A tasty tale of two cities: A food documentary that captures the flavours of Mumbai and Kolkata

Chakraborty tries her hand at tossing noodles at a roadside stall

For the past decade or so, chef and former restaurateur Shrimoyee Chakraborty has been cooking up a food show in her head. Packed with diverse sights, sounds and flavours emanating from the kitchens of India, the show, she imagined, would be her thesis to prove to the world that desi food is more than just tandoori chicken or tikka masala. After shifting from Kolkata to Mumbai, and then to the United Kingdom (UK), where she opened two restaurants in London, Chakraborty has finally turned her thoughts into reality. India Bites, a five-part documentary series created and presented by Chakraborty, released across the world yesterday.

Crepe being prepared at Suzette, in Bandra

Produced by Tastemade and Bagh Films Limited, the series introduces viewers to the Indian foodscape vis-à-vis Mumbai and Kolkata, while taking on stereotypes that foreigners harbour regarding desi food. Indian food is spicy curry; Indian film and music is just Bollywood; Indian culture is loud - these are some of the many common perceptions that Chakraborty battled as a 20-something student when she moved abroad. "I would crave ghar ka khana and would make Bengali dishes that my mother prepared, and my fellow students would go, ‘Oh, is this also Indian food?'" recounts the TV presenter who eventually started doing food pop-ups across London.

Imaad Shah and the host in a still from the show

The series is an extension of her attempt to showcase the culinary diversity of India. With crisp, breezy episodes that clock approximately 20 minutes, the show packs in a rudimentary guide on the many cooking styles, ingredients and cuisines of the country. Shuttling between Mumbai and Kolkata, Chakraborty takes viewers to Chindian joints, old Irani cafés, sandwich vendors, chaat thelas, roll counters, legendary cake shops, five-star restaurants, hip jazz bars, and nondescript home kitchens.

Nicole Mody and Chakraborty at Cafe Military

While aimed at the non-Indian viewer, the episodes combine a food-meets-culture approach, which makes it engaging for desi foodies, too. In each episode, she uses the lens of gastronomy to explore music, gender bias, fashion, beauty standards, love and societal expectations, and the start-up culture. So, bowls of chaat, spicy paneer chilli fry, tender bheja fry and more are lapped up by familiar faces like Jim Sarbh, Imaad Shah, Rytasha Rathore, Nicole Mody, and sushi curator Harry Hakuei Kosato, among others. Between chatting and tasting, Chakraborty - unlike many mainstream Indian women TV hosts - doesn't hesitate to get her hands dirty, tossing noodles at a roadside thela and doling out crêpes at a crêperie with equal ease. "Why are women supposed to be sitting pretty in studio kitchens while male hosts have all the fun outside? I wanted to break that mould," she tells us.

One of the episodes features Jim Sarbh and chaats

The host's biggest takeaway includes realising that the superfoods that the world is celebrating today have been a part of the working class Indian's diet since ages. In future, she hopes to travel to the foodscapes of Pondicherry, Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. "The idea is to have more seasons and showcase food from lesser-explored cities. I would like to focus next on the hills of India or the beaches," she signs off.

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