Food, Drinks & Good Times: That's How Team Slurrp Rolled Along 2022

As 2022 draws to a close, what better way to do a quick recap than revisit some of the fondest memories we weaved with food. At Slurrp, ‘food is our only religion’ - be it indulging in an elaborate fanfare of gourmet dishes and drinks at high-end restaurants, tucking into fiery flavours at roadside dhabas, or simply enjoying yummy homemade food with family. For Team Slurrp, food is a passion we love to pursue. 

You have read our food articles, followed the chef interviews, and tried out our recipes. Now, as we are poised to enter a new year, let’s take a walk down memory lane and pick the fondest memory we would love to treasure all our lives. A few members of the team have shared theirs. Read on…          

Wherever I travel to, I always make sure to try the local flavours to a tee, and my trip to Amritsar was no different. I made it a point to try Sarson Ka Saag, Palak Paneer, and Dal at every place. There’s an elegance to the simplicity of these dishes that make it easy to separate the wheat from the chaff.  The restaurants that made it to the finals of the ‘Saga of Saags’ – the culinary equivalent of ‘Dance of the Dragons’ – were Yellow Chilli Restaurant, Kesar Da Dhaba, Brothers and Bharawan. And from Punjab as I headed to Kashmir, not just the landscape but each morsel that I indulged in saw very different flavours, taste, and texture. Got to know that true Wazwan consists of 36 courses. A normal team of Wazas include a head chef, called Wouste Waze, and several other junior chefs. And yes, talking of ‘bread supremacy’, Kashmir can give Mumbai a run for its bread obsession. 

I swear by spiced winter sangria: Saloni Brahmachari  

I enjoyed this cold-weather sangria with a dash of bourbon at a family picnic on a Sunday afternoon. Sangria isn’t just for summer. With red wine as its base, wintry spices and in-season citrus can transform this drink into an ideal cold-weather sipper. Not to forget, winter is the best time of the year to enjoy juicy and sweet citrus fruits.

 Amit Gupta whose 2022 passed by indulging in Thatte Idli 

When I was given to share what I ate the most in 2022, the only thing that crossed my mind was the Thatte Idli courtesy Carnatic café. These huge fluffy idli’s has been my comfort for years and whenever I visit this outlet, I can blindly order this dish. What makes it extra special for me that is served in a copper plate topped with a absolutely delicious chutney and some butter (just perfect for winter), and was filling and tasty. 

Pazham Nirachathu can transport you to a world of pure delight: Nitya Vijay 

Indulging in blissful homemade Pazham Nirachathu, a traditional sweet snack from lush northern Kerala, is a day I cherish. I made it for the first time at home this year, during a breakfast get-together. I prepared it by stuffing ripe plantains with freshly grated coconut, jaggery, aromatic spices, and a handful of cashews. These were then fried until they turned golden brown. Each bite was a burst of flavour and texture. Whether you savour it as a snack or a dessert, Pazham Nirachathu is sure to satisfy your cravings and transport you to a world of pure delight. 

I was saved by hummus in Dubai: Sushmita Sengupta 

After spending some six hours at the airport when we finally headed to our hotel in Dubai, we were no longer the three girls who were on their first-ever girls’ trip abroad. Instead, we ended up being three cranky slobs who just needed a room and a bed to crash out. But again, that was not meant to be for three more hours. So, we decided to step out and grab some breakfast. We witnessed the city in its downtime (at about 9 am). Most shops were still shut. With Sri Lankan, Japanese, and Italian eateries all lined together, the lane we strolled around was a foodie’s dream come true, but only after 11 am. We kept walking in a straight line - too scared to turn left, too hungry to think right. And just like that, we found ourselves at the Al Mallah Canteen. “Are you open?” we asked. “In 10 minutes,” they said. We take our seats, order a shawarma and some hummus. There was complimentary pita bread lying on the table, and we started munching on it. Then, came the hummus - creamy and delightful as ever. We tore our pitas like roti, smeared it with the chickpea-based dip, missed home a bit, and looked ahead to a week full of adventure with a smile. 

From my kitchen to five-stars restaurants 2022 I slurped my way – Ayandrali Dutta

Lured by a food since my childhood, I found it very emotional. Whether happy, sad angry, confused I ended up eating. And this this year was no different. 

There are few meals each year that I look forward to like the Poila boishak plate, the Onam Sadya and not to miss my favourite Durga Pujo bhog at my home in Kolkata. Starting the year with great Himachali food, to heading on to gorge on some Nalli Nihari to some Mathura ke peda to the extraordinary meal by Michelin-starred chef Adriano Baldassarre and meeting face to face with Hemant Oberoi to an extraordinary meal plated with love by my ‘Dida’ just like I cant stop countinued my blessings in the same way I cant stop counting the some of the extraordinary plates that I deleved in. 

These memories that I created in 2022 will help me connect and feel to what and where I belong. As I head to 2023 I shall take out time to make food and eat together and sharing the highs and lows and laughing it over the food.

I drove from Delhi to Jaipur only to eat Laal Maas: Risha Ganguly

It was one of those lazy weekends in Delhi. I was still deciding on what to eat for lunch, and it was already 2 pm. Writing about food is a boon and a bane at the same time, because my mind was set on eating Laal Maas from this particular restaurant in Jaipur, and nothing else could match up to that. So, at 2pm on a Saturday, I booked a Zoom Car, took a friend along, and we started driving to Jaipur – just because I really wanted to have Laal Maas from Handi. Of course, we reached the place too late and had to satiate our hunger with blissful Pyaz Ki Kachoris from roadside vendors. But the first thing I did the next day was call up the restaurant, book a table at the earliest and enjoy my Laal Maas with Missi roti. We didn’t visit any fort, couldn’t do any shopping, nor make a trip to Hawa Mahal, but we did enjoy Laal Maas, and even got some packed and ate it for two days in Delhi. This is one unforgettable trip, and I plan to take many more like it.

Enjoying Kaanji and Pinni at home made 2022 special for me: Tanisha Salwan 

Growing up in a Punjabi household, my life really revolves around food. From having heavy butter-loaded parathas for breakfast to having ‘maa ki dal’ for dinner, food remains my top priority, and why not! My fondest food memory of 2022 would be that of indulging in Kaanji and Pinni. For those who don’t know about these, Pinnis are ghee-loaded laddoos made using wheat flour and nuts, while Kaanji is a fermented drink made with carrots or beetroot. I had these in my childhood too, but they have really made a special place in my heart this year. My mother giving me a Pinni with a glass full of milk every day and my father serving me a Kaanji while flaunting its benefits is something so special for me. In the future, whenever I think of Pinni and Kaanji, it will take me back to 2022 when I got to enjoy the food I really didn’t care so much about in my childhood (all thanks to being able to work from home!).