It is incredibly difficult to condense the broad categories of flavours that make Indian cuisine. Every region comes with their unique touches in terms of vegetables, spices, meats and techniques used. While some foods like curries, dosas, vada pav, and naan have been used as stand ins to represent Indian food worldwide, there are various dishes remain unexplored on a local and global level.
Bringing the flavours of the hills, Seasonal Taste at The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace, is hosting a Food Weekend Pop-Up till Sunday, January 18, celebrating the vibrant cuisine of Northeast India. Curated by Gitika Saikia, a renowned home-chef, she brings soul, culture and indeginoeus ingredients to the city.
We started with Chicken wrapped in banana leaves, served with a til (sesame) and tomato chutney, vegetable fritters and an orange salad. The meat was tender, soft and has a herbeceous aroma to it. As we dug in, we also noticed a hint of sweetness imparted to the chicken by the herbs and the banana leaf wrap. The til and tomato chutney had an underlying spice and a hint of nuttiness from the sesame. The orange salad was succulent, with juicy bits of fruit coated in a savoury sauce and the vegetable fritters had a lucious texture.
Next from the live counter came the Wai-Wai chaat, a delicious mix of crunched up Wai Wai noodles, a Northeatern favourite, with white peas, black chickpeas, various vegetables and a spice mix, making it tangy, snacky and a delight to have. We also tried the Prawns in shrimp paste — juicy meat with a rich shrimp flavour.
For main course, we indulged in sticky rice served with various preparations. First we tried the pork with mustard leaves, it was smoky, spicy and the mustard leaves added a unique umami to the dish which complemented the pork. Next was the Chicken with urad dal, a hearty mix of all the flavours we love in a gravy. The Monpa style cheese and green chilli was a creamy mix with the sticky rice with a subtle heat and the fermented fish chutney was pungent and an addition that added depth of flavour to the meal. The Pork with bamboo shoot was another comforting dish which highlighted the flavour of fermented bamboo shoot. And what rice meal is complete without a dal?
We finished our flavour journey with two desserts, the Coconut barfi was nutty, sweet and indulgent, but what stole our heart was the two variations of Til pitha, one with black sticky rice stuffed with coconut and another with white sticky rice with sesame.
As we delighted ourselves with this mix, it was truly a review that made our hearts happy.
On till January 18 2026.
Rs 3,050 for one (Non alcoholic), Rs 4,499 for one. (Alcoholic)
12.30 pm to 4 pm for lunch, 7 pm to 11pm.
At Seasonal Tastes, The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace,Hitech City.
Email: anshula.u@newindianexpress.com
X: @indulgexpress
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