Actress Rakul Preet Singh who recently starred in ‘Runway 34’ opposite Ajay Devgn is riding high on the critical acclaim for the drama. The film also stars Amitabh Bachchan and is currently streaming on a popular OTT platform. Rakul has a string of interesting projects in the pipeline including Indra Kumar's slice-of-life comedy Thank God alongside Devgn and Sidharth Malhotra, and Anubhuti Kashyap's Doctor G with Ayushmann Khurrana. Despite shooting round the clock, Rakul finds time to look after her diet, and satisfy some of her intense cravings too. Recently, she showed us how eating healthy may not always be boring by making a healthy chaat with onions, tomatoes, carrots, peanuts, moong dal, green chutney, tamarind chutney, chopped coriander and puffed rice. The recipe was by nutritionist Raashi Chowdhary, and it sure looked every bit tempting. But when it is time to feast, Rakul is not among the ones to shy away. Recently, she went to Ladakh and indulged in many local delicacies. She put up a video on her YouTube channel, where she visited Alchi Kitchen, on Monastery Road Ladakh for “original, traditional Ladakhi food”.
The award-winning restaurant rustled up an authentic fare for her, and some of the items on the menu were egg salad, apple walnut salad and shrimps and chicken pulao. Drooling much? So are we.
Ladakh is a foodie’s paradise. From the exquisite range of dumplings, soups, and stews to the free use of local cheese and herbs, and the local, fiery pickles and condiments make Ladakhi food truly one of a kind, and the Alchi Kitchen has been doing a commendable job in showcasing authentic Ladakhi cuisine, which till date remains largely unexplored.
In our brief interaction with the founder and chef of the Alchi Kitchen early this year, we unraveled many secrets about the cuisine and the chef extraordinaire. Did you know, Chef Nilza’s work in the culinary realm was recognized with the highest award for women in India – Nari Shakti Puraska in the year 2019. Nilza told us that she has been cooking since the tender age of nine, chef Nilza picked up the nuances of cooking and the nitty-gritties of Himalayan cuisine from her mother and grandmother. “I helped my mom and grandmom to cook almost everything, I never did a course or anything, I learned everything from them”. Speaking more about the cuisine and how it is misrepresented, she told us that there lies a world of food beyond momos in Ladakh. “So many people do not know about indigenous cheese, like Yak cheese that is only grown in Himalayas, also, the obsession with mutton. Poultry is consumed, but it is definitely given somewhat of a secondary treatment,” she added.
Have you ever tried Ladakhi food, do let us know your favourite dishes.
