We brought together our Titas, our community of women we love and admire, for a shared meal in Los Angeles, California over the past summer. It was a gathering of the minds, hearts and souls that make up our Anaak community, an evening to share food and stories, and a chance to give thanks for all of the support we have given each other throughout the recent years.

A room full of our favourite women dressed in their Anaak piece of choice, layered in fresh jasmine flowers, reminders of the Gajras in India, floral garlands which the women wear in the hair during festive occasions. After a long period of shutdowns and isolations from the pandemic, we wanted to make this an exceptionally personal experience, transporting the women to and a world we love. When they entered the space, they were greeted with wafts of sweet jasmine and tuberose flowers, flickering ghee candles, and terra cotta Urli bowls filled with water and pink lotus petals.

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Our dear friend Saehee Cho of Soon Foods has many talents from writing, styling, and photography. We felt so fortunate to have Saehee share her talent of storytelling with food, and she teamed up with a young, emerging chef Akshada Rawat of Dabbu, originally from Delhi, India. Together they created an entirely unique and creative menu combining Traditional North Indian ingredients, the Thali meal, with Contemporary Korean flavors. Appetizers, such as Rajasthani Gatte and Matar Chaat, were set at the center table atop banana leaves, filling our sensory cravings and our bellies. Small dishes of Dal Makhani, Kadai Paneer, Polka Palak and Jeera Rice made up dinner.

Saehee and Akshada partnered with local California farmers Weiser, Schaner Farms, The Garden of..., Windrose, Jimenez Family Farm, and Tutti Frutti. Wine was provided by our Tita Lulu Handley of Handley Cellars, one of the few woman-owned and woman-run wineries in Northwest California. Tablecloths and napkins were hand block printed, using organic fabric off cuts serving Anaak's no-waste initiative.

Nourishment, in the form of face-to-face conversation, genuine laughter and deep friendship- old and new, was indeed healing for the spirit, and it is this energy that we have come to realize that shapes our Anaak offering. We make in response to these women, they are our muse. Anaak, a vessel to host these connections.

We look forward to traveling for the next shared meal with our Anaak family, wherever that may be.

Return from India Menu

Akshada Rawat x Saehee Cho

Appetizers

(Appetizers set out on center table with banana leafs as the base all the way down the table)

Rajasthani Gatte (gram flour)

Matar Chaat

Tempura / Turmeric, Beet, and Spirulinga Dyed for Color — Tamarind Soy Sauce

Grilled Vegetable Skewer Toasted Seaweed & Pickled Mango Chutney

Main Course

(Served on individual Thali Plates – 8 components)

Akshada Side (Traditional Northern Indian) / Saehee Side (Contemporary Korean Counterpart)

Dal Makhani / Tomato Butter Gochujang Paneer

Kadai Paneer / Acorn Jelly with Scallion Peanut Sauce

Polka (corn) Palak / Korean Glutinous Corn & Spinach Elote

Jeera Rice - Rice Ball with Shaved Soy Cured Egg Yolk, Mugwort salad

Dessert

Kheer with Jujube Granola, Honey Peach Syrup

Homemade Korean Rice Drink (Shikhye) with kumquat slice and Korean Pear