Staying in this Puja? These home chefs from Kolkata need to be on your radar

Festive dining is set to look very different this Puja but the array of well-designed, ergonomic home kitchens mushrooming around Kolkata is giving us a lot of hope. In fact, several home-based delivery services have taken flight in the last six months and have sourced a lot of gourmet grub for quarantined foodies.

Most home kitchens in the city are relying on locally-sourced, farm-fresh ingredients and some chefs are even growing their own microgreens and making their condiments in-house. Moreover, contact-less deliveries, eco-friendly packaging, small portioned meal bowls are on the rise and most chefs are only working with their core in-house team, so pre-ordering your meals a day or two ahead may not be a bad idea.

A lot of home chefs are curating special house party and brunch menus for Pujas which are ideal for intimate get-togethers. There’s something for everyone and something for every day, so you can have a full-blown rustic Italian feast on Saptami, some heart-healthy artisanal desserts on Ashtami and go for some fusion Bengali picks on Nabami. Here’s everything the city’s home chefs are cooking up for you this Puja:

What’s In A Box

This month-old home kitchen based out of Kestopur, is run by Shrutanwita Chakraborty and her sister in-law Sayeri Pramanik who is a trained home chef. For Puja this year the cloud kitchen will be doing caravan deliveries across South Kolkata, so you can binge on their incredible fish fries and Bengali-style treats. They also have a Puja special menu featuring Prawn Morsels, Fish Finger, Prawn Malai Curry, and more. For details call 70760 55433

Brown’s

If you’re planning something different and want to throw a niche South Asian feast this Puja, look no further than Vanita Tandon’s delivery service Brown’s. The Le notre-trained chef has introduced an authentic Korean, Thai and Chinese line-up with unusual numbers which are difficult to score in the city like Korean bibimbap, Chilled Soba noodles, Biang Biang noodles, Vietnamese rice paper rolls, and more. For details call 98300 21264

The Fat Little Penguin

The year-old artisanal ice cream label The Fat Little Penguin by dessert chef Jayatri Biswas (who’s trained under celebrated pastry chef Dominique Ansel), made our lockdown bearable with its line-up of unbelievably wholesome ice creams. Though we love most of their creamy and luscious dollops, we recommend their Ice-cream sandwiches. Their Blueberry ice cream made with homemade balsamic blueberry jam has made a timely return on their October menu. Moreover, their customisable box of four tubs is ideal for festive gifting. For details call 9654531646.

Food Rack

While our favourite eateries had shut up shop, Ambrish Damani’s Food Rack came to our rescue whenever we craved restaurant-style global food. We still remember gorging on the crispy tacos and loaded burritos from their Lebanese fare that was delivered to us. If you’re hosting an intimate get together with your friends. Damani’s goat cheese wraps and stuffed mushrooms are ideal for binging; plus this Puja you will also find the wholesome nariyal barfi on their menu for some festive feasting. For details call 9831015585

Jen’s Kitchen

This cloud kitchen based out of Rajarhat serves home-style global delicacies made with locally sourced, farm-fresh ingredients. Their meal bowls are especially popular with the foodies of the city, especially since they come in eco-friendly packaging. But for Puja you must try out their weekend brunch kits, which can make for an exceptional family-style meal and features scrumptious Tangra-style Chinese and fresh salads. For details call 075960 03945

The Knight’s Kitchen

Run by chef Rishabh Law, who used to work with the Oberoi Group of hotels in the past, this cloud kitchen could be your best option if you’re planning something rather elaborate and along gourmet lines. Chef Law grows his own microgreens and the kitchen is also vigilant about contactless deliveries. The kitchen has just launched a new menu which features exotic Italian numbers as well as some trusty North Indian delicacies. For details call 90385 06948.

Zara's Kitchen

Zara Chisty Abedin is famous for her authentic, homecooked Thai delicacies and Bangkok-style street food. The home chef has a delivery service which has come up with an impeccable new menu that you can order from this Puja, and features picks like spicy glass noodle salad with prawns, Phad Thai and more. For orders Whatsapp at 8697849510.

Ma's Soul Kitchen

This home kitchen specialises in Bengali, Mughlai, Continental and AngloIndian cuisines and serves up a wide variety of regional dishes with a flavourful twist catering to the local palate. Started by ex-hotelier Srabani Mukherjee, the home-food brand's Puja menu has some beloved Bengali picks like Kolkata Bhetki Fry, Doi Katla, Dhakai Morog Pulao, and more. For more details call +919830144844 or what's app +919836154940.