Salivation for the soul

A breath of fresh air and a reverie of good health – anybody with an awareness of the importance of living well knows that eating right is a fundamental part of this. And the new space in the House of Subculture by Azure Hospitality brings you many potions of goodness. Mimansa, by Malika Puri, creates an eco-system of wellness that’s a salve for the soul. From the movers-and-shakers who gave us Mamagoto and Sly Granny comes a sister concern (literally), with Kabir Puri’s sister, a child psychologist, opening her soothing doors to the harassed city slicker. Her mum being a farmer and a health aficionado, Malika didn’t have to look too far for inspiration. The landscape of sheer debauchery that makes up the food scene didn’t appeal to her either. Instead, she wondered how a meal could be a panacea for the soul.

Mimansa was five years in the making and it comes alive in Koramangala, a wellness mantra-chanting, boutique health cafe and home of all things organic. Malika calls herself the Conscious Keeper and has its farm-to-menu combination down pat. The boutique sells herbal oils, toothpastes, soaps sourced from organic entities, eco-friendly sanitary pads and menstrual cups. The cafe is replete with the tenets of Ayurveda, following cooking rituals that ensure your food is pure and free of chemicals and preservatives. For Malika, this labour of love is inspired by the Sanskrit word Mimumsa, meaning reflection, and that became her personal endeavour, a reflection into eating healthy. “I have always eaten healthy thanks to my mother. Our childhood was spent on our farm in Dehradun where we ate organic. Many things came together when I did a trip cycling from Manali to Ladakh, suddenly all my searching made sense, and it was clear that this was how it should come together,” says Malika.

We started with a surprisingly light date and banana smoothie, and a bite of the palate cleanser - ginger and ghee strips. According to Ayurvedic tradition, they awaken the body for bhojana. Strong, it is an acquired taste. Our first bite was the beetroot salad with a bounty of lettuce, kale and cubes of beetroot glazed in mustard dressing with mixed seeds and feta. It was delicious and we loved the mustard hint. Janti Duggal, food director, has also opened Foxtrot in this House of Subculture, and she aspires to make this home for all, as Foxtrot is bistro, pub and busy body while Mimansa creates a healthy glow. The next was the Earth Bowl, in a flurry of colours. Crunched lentil salad, strings of carrot and blanched kale/spinach, cucumber and cashew cheese with a bite-worthy chia-flaxseed cracker. We loved the coming together of different textures and that cashew cheese, we must take some back home.

“We wanted to bring together eco-friendly, organic, and products free of animal testing. The tooth brush, for instance, is made of bamboo and natural fibres. Our menu is based on organic principles and we work directly with farmers to source the best,” explains Malika. An idea made up of many philosophies coming together, she says, “It’s a space for urban citizens who want to live a balanced life. We serve only organic, you can ask where any ingredient came from. It has taken time and research. We have a consult room with a wellness Ayurvedic doctor onboard, and offer traditional forms of therapy - a Tibetan doctor, traditional Chinese acupuncture, nutritionist and a clinical psychologist. It’s a warm, inviting environment. If the meridians in your body are clogged, unclog them,” explains the  Kings College graduate.

A vegetable and herb garden on the terrace for native herbs and a variety of medicinal plants has been curated by Artyplantz. They have a play room for yoga, meditation, deep stretches and a play area for children too. “We grow herbs like rosemary and thyme, kale, spinach chives, citronella, lemon grass, and endangered plants like brahmi, and so much more,” Malika adds. There also plan to start a Sunday farmers market soon. From free range eggs from Happy Hens and Hobo Chickens’ supply of free range chicken, the idea is to address the need for pure, organic and ecologically responsible food. Azure Hospitality’s latest venture, helmed by Malika, has her mother’s recipes and we tucked happily into the red rice and green mung dal khichd – buttery and delicious. The menu has two chicken and one fish dish, and Malika is unapologetic, “We have had trouble getting pure organic ingredients so we’d much rather say they are not available till we source quality produce.”

The mushroom soup came poured into a cake of pumpkin seeds and black rice, homecooked  and light, perfect for the monsoon. We had the Amaranth pizza with Bocconcini and tomatoes, interesting, though we like our junk food too! “The khichdi is made in a traditional Ayurvedic way - boiled with ajwain,” adds Malika. Our Red Snapper was flakey and delicious, served with cherry tomato. We also had a Keto fave, the Zoodles - zucchini noodles with a kind of Arrabiata sauce, it was average. The idea of nurturing emotions, body and inner workings is what Malika stresses on, and she admits that it’s not for everyone, yet the idea and the painstaking journey she undertook needs to commended.

Rahul Khanna and Kabir Suri of Azure have taken their creative food concepts and Malika’s health mantra and hope to not just be hospitality whizzes but do their bit for a healthy society, a responsible hospitality. With a team of expert chefs and Ayurvedic specialists, Mimansa’s Ayurvedic principles of cooking with locally sourced chemical free, seasonal produce will make the health seekers happy. It is apparent that this inspired well-being hub has much invested in it, and it is a daring move, one we hope will see takers… The kitchen helmed by Chef Saraiya, Chef Utkarsh Bhalla and Dr Kristine, helms a simplistic menu, with vegan free, gluten free, dairy free and even sugar free dishes. Antioxidant drinks, organic teas, coffee by Blue Tokai, there is sumptuous breakfast too, with eggs in all kinds of delectable options, Avocado Toast, whole wheat or rice based bread, buckwheat waffles and lots more. The menu could have more options, especially non-vegetarian. Desserts are made with natural jaggery, coconut/palm sugar and honey, the brownie is fudgey and yum. The carrot halva was a bit dry, the walnut pie was yummy, and we liked the Ayurveda power ball. Healthy bites that are purely organic are few… it’s not for everyone, but its philosophy is.