Guwahati Chef Brings Northeast Cuisine to President's Table

When Chef Aabhishek Bedi Varma's lotus stem chips and kaji nemu-infused dumplings arrived at Rashtrapati Bhavan this Republic Day, they carried more than flavor. They carried a family's 27-year journey of honoring Assamese culture through food.

Aabhishek, 38, grew up watching his mother Surekha Bedi create magic in their Guwahati kitchen. As a toddler, he'd skip toys and head straight for the pots and pans. His mother, a staunch vegetarian, somehow perfected the city's best smoked chicken without ever tasting it.

"I just knew," Surekha says simply, describing her instinct-based approach to cooking. That knowing became the foundation of Khalsa Parivaar, the restaurant she launched in 1998 to introduce Punjabi flavors to Guwahati.

The family's culinary voice evolved over the decades. Their newer restaurants, Lush and Levitate, shifted focus to showcase Northeast India's indigenous ingredients. Aabhishek began hand-picking regional produce during his travels, transforming them into dishes like ricotta wrapped in pumpkin leaves and black rice tacos with pulled jackfruit.

This January, that dedication earned them an invitation to cater the President's High Tea and At Home Reception. Over 1,200 guests, including Cabinet ministers, would taste their interpretation of eight Northeastern states.

The menu featured singju, a Manipuri salad bursting with fresh greens, herbs, king chilli and perilla seeds. Traditional paknam pancakes made from chickpea flour represented another state's heritage. Each dish required perfect replication across hundreds of servings.

The Ripple Effect

The impact reaches beyond one prestigious event. Aabhishek brought along students he mentors at Guwahati's Institute of Hotel Management, giving them hands-on experience at India's most important address.

His younger brother Sidharth, 34, remembers their home kitchen resembling a lab where instinct replaced measurement and memory stood in for method. That experimental spirit continues today as Aabhishek constantly reimagines seasonal menus, even though Guwahati diners sometimes prefer familiar tastes.

The chef describes his restaurant as the laboratory he always dreamed of. Potatoes arrive in jackets, millets crackle like applause, and moringa powder ties dishes together. Every ingredient gets a chance to tell its story.

For the Bedi family, cooking remains a dialogue that begins when Aabhishek discovers an ingredient and ends only when it finds its place on a plate. Their success proves that honoring regional flavors with creativity and respect can take home cooking all the way to the President's table.