Let’s face it: how much do we really know about Northeast Indian cuisine
other than momos and thukpa? Yes, the last couple of years have seen handful
restaurants in the capital serving cuisines from Nagaland and across the
Himalayan region. And there are occasional pop-ups featuring Assamese fare and
so on. But did you know that Sikkim has been declared as the first Organic State
of India? Or that the state has just one tea garden and yet boasts one of the
finest qualities of white tea? Binita Chamling proudly shares these and other
trivia about her home-state. She’s the co-founder of Nimtho, a cosy restaurant
in New Delhi’s GK-1 serving home-style food of Sikkim. And if you thought that
Sikkimese food was limited to momos and thukpa you owe yourself a trip to
Nimtho.
“Nimtho” translates to “an invitation” in the Nepali language. The
restaurant aims to share a glimpse of Sikkimese hospitality and warmth through
their food. “Many people think that in Sikkim we speak Sikkimese, but actually
there is no language called Sikkimese,” shares Binita, adding that almost 70%
of the Sikkimese population actually migrated from Nepal many, many years ago.
That is why Nepali is spoken widely in the state and even the cuisine is
heavily influenced by that of Nepal. It also has some influences from the
neighbouring state of West Bengal and even Bihar.
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| The Sikkimese Thali |
So without much ado we decide to order a Sikkimese thali because we
feel that a thali is undoubtedly the best way to sample an array of a relatively unfamiliar
cuisine. A beautiful brass platter comes with matching cutlery and bowls. It is
filled with assorted pickles, some salad, churpi soup, sautéed spinach and
mixed vegetables made with carrots and potatoes, a delicious chicken curry,
succulent pork, rice, papad and sesame crusted karela fritters. The meal is delicious
and has the appeal of home-style cooking, some familiar flavours and even some
that take your palate on an adventurous ride. Although the thali contains more
than sufficient food for one person, we also decide to explore the menu a bit
more since it features traditional and even some forgotten foods of Sikkim.
From the range of soups we try the Sisnu ko Raas, a soup made with the
stinging nettle’s flowers, stalks and shoots stewed in pounded rice. It is
delicious and we enjoy it even more when we learn about the many health benefits
of nettle. You could even try the Mutton ko Raas, a Nepali soup made with
mutton and daal. An interesting vegetarian option is the Churpi ko Raas that was
also served in the thali. Churpi is a traditional cheese made in the Himalayan
region, either with yak or cow’s milk. Here it tastes much like cottage cheese.
There is also a Mula Churpi salad made with juliennes of radish and churpi. The
range of starters includes spicy salad mixes with crunchy noodles, and dishes made with soya bean
and potatoes. Gundruk is a specialty made with fermented and dried mustard. For
non-vegetarian options there are chilli chicken, chilli pork, pork ribs, fish
and Syapta, a choice of stir fried meat with fresh ingredients.
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| Top: Buckwheat Momos Bottom: Sisnu ko Raas; Wacheepa. |
And then there are, of course, the momos and thukpa. Apart from steamed
and fried varieties of momos, there are jhol momos that come in a soupy broth, tigmo
momos or steamed buns, saphalay or pies stuffed with minced meat and taipo or
steamed buns with a choice of fillings. We try the buckwheat momos with pork, that are a
modern take on this traditional food item. They are soft to the bite and filled
with juicy, almost soupy, meat. The three accompanying sauces made with red
chillies, coriander and churpi and schezwan pepper as delicious as the momos. The next time you have a momo-craving, this is
certainly where you should head. We will be going back too, also to try meals
in a bowl like the thukpa, gyathuk and thenthuk. Then there’s a choice of
Sikkimese curries and assorted noodle and rice dishes. The Wacheepa is a rice
dish made with char-grilled chicken; its flavour is further enhanced with the
powder of burnt chicken feathers.
In short, Nimtho serves an extensive choice of home-style Sikkimese
food. If you have an adventurous palate you’ll be delighted, and there’s also enough
comfort food for people with conservative eating choices. Do try it out and let us know about your favourites.
Details
Nimtho, 304, Block R, 1st
Floor, Greater Kailash I, Greater Kailash, New Delhi, Delhi 110048.
Timings: 12–11:30 pm.
Phone: 011 4909 3620
Prices: Starters Rs 179
onwards; Momos Rs 239 onwards; Thalis Rs 439 onwards.
This article first
appeared on indiatoday.intoday.in on August 1, 2017.
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