MAM
Sunrise Spices launches ‘The Lost Recipe’ in Assam
Heritage cooking contest revives forgotten North East flavours, Nilakhi Duarah wins with Magur and Dry Bamboo Shoot dish.
MUMBAI: India’s culinary past just got a tasty revival and it’s proving that some recipes are too good to stay lost in grandma’s notebook. ITC Sunrise Spices has rolled out The Lost Recipe, a first-of-its-kind heritage cooking competition in Assam dedicated to unearthing and celebrating forgotten flavours of the North East. More than 100 passionate home cooks and food enthusiasts took part, not just sharing dishes but the personal stories, family memories, and cultural threads woven into each one.
True to the ‘Old is Gold’ ethos, participants dusted off age-old techniques slow cooking over wood fires, delicate smoking methods, intricate spice layering and turned them into refined plates that honoured tradition while feeling fresh and gourmet. The dishes were judged by an expert panel led by celebrated Assamese chef and culinary revivalist Atul Lahkar, whose lifelong mission to preserve regional foodways gave the contest real weight and authenticity.
Among 36 top finalists, Nilakhi Duarah took the crown for her soulful Magur with Dry Bamboo Shoot. Runners-up were Mrigakshi Das (Dokhra Khar with Small Fish/Kholihona) and Borsha Bhorali (Mankochu Guri with Masor Anja), each lauded for exceptional authenticity and storytelling through food.
Winners walked away with chef jackets, designer aprons, trophies, framed certificates, a feature in The Lost Recipe commemorative book, a 3-month certificate course from Only Chef – The School of Culinary Arts, plus exclusive ITC Sunrise gift hampers.
ITC Ltd., business head of sunrise spices Piyush Mishra said, “Sunrise Spices has always stood for culture, purity and a deep respect for regional culinary traditions. The Lost Recipe is a heartfelt tribute to North East India’s shared gastronomic soul.”
Chef Atul Lahkar added, “This initiative is more than a cooking competition. It is a tribute to our collective culinary memory. Many of these dishes carry stories of migration, resilience, and cultural exchange.”
Conceptualised by Only Chef The School of Culinary Arts, the initiative aligns with Sunrise Spices’ long-standing push to champion heritage recipes and time-honoured techniques. In a world chasing the next food trend, The Lost Recipe quietly reminds us that the most flavourful discoveries often come from looking back before the next bite disappears forever.
