Chef Sanjeev Kapoor calls Surat food 'overrated'. His underrated pick may surprise you

Discussions around food are nothing less than a constitutional matter at hand. Because of course, food is a vibe, it’s an emotion, and we take our emotions very seriously.

In the latest episode of the great Indian food discourse, chef Sanjeev Kapoor served his take on underrated and overrated food cities. Be warned, some people might feel the spice.

Speaking with Smita Prakash on the ANI podcast, the chef declared Surat as an overrated city when it comes to its food, while Kolhapur, according to him, was more underrated.

The conversation took a spicy turn when Prakash asked chef Sanjeev Kapoor to name an underrated food city. As Kapoor paused to think, Prakash quipped, “Please don’t say Surat.” To that, the chef replied, “Underrated kaha, woh toh overrated hai. Sach bolo sukhi raho.” (Honestly, it’s not underrated, it’s overrated.)

Further, he said, “Underrated, jahan mai gaya hun, I think is Kolhapur.” (According to the places I have been to, I think Kolhapur.) He further named dishes like Tambda Rassa, Pandhara Rassa and Kolhapuri mutton as some of the popular dishes.

If you are a novice when it comes to food from Surat and Kolhapur, here's a lowdown.

In Surat, locho, khaman, ghari, Surati sev, and ponk wada are some of the common and hyper-local dishes that people indulge in.

Amongst them, loch is a common dish. It is more like street food with an interesting backstory.

No one knows when and where it came to be. But local legend has it that it was more of a eureka moment than a planned culinary experiment. The story goes that when a street vendor was trying to make khaman, he accidentally added a little too much water. Instead of the firm texture khaman is known for, the result turned soft, loose and irregular.

Rather than wasting it, the vendor topped it with spices and served it anyway — and it became a hit. Today, it is served with diced onions, sev, chutney and spices.

And when the heat rises, the city turns to cold coco a cult-favourite summer refresher.

Now coming to Kapoor’s take on the country's underrated cuisine. Kolhapuri food is often considered the ultimate spicy cuisine with rich, layered flavours.

Kolhapuri mutton is traditionally cooked with a robust spice blend known as Kolhapuri masala as the base — a fragrant mix that often includes dried red chillies, coriander seeds, cloves, cinnamon, black pepper, sesame and dry coconut.

No conversation about Kolhapuri cuisine is complete without Tambda Rassa and Pandhra Rassa, legendary twin broths that are traditionally served alongside mutton thalis.

Tambda Rassa, literally meaning “red curry”, is the fiery star of the table. Made with red chillies, stock and aromatic spices, it is thin in consistency but powerful in flavour, delivering the signature heat Kolhapur is known for.

In contrast, Pandhra Rassa or “white curry” offers relief and balance. This pale, silky broth is made using mutton stock, coconut milk, garlic and mild spices.

Now, coming back to the subject of overrated and underrated food choices, Kapoor also believes that black pepper is an underrated condiment that is not always found in the masala dani.

Now here’s another controversial take: Mumbai or Delhi

When asked which city wins with regard to its food between Mumbai and Delhi, he praised the latter. Further, he also stated that sev puri is an overrated street food. Too many truth bombs in just one interview.

He had once shared in an interview with India Today Digital that chaat is his guilty pleasure!

Whether you agree with Kapoor or are already defending your favourite food, or ranting about the Mumbai vs Delhi debate in the group chat, one thing is certain: in India, food is never just food. It is pride, personality and a full-blown public debate.