2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Pune on My Plate: Hidden gems in the city that serve authentic Northeastern cuisine
Written by Kivi Lydia Vito
Much like navigating the misty hills of the Northeast, finding authentic Northeastern cuisine in Pune is an adventure in itself, but tucked away amid the city's streets are some outlets that plate up authentic Assamese and Naga cuisine.
Pune now has a trio of Northeastern food establishments: hidden gems that are more home kitchen than commercial ventures. Two of these cloud kitchens operate weekly, taking pre-orders for their delicacies that you won't see listed on Swiggy or Zomato.
These flavours speak of heritage. Each bite carries the essence of faraway villages and smoky kitchens, where bamboo shoots sizzle, pork simmers slowly, and fermented ingredients tell tales of tradition.
Millie's Majuli: authentic taste of Assam
Millie's Majuli is christened after the founder's nickname 'Millie' and Majuli, a riverine island located on the Brahmaputra, which is considered the cultural capital of Assam, making it a heartfelt tribute to home.
The cloud kitchen was launched by Purnendu Baroowa and Monjeeta Baroowa, who have called Pune their home for nearly two decades. Purnendu says, 'This effort was born out of a deep longing for Assamese food. After years of searching for such a place to feel closer to our roots, my wife and I decided to take matters into our own hands.'
Monjeeta adds, 'We launched it on April 15, 2023, which coincided with the Assamese festival of Bihu. The idea was to bring the flavours of Assam here.'
From Assamese-style black sesame pork, traditional Assamese thalis – both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, Assamese duck curry, to rohu fish tenga (sour), xoriyoh diya misa maas (prawns in mustard), aloo pitika and mosur dali, every dish is a fragrant memory carefully cooked by Monjeeta to deliver the comfort and soul of Assamese meals. 'We focus on home-cooked, quality food, and Monjeeta ensures that our warmth and authenticity reach every customer,' says Purnendu.
According to Monjeeta, all their ingredients are sourced directly from Assam, with select spices like bhut jolokia and Schezwan pepper brought from Nagaland to ensure that each dish carries the unique essence of its home state.
The dishes are priced between Rs 150 and Rs 500, making them very affordable. This cosy cloud kitchen operates from a homely space in Viman Nagar, and while you won't find it on Swiggy or Zomato, orders can be placed and viewed through their website.
Ale's Kitchen: a Naga culinary journey
At just 28, Watile Magh, affectionately known as Ale, has created a vibrant space for traditional Naga cuisine in Pune's diverse food landscape. Her restaurant, Ale's Kitchen, originally opened in Hinjewadi, is now gearing up to move to a new location in Viman Nagar by mid-June 2025.
Unlike a cloud kitchen, Ale's Kitchen is a full-service restaurant offering diners an authentic sit-down experience, where the aromas, textures, and flavours of Naga food come alive. Magh runs the kitchen with a dedicated team of four Naga staff members.
Her updated menu serves everything a person from the Northeast could dream of and is 70 per cent pork-based. The pork, mostly dried and smoked, is sourced only from Nagaland, besides the other ingredients that she uses.
Magh shares, 'Naga food is traditionally cooked without using oil, so my dishes focus on zero oil approach.' She emphasises the indigenous cooking methods as an essential part to highlight the natural flavours of the ingredients.
The restaurant serves authentic Naga dishes such as black rice with smoked pork, smoked pork with axone (fermented soybean), smoked pork with anishi (fermented yam leaves), the hearty Naga pork thali, galho (rice porridge cooked with seasonal herbs and leafy greens), pork with bamboo shoot and sticky rice with bhut jolokia chutney.
These flavourful, traditional meals are priced between Rs 500 and 1,000.
Taste of LKR: serving Ao Naga flavours
Fast food online and traditional Ao Naga cuisine offline, Rejeimba Longkumer's venture is both personal and unique. It is like reaching the end of a book and finding one more unexpected page.
Longkumer's cloud kitchen, Taste of LKR, was opened on July 4, 2024. The 32-year-old says, 'I am driven by a lifelong love for cooking, so I chose the cloud-kitchen model to focus on delivering quality and authenticity without the rush of a traditional restaurant. Currently, I am running the kitchen solo but plan to open a restaurant in the near future.'
The menu draws from Ao Naga culinary traditions, featuring dishes like anishi (fermented yam leaves) with pork, rosup (boiled vegetables with dry fish and bamboo shoots), dry pork with anishi, pork with bamboo shoots, amrusu (chicken in rice gruel), and zawo, a mixed rice dish with vegetables and meat.
The prices range from Rs 400 to Rs 1,000, depending on the quantity. To place orders, you can contact them via Zomato and request the offline menu.
Kivi Lydia Vito is an intern with The Indian Express.
