South Delhi has a culinary secret, and its roots originated in Odisha. Odia cuisine is often called the best-kept secret of India, and two lawyers from the state are bringing an elevated version of it to the capital in the form of Rosei Ghara – a cloud kitchen in Delhi – that does pop-up supper clubs around the capital.
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Anubhuti Misra and Aditi Mohapatra were both trained as lawyers. In 2013, they moved from Cuttack and Bhubaneswar to Delhi, and over a decade later, a deep nostalgia for their homeland, a love of food, and the authentic Odia flavours they could never find led them to set up Rosei Ghara.
Travelling to the land of Pakhala and dahi bara aloo dum
On a hot, sweaty Delhi afternoon, I visited them for their Pakhala pop-up at Indicā, which led to a gastronomical experience that transported me back to Odisha – to how my grandmother, mother, and aunts cook Odia food.
Pakhala, the central theme of the supper club, is not just a fermented rice summer dish but the soul of Odisha, carrying century-old memories and providing relief in the sweltering heat. Originally considered a poor man's gruel, which is fermented rice soaked overnight, it is Odisha's unique summertime ritual that has evolved into a global sensation, a probiotic wonder.
The meal began with a variety of papads served with a smoky, spicy, and nutty tomato poda chutney and refreshing mogra ice tea. The Pakhala served at Rosei Ghar was prepared traditionally with curd, green chilli, and a slice of lemon, and finished with Torani – a spiced yoghurt drink tempered with curry leaves, mustard seeds, and red chillies.
An array of complementary sides elevated the dish further, finished with manda pitha with sliced mangoes. For non-vegetarians, there was bhetki machha bhaja (fish fry), robust mutton kasa, flavourful aloo chakta (bharta), badi (sun-dried lentil dumpling) chura, and saaga badi.
The bustling Odia food scene in Delhi
In a conversation with HT Lifestyle, Anubhuti and Aditi reflected on their journey from home cooking to a commercial kitchen, their efforts to introduce family recipes and regional specialities like Dahi Bara Aloo Dum to a wider audience, and more.
For the lawyers, Rosei Ghara came about from their deep frustration at not being able to find Odia food in Delhi. They first began cooking at home, inviting friends over to try the food they grew up eating, which soon led to an Instagram page featuring weekend-only menus and deliveries. Soon, as order volumes grew, they set up a commercial kitchen in Shahpur Jat.
And their menu isn't limited to pakhala, you will find them cooking a constellation of popular Odia dishes, from bamboo mutton and crab curry to chhena poda and other desserts. Though not the first supper club to promote regional food in Delhi-NCR, they are the first Odia cloud kitchen to operate in the Region. They even do Jalakhia pop-ups
When asked about their relationship with Odia food and how it translates to Rosei Ghara, they said, “All the food is very nostalgia-based. It is everything that should remind us of our grandmother or mother, which is what we are trying to replicate and bring that culture here in Delhi.”
They add, “A lot of our recipes actually come from our family recipes. But we also like to find foods outside the areas we grew up in because Odia food is also not just limited to, you know, Cuttack or Bhubaneswar. There’s a lot of Odia food in different districts. The Northern and Southern parts have very different flavour palettes, while Western Odisha has a myriad of cuisines that are so underrated and unexplored.”
But growing up in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar – cultural pots of Odia cuisine – it did have an impact on what they cook. They confess, “Cuttack has such a street food culture, and we made sure the dahi bara aloo dum we make is the same as what you eat in Cuttack. We even do Jalakhia supper clubs that revolve around the snack culture of our state.”
In the end, the lawyers stressed that when somebody thinks of Indian food, it cannot be just biryani, butter chicken, mutton rogan josh or dal makhani. “I’m not saying this is not good food, but there has to be more variety. The regional food scene in Delhi is definitely on the rise, and people are embracing it. They want tasty but healthy food, and it can be your Indian curry prepared with better, cleaner ingredients.”
Additionally, they stressed that Odia cuisine is not difficult to explore because it is geographically well placed, right above Tamil Nadu and under West Bengal. “You know food in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, what's stopping you from exploring Odia food. You know dosa, so you don't have to travel far away to understand what a Chakuli Pitha is. I understand people make many comparisons between Odia and Bengali food, but we are culturally very distinct while also very similar. If somebody enjoys Bengali food or Bihari food…I can’t imagine why they won’t enjoy Odia food.”