2025 South Asian Spotlight

While typically you won’t find any two similar events or cuisines represented at The Depanneur in a given month – a result of our passion for this city’s diversity of culinary talent and an also the embarrassment of riches we are spoiled by as Torontonians generally – this Spring we turn our attention to the regional cuisines of South Asia in a dedicated series of five Saturday night Supper Clubs.

Of course turning a spotlight onto such a massive geographic and culturally multifaceted part of the world can never be comprehensive or do full justice to the endless array of ingredients, dishes and distinct cuisines that have emerged there, but as one of Canada’s largest immigrant and ethnic populations, we wanted to honour the incredible sacrifices of the people and families who have chosen to call this home, as well as the incalculable influence that they have had on our knowledge, understanding and pleasure surrounding the things that we eat and on the importance of eating together. We are all better for it.

This series will feature five culturally distinct meals – four from India and one from Pakistan – each highlighting not only the traditional aspects of regional cuisines, but also the nuanced ways in which these cuisines morph, meld and evolve when brought across the ocean to a far more Northern climate. The impact on seasonality, availability of ingredients, adjustment of culinary technique, and in some cases, the adaptation of certain cultural practices and rituals to a new place and space are all fruitful avenues of discourse around the table that we hope to explore with our guest chefs and with you.

*BONUS! – In addition to enjoying these thoughtful and delicious menus, we have invited a host/hostess well versed in the cuisines to facilitate the meals, providing a deeper context for the dishes/ingredients/cultures represented. They will be on hand to guide you and to answer any questions you may have so that you come away with a rich and rewarding understanding.

May 3 India In Season – hosted by Jo (Jayeeta Sharma), Associate Professor of Food Studies, History, and Environmental Humanities at University of Toronto.

May 10 Pure Non-Veg – hosted by an expert on Gujarati and Parsi cuisine, award-winning author Niloufer Mavalvala.

May 17 Modern Pakistani – hosted by Malav Naik, a marketing strategist, artist and activist based in Toronto, ON.  Also the chef for our ‘Pure Non-Veg’ Gujarati dinner as part of this series!

SAT Apr 19 – Tasting South India: Sadya by Shilpa Kotamarthi

A sadya is a type of special traditional lunch from the state of Kerala in Southern India. It is typically served on religious holidays, birthdays, weddings and temple festivals, and consists of a variety of traditional vegetarian dishes served on a banana leaf and eaten with one’s (right) hand. Around a centrepiece of rice (most often Keralan red rice), dozens of elements are artfully arranged: curries, chutneys, pickles, sauces, and sweets, with the most elaborate versions clocking in at over 64 dishes!

SAT Apr 26 – Laalima – Dinner at My Nani Ghar by Rashmi Singh

This three-course family-style menu honours the rustic, bold flavours of Bihar, an eastern state in India where mustard takes center stage, garlic is never held back, and fennel sweetens the finish. Named after Rashmi’s Nani (grandmother), Laalima is a quiet tribute to all grandmothers — the ones who fed us with their hands and showed us that tenderness has an unforgettable flavour. Each dish is a journey back to her Nani Ghar, shaped by slow, golden summers at her grandmother’s bungalow in Yercaud’s coffee-scented hills. Those days were filled with naps under ceiling fans, running barefoot on the grass, and the scent of garlic and mustard oil drifting in from the kitchen. 

SAT May 3 – Seasonal South Indian with Haem’s Table (Niharika Gupta)

Niharika Gupta explores her immigrant experience and her evolving relationship with food. Having lived in seven cities – currently in Toronto – her life has been shaped by a constantly changing backdrop of people, places, and stories. What has remained constant is her connection to food—an anchor to her heritage and a guide through her personal growth. Haem’s Table is named after Niharika Gupta‘s maternal grandmother, Hemlata—lovingly called Haem. Through Haem’s Table. This five-course menu reimagines Indian childhood favourites using Canadian seasonal produce. Think of it as an adult kid’s menu, filled with all things green.

SAT May 10 – “Pure Non-Veg” — Hidden Gujarat by Malav Naik

The state of Gujarat is well-deservedly famous for its vegetarian cuisine, largely due to its majority Hindu and Jain populations. Chances are, if you’ve dined at a Gujarati restaurant almost anywhere in the world outside of the place itself, you would have been presented with a mouth-watering array of vegetable, grain and legume-based selections to rival in quality and quantity the dishes boasted by any other part of India. However, there is a lesser-known but equally as fascinating and delicious NON-vegetarian/meat-based cuisine prepared and enjoyed by several of the minority communities residing in this corner of the world. Gujurati-born Malav Naik brings some of these dishes to The Dep to share with us.

(rescheduled) SAT Jul 12 – Parsi Ghambar by Niloufer Mavalvala [Offsite]

Parsis are a Zoroastrian community descended from Persians who migrated from Persia around 7th century, with most settling on the west coast of India. Over the past 1300 years, while it has adopted many Indian culinary ingredients and techniques, Parsi food has remained a unique regional cuisine that still echos flavours and techniques from ancient Persia. This special meal is one of six annual Ghambars – seasonal Zoroastrian festivals celebrating nature’s blessings and the creation of the world through communal feasting and sharing. The emphasis of the Ghambar is on gratitude, the spirit of community, a sense of belonging and, most importantly, the ideal of equality despite one’s class or financial status.

SAT May 17 – Modern Pakistani with Nausheen Rafiq

Karachi is renowned for its vibrant food scene, its cuisine is a fusion of various cultural traditions, making it a true culinary melting pot. Influences from across Asia, from Afghanistan to Myanmar, a legacy of centuries of trade, can be found on menus and in shops, along with all the regional diversity of a vibrant local food culture. Food is everything in Pakistan; there’s an Urdu question asked almost everyday in Karachi, hum kya khaayenge, which means “what will we eat?” Tonight Nausheen Rafiq seeks to answer that question in a fun, creative way that welcomes you into contemporary Desi culture. As a recent graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa, Nausheen looks to bring a creative, modern twist to range of traditional Pakistani dishes, everything from popular street foods like papri chaat to festive desserts like sheer khurma.