In the bustling N Block Market of Greater Kailash 1, a unique culinary establishment is rewriting the rules of dining in Delhi. Roots by Rural Mitra stands as a testament to sustainable agriculture, women empowerment, and authentic farm-to-table experiences.
From Corporate Law to Culinary Passion
Meenakshi Kumar, the visionary behind Roots Café, embarked on an extraordinary journey from practicing law to mastering the culinary arts. After nearly a decade in Thailand, where she studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Bangkok and worked with renowned chef Gaggan Anand, Kumar returned to India in 2019 with a wealth of international experience.
Her homecoming, however, came with unexpected health challenges. "I developed gut inflammation and sensitivities I'd never experienced before," Kumar reveals. This personal health crisis became the catalyst for her deep dive into understanding food sources and quality, ultimately leading her to grow her own produce.
The Birth of Rural Mitra Farm
What began as small terrace gardens with guidance from Edible Routes, a Delhi-based organic gardening organization, quickly expanded into a full-scale farming operation. Kumar's father had purchased an acre of land in Noida, which transformed into Rural Mitra - the farm that now exclusively supplies Roots Café.
The early farming days presented significant challenges. Soil tests conducted at Delhi's AES Laboratories revealed high sulphur content suitable for tomatoes and bok choy, but critically low nitrogen and organic matter. These findings reflect a broader national concern highlighted in a 2024 FAO report indicating that approximately 32% of India's land is degraded, with 25% undergoing desertification due to unsustainable practices.
"We started feeding the soil with natural manure such as leaf waste and dung," Kumar explains. "Slowly, it came back to life—it held moisture better and we started spotting earthworms everywhere. That's when I understood what healthy soil means."
A Menu That Celebrates Seasonal Bounty
The café's menu represents a global culinary journey while remaining firmly rooted in seasonal availability. Current offerings include grilled chicken breast, spiced Vietnamese bhel, vegetarian khao suey, and generously loaded nachos. Each dish showcases the farm's fresh produce with minimal processing.
Standout dishes include the Tomato and Basil Soup served with seeds intact for enhanced flavor, the texturally complex Bajra Poha featuring pearl millet and peanuts, and the deeply flavorful Indonesian Chicken and Rice. The winter season brings abundant produce that creatively appears throughout the menu—pumpkin flowers become fritters, lemongrass enhances teas and panna cotta, and fresh herbs transform into various pesto creations.
Kumar attributes her culinary philosophy to her mentor Gaggan Anand: "He taught me to break rules fearlessly, but with purpose. That freedom has shaped how I run my café today—with instinct, soul and a little bit of madness."
Building an Inclusive Kitchen Culture
Facing reluctance from professional cooks accustomed to conventional kitchen rhythms, Kumar pioneered an alternative approach to staffing. She began employing women from nearby households who came without restaurant experience but with patience and willingness to learn.
"Women are better," Kumar states emphatically. "They come with an open mind." Her hiring philosophy expanded further when, moved by the sight of transgender individuals seeking alms at traffic signals, she partnered with Kalki Subramaniam of the Sahodari Foundation to provide training and employment opportunities for trans women.
"It's about creating a space where everyone feels seen, safe and respected," Kumar adds. "Everyone brings their own stories and strengths and that's what makes a place special."
The café now stands as a rare establishment where women learn culinary skills on the job and transgender individuals cultivate new professional identities in a supportive environment.
As autumn transitions into winter, the menu continues to evolve, guided by Kumar's principle that "a recipe should follow the land, not the other way around." The team at Roots Café, united by their shared commitment to learning from each other and the earth, prepares for each service with the same adaptability that characterizes their farming practices—a true full-circle story from soil to plate.
