Mumbai: Chef Raji Gupta is reinventing coastal food with sit-down dinners at her Beyond Dining Co

It has been nothing less than a roller coaster ride for Mumbai-based Chef Raji Gupta since she first started her home dining – Beyond Dining Co venture in 2019. Specialising in her popular coastal food pop-ups, Chef Raji cooks and serves tables for some well-travelled people at her Tuscan-influenced two-story Sunnyside villa who are as passionate about food as her. And Beyond Dining Co she says gives her an opportunity to also cater to different cultured cuisine that meets with the best taste, ambience and service. 

Hailing from Karnataka, she is an avid cook with a strong connection with coastal food and some of her best delicacies are Bisibele Bhaat, Chicken Curry, Holige or Puran Poli, Kardanta, Belgavi Kunda, Pedha, and traditional South Indian breakfast dishes Dosa, and Idli. We recently caught up with the chef to talk more about her journey, how the home dining culture has evolved, the rise of home chefs in India and much more.

What do you think about the rise of home chefs in India?

2021 and 2022 have seen a lot of new home chefs getting out of their comfort zone and trying to create their name and business in a food industry. But with time I believe the quality is declining. Quality needs to be sustained or else there is going to be a downfall. We need to understand what ratio we are focusing on right now the demand is 1 and the supply of home chefs is 50 i.e. 1:50. I am afraid the rise of a home chef can soon become a surplus.

You have studied food in Thailand and London, what do you think about the similarities or dissimilarities between the culinary cultures of India and abroad? Do you think they can complement each other?

Thailand or Uk or India all have curry recipes. British-Indian curry or Thai curry. And they complement each other well. I have lived and studied in both countries and have successfully cooked Indian food in the kitchen. Today you get all the spices from around the world when you travel. Right from getting ghee to haldi (turmeric) or curry leaves you will find it all in your travels.

What kind of food do you like to cook and eat?

I believe food doesn’t need to be complicated. You need to pick the right ingredients. My go-to food is always comfort food. And it depends on the time of day. It can be Dal Chawal, simple Pasta, Curd Rice, or Khichdi. When it comes to going to food I prefer quick and easy. And these are the recipes that can be made prior and kept too.

How would you describe your food philosophy?

My food philosophy is very simple: 'Have a balanced diet' and relish your food.

There must be some dish that has got passed down through generations in your family, which might have influenced you to create something in your kitchen at Beyond Dining Co. What would that one dish be?

Every family has a recipe that is passed down from their forefathers and for me, Kulith Pitle is made from horse gram flour just like Besan Pithle. It’s a winter delicacy as it’s warm for the belly. My mother used to make this with broken rice and serve it with papad and mango pickle. The most delicious and comfortable food. And in Beyond Dining Co I serve bite-size Zhunka Bhakri with Vada Pav Chutney as an appetiser.

Personally, what do you think will be the biggest thing in food for the world in 2023?

2023 is going to be a year full of surprises. People are going to welcome new cuisines. Visit restaurants but at the same time enjoy the home food. As now they are exposed to home style good quality food.

What's next in your trajectory of cooking and serving?

My focus is on delivering easy and delicious recipes and creating a platform to showcase these recipes, also I am focusing on tablescaping. I want to take entertaining guests to the next level. I also see a book in the future.