Gitika Saikia, a Mumbai-based home chef, is on a mission to preserve and promote traditional Assamese tribal cuisine through her one-person operation, Gitika’s PakGhor. From red ant eggs and pigeon meat to pork with mustard leaves, Gitika serves authentic, lesser-known Assamese dishes rooted in her Kachari tribal heritage. Her focus is on conserving recipes passed down through generations that are often undocumented. Even celebrities like Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma are fans of her vegetarian menu, especially her popular dish, Dhekiya Xaak Bhaji.
Having moved to Mumbai in 1998, Gitika had a successful corporate career before deciding to leave her job in 2014 to pursue her passion for Assamese food. Despite being questioned about the uniqueness of her cuisine and facing challenges in educating people, Gitika’s dedication to showcasing the true essence of Assamese food led her to create a platform that shares her love for native dishes and sheds light on it through her recipes on Instagram.
“I’m from the Sonowal Kachari tribe and married into the Boro Kachari tribe in central Assam. I learned a lot from both sides. It was for my love of Assamese and tribal cuisines that I quit my marketing job and became a home chef. There’s so much more to Assamese food than we are aware of, and I wanted to bring that to the forefront and share it with the world,” Gitika said.
She added, “People often associate Assamese cuisine with momos, non-vegetarian food, and insects and think it’s similar to Bengali or Chinese food. I aim to change this perception by showcasing the unique flavours, techniques, and ingredients of Assamese food. When I’m home, I research, cook with tribal families. I hail from Dibrugarh, and my husband is from Tezpur. Whenever I visit Assam, I make sure to explore rural areas.”
Through her menu, Gitika offers a mix of urban Assamese dishes influenced by mainland India and more authentic tribal cuisine from her community. She specializes in fermented foods and bamboo cooking, staples of Assam’s ethnic communities. The chef highlights the importance of herbs, such as Vietnamese coriander, and the unique use of fig leaves in cooking – traits she learned from both her maternal and in-law’s tribes.
“Assamese tribal cuisine is rich in its use of fresh, local ingredients and traditional cooking methods deeply connected to the land and environment. Unlike mainstream Assamese food, which incorporates oil and spices commonly used across India, tribal cuisine focuses on minimal seasoning, relying instead on herbs, smoke, and fermentation to create unique flavours,” she said.
Gitika shares that the use of bamboo tubes for cooking, as well as ingredients like moringa leaves, jute leaves, and various types of fermented fish and vegetables, gives Assamese tribal cuisine its distinctive taste.
“These cooking practices reflect the ethnic communities’ sustainable way of life and respect for nature. Tribal cuisine in Assam has not only been a means of sustenance but also an integral part of cultural identity and heritage, with recipes often passed down orally within families and communities,” she added.
Her journey hasn’t been without challenges. In the early stages, she faced losses and struggled to gauge customer preferences. Over time, she realized the importance of educating people about the flavours, herbs, and cooking techniques before introducing her dishes. Today, as more people discover and enjoy authentic Assamese flavours, Gitika has built a loyal group of food lovers.
“Lai Xaak Gahori, khar, bhut jolokia chutney are the all-time favourites of local people in Mumbai,” she shared.
However, she laments that due to busy lifestyles and limited availability, many vegetables have vanished from dining tables in Assam. “Tikoni-baruah, sengmora, bhedailota, surat paat, morapaat, meteka phool, and tita bhekuri are hard to find in daily markets in Assam. People have stopped using these items in their day-to-day menus, and over time, many recipes may vanish,” she said.
Gitika’s food has even garnered attention from Bollywood celebrities. Bollywood actor Anushka, known for her vegetarian diet, is an avid fan of Assamese cuisine and has expressed her love for Gitika’s cooking. She and her husband, cricketer Kohli, are said to enjoy the unique, flavourful dishes from Gitika’s PakGhor, showcasing the growing appeal of regional and authentic cuisine in urban circles.
“I have served Anushka and Virat four times so far. Anushka is very particular – she likes dhekia xaak bhaji with kola chana, bhat kerela bhaji, and ronga lau aag with kothal guti. Over the years, I’ve also served several Bollywood celebrities like Anil Kapoor, Konkona Sen Sharma, and TV personalities. I source all my ingredients from Assam, freshly grown on my family’s land to maintain authenticity,” Gitika shared.
Beyond serving food, Gitika’s social media platform has become a resource for educating the public on Assamese culture, festivals, and lesser-known regional cuisines. She shares stories about festivals like No Khowa and Me-Dam-Me-Phi, offering a glimpse into the rich traditions of Assam.
“I want to expand my reach and take Assamese and tribal cuisines from Assam to the nooks and corners of the country. I want to bring back the lost flavours and revive our grandmother’s recipes,” she added.
Gitika’s mission extends to teaching the next generation as well. She plans to continue sharing her knowledge of Assamese cuisine with students in colleges and hotel management institutes, ensuring the preservation and recognition of this vibrant culinary heritage. Through her culinary journey, Gitika is not just reviving traditional dishes but also creating a space for cultural dialogue and appreciation in urban spaces.
