Restaurateur Aditi Dugar reimagines Indian classics for a gorgeous garden party
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“This is India – we can’t call people over and serve only cucumber sandwiches,” says award-winning restaurateur Aditi Dugar, of Masque in Mumbai, who is adding the finishing touches to her sundowner picnic in her grandparents’ garden in a quiet corner of the city’s Pali Hill neighbourhood. “I spent so many memorable weekends here growing up,” she says. “It’s here that I also learnt the art of hosting from my nani [maternal grandmother] – no one does it like her.”
Dugar’s buffet table is laden with vases and planters filled with sunflowers, eustomas, agapanthus and daisies. Cane baskets and crates brimming with seasonal fruits tumble into the tablescape in one corner, while fresh pineapples double as vases elsewhere.
“It’s a quintessential Indian summer vibe. I wanted everything to be local,” she explains. Picnic tables are strewn around the garden, draped in block-printed fabrics. Her guests are an eclectic mix of creatives and art patrons, including artist couple Jitish and Reena Saini Kallat, designer Nimish Shah, artist and photographer Dia Mehhta Bhupal and gallerist Shireen Gandhy – plus family: her uncle and aunt, Vijay and Sunita Choraria.
The food is by Aditi’s catering company Sage & Saffron. Giant wooden platters hold a vegetarian spread that is the hostess’s take on traditional Indian snack-time favourites. Think vada pav swirls, jhal muri, dhokla doughnuts, avocado and yoghurt chaat, naan khatai and cream cones. “And mangoes! Freshly chopped mangoes, of course,” she laughs. “The menu has to be abundant. I always entertain wholeheartedly, no compromises.”
Dugar is constantly inspired by her travels, most recently her trips to Japan: “Yuzu has become my signature secret sauce.” When she’s hosting at home, Dugar lets her instincts guide her. “I love to open the fridge and figure it out. I never work with recipes. Probably because I’ve grown up seeing my grandmother and mom cook so intuitively.”
It’s the same with her tables at home. She’ll throw things together – mixing unexpected materials just as she does ingredients – so that nothing ever feels too curated or thematic. Bordallo Pinheiro mixed with Rosenthal with blown-glass pieces, alongside handmade ceramics or a sustainable cardboard vase. “It’s all very home-style, never ever fussy. I don’t want my guests to feel intimidated or stressed. I’d much rather they feel comfortable enough to call me the next day and say, ‘Aditi, can you send over some of the leftover salad or noodles from last night? I can’t stop thinking about it.’”
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