New Delhi, India - 23 December 2016

1. Various of Abhijit Saha, Gourmet Chef and Restaurateur, cooking and serving beetroot flavoured curd rice, a South Indian delicacy, at the 2016 Food For Thought Fest

2. Close of the dish

3. Various of Saha preparing his signature dessert dish – Gulab Jamun Cheesecake, Gulab Jamun is a traditional Indian sweet that here has been fused into a western-style cheesecake

4. Close of the dessert

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Abhijit Saha, Gourmet Chef and Restauranteur:

"I created this dish around four years ago, when I was planning to go to Gourmet Abu Dhabi (food festival). So, we said that we must present India in a new light and, you know, we must present something that is traditional, yet in a new style. So, that's what I did, and we came up with this idea of making the Gulab Jamun cheesecake (a traditional Indian sweet fused into a cheesecake). And ever since, it's been a very, very, very popular dish."

6. Pan left from beetroot curd rice to Gulab Jamun cheesecake

7. Mid of visitor trying Saha's preparations

UPSOUND (English): "Heaven."

8. Pan right of food stalls from various participating countries including Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan

9. Mid of visitors checking out food stalls

10. Close of two girls tasting food

UPSOUND (English): "Delicious."

11. Tracking shot of Muhammad Sulaiman, Chef from Afghanistan, talking about Kabuli Pulao, a traditional rice dish from Kabul, on display at Afghan food stall

UPSOUND (English): "The most traditional food that we like too much, Kabuli Pulao. With lamb, lamb stock and we are adding some raisins and carrots."

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Arushi Rishi, College Student:

"When you try a different country's food or something, the culture, you get to know about them more. And when you see the South Asian countries, I think their roots are pretty much the same and the cultures are very much reflecting with each other. So, I find it really interesting. I really want to learn more."

13. Various of people eating dishes from around the world

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Maneesh Baheti, Founder of South Asian Association for Gastronomy that organizes the Food For Thought Fest:

"Our intention is to get South Asia together on this gastronomy platform. We want people to become friends with each other. Our intention is once we become friends with each other, we want to talk about topics which affect this entire region, connected with food. We have issues like food security, we have food scarcity. So, these topics can only be discussed once people open their communication with each other."

16. Various of Mehr Pasricha, local artist, singing a song in Arabic at opening ceremony of food festival

17. Close of spices and condiments

LEAD IN:

Cuisine from across South Asia is being celebrated at the 2016 Food For Thought Fest in New Delhi.

STORY-LINE :

For chef Abhijit Saha its all about the presentation of his beetroot flavoured curd rice.

Topped with stir-fried vegetables and edible flowers, the dish is famous at Saha, his signature-Indian restaurant and terrace bar in Singapore's Duxton Hill area.

And for desert? Gulab Jamun Cheesecake. Gulab Jamun is a traditional Indian sweet that Saha has fused into a western-style cheesecake.

“I created this dish around four years ago, when I was planning to go to Gourmet Abu Dhabi (food festival). So, we said that we must present India in a new light and, you know, we must present something that is traditional, yet in a new style. So, that’s what I did, and we came up with this idea of making the Gulab Jamun Cheesecake (a traditional Indian sweet fused into a cheesecake). And ever since, it’s been a very very very popular dish,” he says.

Saha is one of the chefs taking part in the 2016 Food For Thought Fest in New Delhi.

Celebrity chefs are demonstrating their culinary skills, putting together local dishes from their countries.

Cuisine from across the South Asian region is available for tasting from Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan.

Guests shuffle between various food stalls, sampling delicacies from various South Asian nations.

They can also participate in discussion sessions on topics ranging from edible flowers to royal culinary heirlooms coming out of closets.

Kabul's favourite, Kabuli Pulao, a traditional rice dish cooked with meat, mostly lamb, stole the show as throngs of people tried Muhammad Sulaiman's specialty.

“The most traditional food that we like too much, Kabuli Pulao. With lamb, lamb stock, and we are adding some raisins and carrots,” Sulaiman explains.

Visitor Arushi Rishi says that flavours from the different countries has much in common.

“When we try a different country’s food or something, the culture, you get to know about them more. And when you look at South Asian countries, I think their roots are pretty much the same and the cultures are very much reflecting with each other. So, I find it really interesting. I really want to learn more.”

Maneesh Baheti, the founder of Food For Thought Fest, says the event aims to build stronger relations between participating countries in an effort to eventually discuss serious food-related issues shared by them all.

"Our intention is to get South Asia together on this gastronomy platform," Baheti says. "We want people to become friends with each other. Our intention is, once we become friends with each other, we want to talk about topics which affect this entire region connected with food. We have issues like food security, we have food scarcity. So, these topics can only be discussed once people open their communication with each other."

The second edition of the South Asian 'Food for Thought' festival is running from 23-24 December.