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Authentic Naga Ingredients From Our Homeland

byNaga BellyEvents at our Andheri West restaurant & catering across Mumbai MMRStarts from₹1,200 Per PersonView full gallery

Real Naga flavours start with the right ingredients. We source everything directly from small-scale farmers in Nagaland, bringing the true, uncompromised taste of our home to your table in Mumbai.

A beautiful flat lay of the ingredients that define Naga cuisine. You can see Zanthoxylum seeds, sticky corn, sumac, local ginger and garlic, Naga lemons, and dried King Chillies.

A woman in Nagaland carries a heavy basket of freshly harvested greens on her back. This is the hard work and dedication that brings the freshest ingredients from the hills to your plate.

These are Anishi patties, a delicacy of the Ao Naga tribe. Made from sun-dried or smoked Colocasia leaves, they form the base of a unique and earthy black curry.

A handful of dried Sumac berries. We grind these into a powder to add a tangy, lemony flavor to our dishes. It's a wild ingredient that also has traditional medicinal uses.

A basket of fresh ingredients ready for cooking. It includes winged beans, taro, Raja Mircha chillies, kidney beans, bitter eggplant, and fresh mustard greens.

A basket overflowing with a fresh harvest from Nagaland. It contains smoked pork, wild greens, and local fruits, ready to be used in our kitchen.

A pile of local red ginger, one of my favorite ingredients. It has a more intense and aromatic flavor than regular ginger, adding a special warmth to our curries.

Our Smoked Pork Anishi curry. The intense flavor of the smoked pork blends perfectly with the earthy, dark Anishi curry, creating a dish that is rich in both taste and tradition.

A stall at a Naga market piled high with fresh green beans, chillies, and bundles of leafy greens. The sheer variety and freshness is what makes our food so special.

A roadside stall in Nagaland selling local produce. You can see jars of fermented bamboo shoot, fresh corn, and other vegetables, showcasing the local food culture.

About From the Hills of Nagaland: Our Ingredients

Our Anishi patties are the perfect example of the patience we bring to our kitchen. These are crafted from sun-dried Colocasia leaves using a traditional technique passed down through generations of the Ao Naga tribe. It is this slow, deliberate process that gives our signature black curry its distinct, earthy depth, a texture and flavour you simply cannot replicate with mass-produced substitutes.

Directly sourced from Nagaland farmers — Approved by the tribe
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Naga Belly

Events at our Andheri West restaurant & catering across Mumbai MMRStarts from ₹1,200 Per Person

Aren and I started Naga Belly in our Andheri kitchen back in 2020 because we missed the food we grew up with. We still keep that same humble spirit today, cooking the recipes our grandmothers taught us using ingredients we fly in directly from Nagaland.

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This is Axone, or fermented soybeans, a key ingredient in Naga cuisine. It has a strong, pungent aroma and adds a deep, savoury flavour to pork and fish curries.8
Today's special is Smoked Chicken, prepared in Nagaland. The chicken is smoked over a wood fire, which gives it a beautiful flavour and helps preserve it.
A display of some of the fresh, organic ingredients we use, including fiery Bhut Jolokia (king chillies), long beans, and aromatic ginger and galangal.
Here is Axone being prepared the traditional way, wrapped in banana leaves. This fermentation process is what gives it its unique and powerful flavour.

Authentic Northeast Indian Ingredients and Spices

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The Taste of NortheastVisit our restaurant in Andheri West, Mumbai
Our U-Morok Chicken Wings are not for the faint of heart. The deep, dark glaze comes from our special spicy sauce featuring the legendary King Chilli, giving the tender wings a smoky and intense heat. Served with fresh lime and a cooling slaw.5
The Singju salad is a signature dish from Manipur and the inspiration for our name. It features a refreshing and crunchy mix of shredded vegetables, crispy lotus stem, and a distinctive dressing made with perilla seeds and fermented fish for an umami kick.

Authentic North Eastern Flavours in Mumbai

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SingjuDine-in at Juhu Tara Road or order delivery across Mumbai
These are my real jewels! My pots and pans are my most treasured possessions. They hold the aromas and stories of every meal I've ever cooked.10
The core ingredients of my cooking: Kharda (green chilli paste), ginger-garlic paste, my special Kolhapuri tikat masala, ghee, and sesame seeds. This is where all the flavour begins.
To get that authentic smoky flavour in my Chicken Kale Sukka, I char dry coconut, onion, and garlic directly on the flame. This shows that Kolhapuri food is not all red and fiery; it has subtle, complex tones too.
Stirring a large pot of dal during my Maharashtrian Food Festival in Chennai. Pop-up kitchens are always busy, but I love the energy and the process of bringing a big meal together.

Behind the Scenes: My Kitchen and Kolhapuri Flavours

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Every AromaRestaurant pop-ups across Mumbai and India
There is nothing better than using bare hands to create, enhance, and elevate a dish. Here, I am marinating fresh fish, ensuring every piece is coated with our special masala mix. This hands-on approach is the essence of our homestyle cooking.4
Hands shape, mix, and mould. Here, my team is stir-frying a large batch of thoran in a traditional uruli, adding fresh curry leaves to finish. This is where textures are judged and spices unfold.
We take great care in plating our dishes, even for large orders. Here, we are preparing individual thalis, ensuring each bowl of Pidi Kozhukatta is perfectly presented before it goes out.

Behind the Scenes: Our Traditional Kerala Kitchen

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NairOnFireFood delivery across Mumbai Metropolitan Area
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Our signature Dal Baati is a winter favourite and a true taste of Rajasthan. We bake the baatis until they are perfectly golden and serve them with a rich, slow-cooked dal and a generous helping of ghee.
A platter of our most-loved kachoris. On one side, the classic spicy Pyaaz Ki Kachori, and on the other, our unique Sheherwali special, Kheere Ki Kachori, served with homemade chutneys.

Signature Homemade Rajasthani & North Indian Meals

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Desi ClassicsDelivers across Mumbai; Pick up available from Malad West
A platter of saucy, sliced seekh kebabs, ready to be served. This shot captures the final moments before a dish goes out to a guest at an event.5
A creamy chicken dish, freshly prepared and plated. This is a great example of the rich, flavorful gravies I create for my catering menus.
A spicy chicken appetizer, tossed in a thick red sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds. This behind-the-scenes shot shows the dish just after it's been cooked.
A close-up of my crispy chicken lollipops on skewers, ready for plating. This is a popular pass-around appetizer at parties.

Behind The Scenes: Fresh Slow-Cooked Catering

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QuantikitCaters across Mumbai Metropolitan Area; Base kitchen in Bandra West

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