gujarati food and sample ingredients and dishes discussed on the tour.

The other tour, Indian Home Cooking (for vegetarians and non-vegetarians), takes people through the quintessentially Indian thali concept. As Rushina eloquently puts it, “Within the rim of the Indian thali, many traditions abound, handed down from one generation of cooks to the next.” The tour starts with a market walk where the discussion centres on the culinary heritage of the thali meal that cleverly ensures a mix of ingredients and cooking styles for a balanced diet and concludes with a cooking session at a demo kitchen.

If all you food-lovers out there are salivating already, it only gets better. Masala Trails, Rushina’s newest venture, in partnership with her sister Himanshi, is an attempt to showcase India’s glorious culinary heritage through a tour that takes you to all corners of India, from Kolkata to Mumbai, Agra to Thekkady.

Taking the food traveller off the “eaten” track, it delves into lesser-known elements of Indian cuisine. The tour will last 23 food-filled days from February 25 to March 20, 2011. On the menu are thoughtfully chosen experiences structured to bring out the best of Indian flavours. Putting together the itinerary has been a gastronomic adventure for Rushina, who travelled all over India to include as much as possible. She jokes, “I have used my profession shamelessly — it offered the perfect cover for being greedy without appearing to be a slob!”

Gujarat nu Jaman: November 20 and January 15. Indian Home Cooking: December 18 and February 19. To sign up for Masala Meanders Mumbai tours, email masalatrails@beaconholidays.com.au or call 022-40418888