Delhi has been making quite the headlines this winter with a cold wave sweeping through the capital. With the dipping temperatures, grey skies, smog-filled air, and rapidly increasing AQI, we instinctively reach for comforts. But it should do more than just warm our bodies. In seasons like these, our body craves food that is warm in taste and holistically nourishing from within. Tucked inside the campus of Maharishi Ayurveda Hospital in Shalimar Bagh, Soma – The Ayurvedic Kitchen is pioneering the culinary art of blending ancient Indian wellness with contemporary dishes. Because who said healthy is not tasty?
Soma – India’s First Ayurvedic Cafe
With the cold wave, it’s not just morning chills and layering well. The testing Delhi weather brings with it dryness, indigestion, respiratory problems, and absolute lethargy. Along with a craving for warm, comforting food. In Ayurvedic thinking, seasonal eating is the cornerstone of wellbeing. As the body’s balance shifts due to the harsh weather, the nutrients we intake should balance with the body and the environment. Soma wholeheartedly embraces this philosophy, with fresh ingredients and homegrown recipes.
Canopied by towering tree branches, the place welcomes you with its refreshing white walls and earthy, homely decor that quickly dazzles in fairy lights in the evening. Here every bite feels light, flavourful, and grounding. Nevertheless, do not mistake it for boring. Soma cherishes its roots in the Indian streets with dishes like pav bhaji and vada pav. Except the pav is baked from the naturally gluten-free ragi and batata vada coated with high-fibre moong dal. Meanwhile, the Beetroot Bliss dumplings are a crowd favourite, combining ricotta, cottage cheese, and spinach wrapped in a soft beetroot-infused wheat dough, and gently steamed to perfection. The detoxifying nature of beetroot with iron-rich spinach makes the dumplings comforting for the mind and easy on the body. Then comes their slow-cooked soups with intuitively paired wholesome ingredients, which make them the ultimate comfort to sip on during Delhi winters.
If you are heading there during the evenings, the fairylit outdoors and even cosier interiors make for delightful conversation starters. Complement it with a steaming cup of masala chai and buttery homemade cookies for a perfect evening. Perhaps the joyful conversations can slowly turn into hearty, intimate dinners with wholesome burgers. However, the key charm of the food is that it is satwik, food that eliminates onion and garlic (ingredients otherwise thought to be fundamental to Indian cuisine).
With the rapidly changing weather this year and no solution to AQI increase, body and mind wellness might just seem less of a niche now. Until we await a stable solution, our best chance is intaking meals that we enjoy while nourishing our body to health. And, places like Soma balance the need to socialise and go out without compromising the body.
Key Information
⏰Monday to Sunday ( 10:30 AM to 9:30 PM)
💸₹600/- fot two
📍Pocket P, Block B, Shalimar Bagh, New Delhi
Reserve a table by calling +91 9090422323