Mother India: A Lingering Taste in Norway

SARITA SEHJPAL

Here’s a success story of an Indian-origin restaurateur, Sarita Sehjpal who makes it to the Newsmaker of the Week!

She runs an Indian restaurant in Kristiansand, which is a coastal town on the southern tip of Norway with a total population of 82,562 and is today a reputed eating place in the town. Sehjpal talks to The Sip of Life moderator, Amit Roy on how a Punjab born made it big outside her country.

How did you find yourself in Norway?

I moved to Norway with my family in 1972. I was born in Phillaur, and before moving to Norway we lived in Shimla. My uncle (mother’s brother) moved to Norway first and then asked his sister and brother in law to shift to Norway. My parents got work in a textile company. My mother who had never worked outside before stood shoulder by shoulder with my father and worked day and night. We bought a corner shop when I was 13 and I got the responsibility to manage it. That was the starting of my career and I have been working since.

How and when did your restaurant Mother India, the first in Kristiansand start?

I had a dream about being first with an Indian restaurant in Kristiansaand, but the fact that I had no experience or training in the restaurant business was secondary, my dream was higher. Mother India was a dream and I really believe in that if we want something we will get it if we work towards getting it. In 1993 I came across an Italian restaurant that was not doing well and I bought that with my parents and my idea was to turn it into Indian. I started to work really hard to learn everything about managing a restaurant. After several months of hard work the Italian restaurant started doing well and started to search for another place where we could run an Indian restaurant. It was on Friday 13 January 1995 Mother India opened the doors and it was a success from day one.

MOTHER INDIA FROM INSIDE

We see pride in representing India in our restaurant. We are very proud of our roots. Our motto is uncompromisingly Indian. Everything in the restaurant gives a feel of India and we wanted to have a thoroughly Indian style of ambience and dishes as well. Only Indian food is on the menu and every morning before we start, we play bhajans and light up a diya and incense to retain the Indian spirit.

What was the initial response to the new venture, especially in a place like Norway?

It was a new thing for people in Kristiansand, and something exotic too. The first few days we had long queues of people and they had to wait for two hours for their turn. Mother India also inspired the people in Kristiansand to visit India.

Can you share with us some interesting incident when you had just started and how long did it take to people to accept the Indian cuisine?

People loved Indian food from day one. It is a myth in Europe that all Indian food is spicy so we ask our guests to choose on a scale of 1 to 6 on how spicy food they want. Once we had two tables next to each other one with Indian family and one with Norwegians, Indians ordered paneer dish and Norwegians chicken, the waiter managed to switch courses between these to tables. Indians realized this and told the waiter but before we could tell the Norwegians this they said this is the best chicken dish we have ever eaten. That has happened many times that people mistake paneer to be chicken. Some Norwegians don’t know how to eat Indian food, so the take a whole Afghani naan on the plate, put rice, meat, vegetables and gravy on the top and eat it with knife and fork.

Which is the most favourite dish of your restaurant?

Favourite dish is mixed Tandori sizzler. Norwegians are very fond of gravy so we have special Tandoori gravy to go with Tandoori food.

THE MOTHER INDIA FAMILY

Last year, Mother India was adjudged the best Indian restaurant in Norway. How did it happen and how did you and your family react to it?

We were very surprised when we got a call from the newspaper editorial that they would send a photographer to take pictures of the restaurant. We were so excited when we saw the review and got to know that we had been voted the best Indian cuisine in Norway. In competition with about 50 others, it was our little venture that was the best. It was a very proud moment for my whole family. Can u imagine 17 years ago I could not cook Indian food and now I got award for it.

How much time do you personally spend there? And is your family also involved in running the restaurant?

I am there everyday. My soul is in the restaurant and my brother and me have painted walls and decorated the entire restaurant ourselves. For us it is not just a place that only generates money but we have a personal relationship with many of our guests. It’s me and my brother who are in charge of operations.

Do you often visit India to see what’s the latest in Indian cuisine to introduce the same in your restaurant?

I am not in India as often as I wish I were. But even those times when I’m there I do eat at places where I can find inspiration. Last year I was in Varanasi and had the opportunity to join the kitchen of a restaurant called kebab factory. I love to eat at dhabas and get the inspiration from these kinds of eating-places as there I get the feel of true Indian food. I had Rajasthani thali last year at a restaurant in Jaipur, and will introduce something like this here this year.

What do you plan in future like would you be opening more outlets of Mother India?

Mother India has a branch in another city, Arendal. There the name is Flavours of India. And then we have readymade concept, Taste of India where we deliver Indian food at most grocery chains in Norway. We export to Denmark, supplying large hotels, canteens and have also delivered on SAS flights from Copenhagen to New Delhi. We also had the honour of delivering food to the Nobel peace award dinner in 2009. Further plans are large and we want to be the leading supplier of Indian food in Scandinavia.