Journey through a Naga spice trail

Experience simple yet delicious Naga cuisine at Nagaland House, with dishes like pork ribs and chicken thali. Book in advance.

Birthday lunches tend to be heavy affairs — full of special dishes cooked in elaborate ways. And that is why I remember in particular a birthday meal with a very simple menu hosted by a friend many years ago. She had invited us to lunch at the Nagaland House on APJ Abdul Kalam Road. Our meal consisted of lightly steamed greens, rice and dal. And there was pork, cooked with hardly any spice or oil — but among the most delicious pork dishes I had eaten.

So, it was with some sepia-tinted joy that I went to Nagaland House a few days ago. The canteen is small and tidy, and has a limited menu. I asked at the reception if there was pork, and I was happy to know that it was available that day. The server informed me that the menu included a pork thali and a chicken thali. We opted for both, and soon there was an array of dishes in front of me — chicken curry, pork curry, boiled vegetables, masoor dal, steamed rice and a small bowl of fiery chutney.

The food was simply cooked — and superb. It was not as light as it was the last time, but delicious nevertheless. The pork, for instance, was lined with soft fat, and came in gravy tempered largely with chillies. The boiled vegetables — cabbage and beans — were crisp and mildly sweet, and ably complemented the chillies in the gravy. The chicken, again, was well cooked. The pieces were large and tender, but the gravy was the same: thin and hot. The masoor dal was cooked the way we prepare it at home, well-mashed, and with just a few basic spices.

The server told me that it would be advisable to call before going there for lunch, so that the kitchen could prepare the dishes in advance, or you would know what was on the menu that day. The menu includes such delicacies as pork ribs, but you won’t always find these dishes ready — so it’s good to give them notice.

I paid ₹800 for the two thalis. Pork ribs are for ₹600 a plate. There’s a Nagaland House in RK Puram, too — but there again you have to book in advance.

I remember the time when there were no Naga food outlets in Delhi. I had some good Naga friends who made a delicious chutney with roasted birds, and that was my introduction to Naga food. Then, the friends would bring smoked pork from Nagaland — and I remember how delectable that was.

Now, of course, there are many big and small eateries spread across the city. Nagaland’s Kitchen in Green Park is known for its food (it has a Naga section with dishes such as chicken with bamboo shoots wrapped in a banana leaf and crisp pork belly with dry fish chutney). Humayunpur in South Delhi is a hub of North-Eastern food. The chilli quotient is high, and the ultra-hot bhoot jolokia or ghost pepper is quite a favoured chilli. The food of Nagaland heats up the stomach, no doubt. But it also warms the cockles of the heart.