Culture Curry

Deepa will never forget the first time she realised all South Indians are not Madrasis. She was only eight.

She was playing table tennis when she overheard her best friend Laxmi complaining to her mother. Laxmi was saying how annoying it is to be perceived as a Madrasi, while she was actually from Kerala. And how everyone thought all she ate was idlis and sambar with a dosa for a change. Deepa's Malayali coach nodded in agreement.

Deepa had been to Laxmi's house. She remembered the delicious Karimeen Porichathu, Nadan Kozhi Curry and Appam that Laxmi's mom had cooked for them.

That's when Deepa thought she should grow up and start a South Indian resturant that offers the distinctive flavour of every state in the Indian peninsula.

Deepa became the table tennis champion of Goa and a gazetted customs officer. But didnt give up her childhood dream. In fact, she found someone who shared her dream. Her husband, Dr. Suhas.

Together, they started Culture Curry. A resturant that serves a variety of Chettinad, Andhra, Hyderabadi (different from Andhra), Keralite and Karnataka delicacies right here, in Mumbai.

Last year, we went to Kerala and Chennai on holiday. I marvelled at the coconut lagoons and the temples. But all my wife Deepa could see, was the food.

She couldn't stop eating the Chettinad Chicken, Karimeen Fish Curry, Mutton Stew and Artipoovu Vada. After a week, we were back in Mubai, scanning the bylanes for at least one South Indian resturant that offered the taste we experienced a week ago.

But we didn't find any.

Deepa was heartbroken. Determined to fulfill her childhood dream this time, shequit her job of a customs officer and went right back to South India, to study the different cuisines.

She stayed in each state for months, interacted with the locals and even smuggled a few chefs from famous resturants.

Back in Mumbai, she planned food festivals and invited special guests: Tamilians for Chettinad, Andraiites for Andhra, Hyderabadis for Hyderabadi, Keralites for Kerala and Kannadigas for the Karnataka food festival. They loved the food. We hope. you will too.

Culture Curry chefs from Dakshin - Chennai with master chef Deepa Awchat and Dr. Suhas Awchat

Culture Curry would offer cuisines of different states like Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Pondicherry, Karnataka, & many more

After doing a thorough R & D, conducting different Food Festivals & receiving valued suggestion from our esteemed south Indian guests who have visited us in last few months, Culture Curry has incorporated the Hit, Hot & Hip delicacies of south into a single & interesting menu, literally bringing southern peninsula of India to Mumbai city. The exotic southern cuisines are prepared by cooks smuggled from Dakshin - Chennai & Cochin. The cuisines are standardized & modified to suit the Mumbaikar's palates by Executive Chef Deepa Awchat. For the "Rare kind & Kill joys' we also have some popular so called Indian ? cuisines.

Culture launched along with the Return of Adda

Deepak Parashar - Playing line at Culture Curry

The much awaited Adda showcased paintings & works of Jehangir Jani which was appreciated by one and all. Followed by The Surprise Musical Presentation by Pankaj Prashar ( Director-Tumko Na Bhool Payenge fame), This very special launch evening of Culture Curry was graced by a galaxy of celebrities from various fields. Celebrities that a part of the evening were Govin Nihiani (Producer/ Director), Ashok Salian (Ace Photographer), Nethra Raghuraman (Model/Acfress), Jammie & Nisha Jhamwal (Archtect), Nikhil Kapoor (Anchor), Kitu Gidawni (Model/Actress), Ravi Deshpande (Lemon Communications), lla Arun (Singer),

Vijyendra Ghadge (Actor), Anaida, Sanjay Maroo (Singers), Satyadev Dubey, Sunil Mehta, Prem Kishen (Actor), Sanjeev Kapoor (Khana Khazana), Ashwini Kakkad ( MD-Thomas Cook), Arjun Bhasin ( Clothes designer- Dil Chahata Hain), Vineeta Nande, Ronie Screwwala/Zarina Mehta (UTV Fame) , Pooja Shetty, Ritika Sahani, Rohit Malhotra, Chandresh Shandiliya, Praveen Nischal, Sanjay & Binafer Kohli, Sumantra Ghosh, Suketu Czace Shah, Sunil & Manju Sampat, Kamia Malhotra, Meenakshi Shetye, Harish Mishra, Jaydeep & Seema Malhotra (Painters), Joy Sengupta, Jordyl, Abi Bilimoria, Amrita Shah, Anupama Chopra, Rajeev Anand (Club Millennium) Consulate General of Israel-Dov Segev Steinbeig.

CREDENTIALS OF DR. SUHAS AWCHAT & DEEPA AWCHAT