In a world where food festivals often dominate the culinary scene, a new trend is quickly emerging—culinary pop-ups. These short-term restaurant takeovers and collaborations by celebrated chefs are popping up in cities all over the globe. Bengaluru, the bustling tech hub known for its diverse food culture, is about to witness a groundbreaking initiative that pushes this trend even further. Welcome to Tijouri, a restaurant solely dedicated to showcasing home-cooked meals from across India’s vast and varied culinary landscape.
Launched on July 19, 2024, Tijouri is the brainchild of Kaushik Raju (founder of Farmlore) and his sister Sanithra Raju (director of the non-profit Atria Foundation). Their vision for Tijouri is simple but transformative: to put India’s micro-cuisines—regional dishes and traditional recipes that are often overlooked or commercialized—on the map for food lovers. Partnering with Soul on a Plate, a food curation platform founded by Yogita Uchil, Tijouri is bringing the true flavors of India to life.
The Mission: Celebrating India’s Lesser-Known Cuisines
As Sanithra Raju notes, even those familiar with Indian cuisine often only experience a narrow slice of its diversity. With the rising popularity of fast-paced dining and commercialized versions of regional favorites, many traditional recipes risk disappearing. This loss is a major concern for food historians, chefs, and home cooks alike. Tijouri aims to counter this by offering diners a genuine taste of India’s culinary heritage—authentic, homemade dishes prepared by home chefs from different regions of the country.
At Tijouri, diners will get an experience akin to being welcomed into the homes of these chefs, where each meal is lovingly prepared as if for their own family and friends. By spotlighting dishes not commonly found in mainstream restaurants, Tijouri hopes to preserve these culinary treasures and showcase the rich diversity of India’s food traditions.
The Launch Event: A Culinary Adventure
To mark its grand opening, Tijouri’s launch event featured a unique 10-course tasting menu. Each course was curated by a different home chef, offering a truly diverse exploration of India’s regional flavors. Highlights of the menu included:
• Mutton Goli Chaat from Bihar, a rich and spicy dish featuring tender meatballs.
• Paya Soup with Pav from Maharashtra, a slow-cooked, flavorful goat trotter soup served with soft bread.
• Tabakh Maaz from Kashmir, a crispy fried lamb dish, paired with a delicate Coin Paratha.
• Maquti from Lucknow, a flavorful chicken curry steeped in traditional Awadhi spices.
This incredible variety of dishes showcased the depth and breadth of India’s lesser-known culinary gems, taking guests on a gastronomic journey across the country.
A Platform for Home Cooks
Tijouri’s core mission is to provide a platform for home cooks—individuals who have honed their skills in their own kitchens, often learning through family recipes passed down through generations. According to Yogita Uchil, these home cooks will bring authentic ingredients and traditional methods to their pop-ups, giving diners a true taste of regional India. For example, during the Sri Lankan pop-up, home chef Amaravati Balasubramanyam will import ingredients like jaggery and jelly directly from Sri Lanka, as they are not readily available in India.
The first in Tijouri’s series of pop-ups will feature Kashmiri cuisine, helmed by Jasleen Marwah. A self-taught chef from Mumbai, Jasleen runs Namak by Jasleen, a delivery kitchen specializing in authentic Kashmiri food. Her menu will highlight the unique flavors of Kashmir, offering guests an experience they would be hard-pressed to find elsewhere.
The Bigger Picture: Expanding the Offerings
While pop-ups are Tijouri’s initial focus, the team has big plans for the future. Alongside the dining experiences, Sanithra Raju and her team are working with home cooks to develop a range of traditional products for sale. These will include:
• Pickles: Handcrafted using authentic regional recipes.
• Snacks: Traditional bite-sized treats, perfect for gifting or snacking at home.
• Sweets: Celebrating India’s rich history of desserts.
• Podis: Flavorful spice blends that can enhance any home-cooked meal.
These products will be available for purchase at Tijouri, allowing guests to take home a little piece of the culinary experience. In addition, a permanent restaurant menu is also in the works, which will feature dishes from across India’s lesser-known food cultures, creating a lasting impact on the city’s food scene.
A Unique Culinary Destination
What sets Tijouri apart from other dining establishments is its deep commitment to preserving India’s food heritage. The restaurant doesn’t just aim to serve delicious meals; it aims to educate and inspire diners to appreciate the incredible variety of regional cuisines that make up India’s culinary landscape. From Kashmiri to Kathiawadi, Lucknowi to Sri Lankan, Tijouri is a celebration of the diversity that defines Indian food.
With its pop-up format, Tijouri offers something fresh and new every month, making it a must-visit destination for food lovers in Bengaluru. As culinary pop-ups continue to gain popularity worldwide, Tijouri is leading the charge in India, offering a unique and immersive dining experience that showcases the flavors of the past while keeping them relevant in the present.
Conclusion
In a city already famous for its food culture, Tijouri is poised to become one of Bengaluru’s most exciting new restaurants. By partnering with home cooks from across India and beyond, Tijouri provides diners with a rare opportunity to sample authentic, regional cuisines that are often overlooked or commercialized. With its focus on micro-cuisines and traditional cooking methods, Tijouri is not just a restaurant—it’s a movement to preserve and celebrate the rich, diverse food cultures that make India’s cuisine truly one-of-a-kind.
