Chronicles Of The Sassy Fork

Fort is one of Mumbai's premier business districts.Its name comes from the fact that Mumbai (then Bombay) was a walled city and had a Fort there called Fort George.Some of the grand old buildings remain and one can only marvel at their construction.On the Pherozshah Mehta Road is The Bombay Store,formerly Bombay Swadeshi Coop Stores Co. Ltd.It was set up by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and inaugurated by Dadabhai Naoroji in 1906 and stored locally made traditional goods so that we could know and be proud of all that our nation was producing.Today it still stores locally made goods with they come with a contemporary twist.

It was so apt then that we started our walk at the Bombay Store which houses items from all over India cos we were embarking on a journey that covered food from various parts of India.There are many eateries all of whom serve a particular cuisine at a reasonable price.Of course one needs to choose wisely as regards hygiene.Some people have cast iron stomachs and some don't. Immunity differs from person to person.Know your limitations.Vaccines are available,on advice of a doctor.

The area is full of majestic buildings and lush green trees and walking by them was a pleasure

We started with a cup of tea and Brun Pao (crusty bread) at an old Irani cafe (Yazdani) that I had visited just few days ago.We were here with food blogger Kalyan Karmakar and Kunal Vijayakar with his friendly "The Foodie" team.We were therefore privy to the kitchen with a huge old oven.The kitchen was bigger than the restaurant :)

They showed us various equipment used for baking and explained the process of baking bread.While the oven was old,they baked to new preferences.....wholewheat being on their menu.In with the times.

The recipe for bread was old,a German one as indicated by a photograph on the wall.

Felt good to have a hot cup of tea as it was raining

Then we stopped at a lassi place....a big glass with a thick layer of cream that two of us thought we could do without, so we had Chaas.That's the thing about food walks.It's about experimenting.I see it as a Tasting menu expedition,not a time for gluttony or binging (the choice is yours).If you have reservations,you can state them and the organizers provide healthier options.I avoided the street food.

Today's generation has long working hours but at the end of the day they want home food or homestyle food.In my opinion,that is why establishments that focus on traditional food will always find place.

Next we headed to a Gomantak restaurant Pradeep.Reminded me of the khanavals of yore.Dug into a delectable Surmai Thali which had fish,solkadi,gravy,vegetables,rice and chapati.I had to skip the rice.We discussed about various items in our thali,at our table.
We had people coming into the restaurant and greeting Kunal warmly,as though they knew him for years.Kunal too was just as warm to them.He is a great anchor,has the ability to make anyone and everyone comfortable.He remembered everyone's names.By the way,he eats far less than the impression he gives on television.

Next was the walk to Ideal Corner which serves Parsi food.I could barely have any but the food was delicious.I particularly liked the Akuri,a Parsi version of scrambled eggs which we washed down with the jelly-like Raspberry Soda.

This Fort walk was the longest.There were many more cuisines on offer...Kerala,Mangalorean,Tamilian but we have to leave it for another day... when we will walk,eat,share various food recipes and culinary experiences and talk about the history of the locality we are in....again.Connecting with people,connecting our world!

This time we went to Lavasa for a weekend getaway.We took the Pune Expressway and went via Chandni Chowk,which took us an hour and a half from there.Lavasa is based on New Urbanism,meaning everything required is within walking distance and Biomimicry,meaning science that learns from nature.It's no wonder then that Dutch artist Escher designed a logo that shows a man becoming airborne,leaping over a lake and taking flight as a free bird.

Lavasa is located by Warasgaon Lake and as we drove down,past the many waterfalls,we felt the cool mountain air caressing our cheeks.Each turn was a lush green encounter and we could only sigh as we took it all in.

The drive from Pune to Lavasa was dotted with stalls selling freshly roasted corn.Rice fields,sugarcane plantations and mango trees soothed our eyes.In fact we saw a temple in the midst of a sugarcane field.Village houses had toilets built outside as a separate block which were covered with foliage.

There were wild purple flowers growing all around.The rare Karvi flower also grows here but was spotted some years ago

We took a trackless train ride to discover more.This started at Dasve,one of the many towns that constitute Lavasa.Our hotel was located there.The train ride cost us Rs 50 per head and passed by the lake,several buildings,the town hall,a convention centre,retirement homes and hotels.In the monsoons there is a Waterfall Safari.In the evenings you can view the Fountains at the lakeside at around 7pm but the day we were there,they weren't on.The other thing was that the mobile network Reliance had no signal there.Airtel did.

The weather was perfect....it was drizzling lightly!

Food at Lavasa is expensive.There are restaurants( Indian,Pan Asian,American) in hotels and some by the lakeside promenade.There are also stalls for Shawarma and wraps

We bumped into our friends whose daughter is studying hospitality management at the Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne at Lavasa,behind the ITC Fortune Select

We also spotted the bakery we had read about in the Lonely Planet Getaways book.

Chor Bizarre had antique furniture and looked more like a museum than a restaurant!

Next morning,we headed for the Nature Trail that started at Ekaant,the Retreat.This is not to be missed.It is free to the public and takes about an hour

The walk was up the mountain but gradual.We walked through the clouds to reach the top while rain drizzled lightly on us.It was like heading up towards heaven!

Olive green,emerald green,parrot green,all shades of green overwhelmed us! There were signs at various spots telling us about lichens (we spotted them).animals found in the area (mouse deer,hyena,wild pig and more) but it was raining so we didn't spot any.We did spot birds.The Butterfly Walk was also not there due to the rains.At the top,we found a guard who helped us find places we had seen on the map.He showed us bright orange fishes in the pond when he threw fish food in.

We saw the beautiful Sun Dial and the Macchan.There was a play area for kids and a sitting area that was shaded.There's a Spice route and a Medicinal Plant route.We walked by a termite mound and then the Rain Forest area.Truly the best part of Lavasa! W e looked down at the lake and saw people jet skiing.Close by are AC tents for the adventurous

On the way back,we stopped at Pune for a vegetarian Maharashtrian thali at Krishna Dining Hall.There are several such restaurants like Shreyas,Shabaree and those in hotels on Prabhat Road.

The typical Garlic Chutney,Surli Chi Vadi,Vatanyachi Usal,Flowercha Rassa and Tomato Saar had us smiling for a long time...and that smile got bigger when we reminisced our time at Lavasa!

Today we had the naming ceremony of my grand-nephew...one rarely gets to see such functions so was mighty thrilled when I heard about it.A time to connect with cousins is always welcome

The parents of the baby Vikrant and Rakhi glowed with joy.Their parents and grandparents were in attendance at the Kohinoor Hall at Prabhadevi.The priest chanted mantras.Then everyone went unto the great-grandmother (Panji)and showed their respect and took her blessings.We showered the baby and her with flowers and she in return showered the baby with tiny gold flowers.Then the aunt went and announced the baby's name....Arjun!! The grandmother then read out a note which was supposed to have been conveyed to her by Arjun in which he declares the good quality of each of his relatives that he hopes to inherit...lovely!
This was followed by a typical Maharashtrian lunch...

Khamang Kakdi or Cold Cucumber and Yoghurt Salad which was oh so refreshing

Bhajjis of potato,chillies and onion

A delightful Bhendi-Tomato Bhaaji (okra and tomato) and Batatyachi Sukki Bhaji (dry potato dish)

A sprout preparation called Matkichi Usal

A dal made from Tuvar Dal ....we call it Varan and serve with ghee

Masale Bhaat (spiced rice) and Steamed Rice

and the last....Apple Shrikand!

This sort of food tempts me to be veg!

Durga Puja is celebrated for six days every year by Bengalis,celebrating the triumph of good over evil.In Kolkata,there is pandals at every corner and are an amalgamation of culture and religion.People generally go pandal-hopping.
Mumbai too has its fair share of pandas....Lokhandwala,Powai,Kandivli,Shivaji Park,Tejpal Hall and Bandra being the prominent ones.Have heard a lot about singer Abhijit's Lokhandwala one but haven't visited it yet.
Bandra Notunpalli Sarbajonin Durgotsab at Patwardhan Park is a typical community event. Much earlier Pujo used to be celebrated only by the rich.Notunpalli had events such as Dhunuchi Naach (dancing with smoke),a Bengali comedy play and song recitals
When I visited on Ashtami day,I saw that to my right there was a huge stall filled with people having bhog.Bhog essentially is food offered to Maa Durga and then given to devotees.This is in the form of khichuri,a mixture of Gobindobhog rice and Mungbean(lentils) with vegetables.No onion or garlic.It is provided free to people.

The above picture is taken by Kalyan Karmakar who took people on a Durga Pujo Food Walk there last night

Unlike other cultures,you also find non vegetarian food stalls too at the festival...fish preparations such as Ilish (Hilsa),Pabda (as shown below),Rui (carp) and Malai Chingri (prawns).Bengali cuisine has fresh water fish,thanks to the many ponds and rivers Bengal has.

Chicken is usually available as jhol or curry...Murgir Jhol

Kosha Mangsho,a meat dish seen commonly at festive occasions, is slow cooked with ginger,garlic,pepper,cardamom,cinnamon and cloves

Richer items like Moghlai Paratha (paratha stuffed with egg) and Bhetki Fillet serve as reminders of the rule of the Nawabs and the British,respectively.

For Nobomi,we went to "Oh Calcutta" for their Pujo Special food.The place was packed,as expected.We ate to the sound of dhaakis playing

At "Oh Calcutta",you are always served the boris which is made of moong dal and Alu Kabli,a concotion of potatoes and Kabuli Chana

The piece de resistance of the meal was Sheem Palong Paturi,broad beans steamed with green masala in a banana leaf....just out of the world! Who would have thought,I would choose a vegetarian item when there were non vegetarian ones around?!!

Gondhoraj Lebu was an outstanding accompaniment.Lime that has strong aroma and perky tastes,even to wake you up from a Sunday slumber.I squeezed some onto a spoon and had it like a shot of tequila! :) So zingy!!

I love my mom's Tomato Chatni but this came really close....it had Tomato and Date

There was Kancha Lonka Murghi (raw green chilly chicken),Mangshor Jhol (Mutton Curry) and Luchi.Luchi reminds me of my mom's grandmother.One day,her husband asked her to make luchis for him.When she went into the kitchen at night with the thali of flour in her hands,she saw two bright eyes flashing back at her.She threw the thali in that direction and ran.In the morning they found pug marks of a tiger on the ground!

No Bengali meal is complete without fish...Prawn Malai Curry (creamy prawn curry) and Rui Maach Shorshey Bata (Carp with Mustard)

It's no wonder that my nephew Sujon (a second Russel Peters) looks so blissfully happy......even before the mishti arrived....

The grand finale was Payesh....a kheer made of rice that reminded me of my grandma!!

Close to the Gateway of India is the Royal Bombay Yacht Club.At some point in time,all of us have passed it.

The Royal Bombay Yacht Club was earlier housed at the Waterfront but later shifted to RBYC Chambers in 1947 when the clubhouse was acquired by the Bombay Port Trust.The Offices of the Atomic Energy Commission are now housed there.The building is stunning.

King George and Queen Mary visited the club in 1911.A special menu designed for them is mentioned in "The History Of The Royal Bombay Yacht Club", written by Gulshan Rai,retd Joint Commissioner of Customs,Padmashree and Arjuna Awardee who circumnavigated the globe.He was Ex Commodore at the RBYC.The table you see above is the Commodore's Table on which the whole team eats together.Though a Dutch sport,yachting was introduced to India by the British,just like tea was.

The club is very well maintained.There are several yachting memorabilia on display.
I came across an ancient weighing machine in which the person has to be seated!

There are boat models everywhere....like the one below of INS Trincomalee.

Spotted a barometer that warned about ships about impending storms

The door to the first floor room made you feel like you were on a ship

There was a really old bell with a gong to match.

The food at the Royal Bombay Yacht Club transports you to the days of the British Raj......Devilled Eggs,Lobster Thermidor,Ham Sandwiches....

Every time I've been there,we have had my friend Kainaz's favorite: Eggs Kejriwal invented by Devi Prasad Kejriwal,a Marwari who ate nonveg.......it's a concoction of fried egg,cheese and green chillies on toast.

Recently,I came across a book on Dak Bungalows called "The Raj On The Move" by Rajika Bhandari which talks of food during the British era,in particular the abundance of chicken in dak bungalow cuisine.Rajika mentions Caramel Custard being nicknamed 365 as it was prepared all around the year due to easy availability of its ingredients.While Caramel Custard is available everywhere today, other dishes are seen only in clubs such as the RBYC.Thankfully some recipes have been documented in "Curries and Bugles" by Jennifer Brennan and in 'Curry-A Tale Of Cooks and Conquerors' by Lizzie Collingham

Rahul and Swati who introduced me to Koli festivals some years ago

Food is a family affair

Squid in Green Masala

Spectacular display

Marathi TV and movie actor Sachin Khedekar

North meets West...Tandoori Fish

Prawn Satay

Lobsters Galore

Koli desserts....Karanji and Stuffed Bananas

Mackeral Loncha

Pomfrets

All home chefs!!

Lobsters,Mackerals and more...

Gaboli (Fish Egg) Koshimbir

Went to the Mahim Koli Seafood Festival organized by Manase with my cousins Rahul and Swati.I have been to Koli festivals every year but this was the best one to date.Centrally located yet there was ample space,huge number of stalls and many,many happy smiling faces.I saw many people taking pictures to show their relatives and friends later :)

Kolis from all over Mumbai were there to display a wide variety of seafood including squid,crabs,lobsters and clams.The usual Shrimp Biryani,Rawas Curry,Pomfret Curry,Stuffed Squids where at most stalls.This time there were also Pan Asian dishes such as Prawn Chilly and Prawn Satay!

What stood out were the Gaboli or fish eggs....plump and fresh,just off the tava...you can see them in the last photo

I spotted my local fisherwoman and bought some bombil curry at her stall.She made me promise that every time I was at the market,I would come and say hello to her!

The crowd was phenomenal.There were tables all around to sit down at and eat.Some packed food for home but the fun of eating there is something else.Maharashtrians,Parsis,Bengalis,Punjabis....everyone was there! The fish was fresh and everyone knew it! Most dishes were Rs 150 a plate.Each stall has a whole lot of family members manning it.It feels like you are eating at someone's home.

We saw the new generation Kolis and they looked so modern

The invitees for the show included Salman Khan,Vivek Oberoi,Neena Kulkarni and Sachin Khedekar.We missed seeing Salman but spotted the rest.They looked really cute when they donned the Koli caps.We watched Koli dances and Lavani performances.Neena Kulkarni,well known tv actress who lives in Mahim hoped that the festival was for a week next time.I'd echo that! All in all,it was a fun evening.We are waiting for the next....

It's December,not exactly winter but definitely time for the Upper Crust Food and Wine Show.I make it a point to attend every year,looking out for new products and food concepts.

This year the dish of the event for me was the lipsmacking Barley Slaw (with barley,cabbage,capsicum with a dressing of olive oil,lime,honey and mustard) at the Sushi and More stall.The Japanese call barley Oomugi.I have had it in Scotch Broth and loved it.Barley is a rich source of insoluble fibre and can be cooked with rice or aata (wheat flour).It is a whole grain and reduces blood sugar levels by slowing down absorption of sugar from food,has beneficial effects on cholesterol and blood pressure.

There were no nonveg items at the stall.There was a dish called Okonomiyaki which is a Japanese Savoury Pancake.

At a neighbouring stall,I had the Pasta...made with tomato,basil and garlic paste.Was delightful.Hard to tell the sauce wasn't freshly made.No doubt that one made from stratch is the best but with hectic work timings these days,one looks for convenience.One must also check what cooking oil is used for the product and in this case they use canola.When cooking or eating out,tomato based sauces should be preferred to cheese loaded ones and pasta should be whole wheat preferably.

There was a astounding selection of Oriental food....sesame oil,soy sauce,sushi ginger,you name it!
Options like miso soup,clear soups,wanton soup are healthier than having fried starters.Do check salt content of each brand.Seafood steamed or grilled,teriyaki and yakitori are better than tempura and other fried dishes

Dates from the Middle East with fillings were available at the Ambrosia Delicatessen.Dates are rich in iron,potassium,Vitamins B and A and fibre.This stall had Faradh from Oman,Safwi and Sufri from Saudi and Mariam from Iran

Spotted Canola oil from Canada.Canola oil can be organic or genetically modified

Rice Bran Oil from India

Flaxseed Oil from India....a source of the much needed omega 3 fat for vegetarians.It comes in a dark bottle as flaxseed oil is sensitive to light and heat.It cannot be used for cooking but instead can be added to salads or curds or over rice and chapati.It is to be stored in the fridge and used in a month once opened.

There was Olive Oil from Italy...Extra Virgin Olive Oil (high quality,made by cold pressing, low smoke point) which is to be used for salads and pure Olive Oil (mixture of refined olive oil and virgin olive oil) to be used for cooking.

Another star item was the cooking spray...olive oil and rice bran oil....cutting down the amount of oil one uses for cooking

There were masala pastes made in olive oil

I am happier when I receive food or books as gifts rather than clothes and jewelry.So I couldn't help smiling at the options available....food hampers at the Gourmet Company and the Food Hall stall

Tried and loved the Baked Nacho Chips and the Sesame Lavash with the Olive Tapenade,Basil and Walnut Pesto and the Olio Aglio Dip at the Foodhall stall

Pears,apples and prunes were there this year too

Tried the Desi Tadka which had cumin,tomato powder,curry leaves,red chill powder,garlic and asafoetida and can be mixed with paratha or added to dal.

and there were Green tea concoctions...Green Tea revs up metabolism

Had had the Passion Fruit juice by Good Juicery of Pune earlier so was happy to meet the person behind it.She sources the passion fruit from Europe and guava from Pune.At the stall you will also meet Waylon,her humorous assistant.You can read more about Michelle Bauer at the Bombay Jules blog

There was lassi,dahi,milk and ghee at the Krushna Dairy stall and I was pleased to see that there were many takers.With calcium and vitamin D problems occurring in people, one must ensure an adequate dairy intake

The Electric Tandoor invited many enquiries..

The Turkish Ceramics stall looked lovely.

Farmers Market had a stall too....

Many of the items at the show focussed on health.Rightfully so.With 60 million persons in India having Diabetes and many with Hypertension,Lipid Disorders and Obesity,we must!
As I bid adieu to 2013,I am going to miss one person dearly and I dedicate this post to him......Marzban Bilimoria...one of the most gentle,soft-spoken and cheerful people I have ever met.

In my childhood,Sweden to me meant pen friends! Then it was the Nobel Prize ceremony,a seat to which is coveted by so many! As I grew older,it was the Ikea store....something I discovered in America...gorgeous furniture and home items! Henceforth when I think of Sweden,I will think of "Glogg".We were invited to the home of Fredrika Ornbrant,the Swedish Consul General for a Christmas Glogg (spiced wine) event.Fredrika is charming,friendly and pretty young!

Glogg is a drink served at Christmas time in homes,restaurants and on the streets.It is warm wine with spices such as cinnamon,cardamom,cloves and ginger.Every culture has food that has a rationale behind it.In this case,it is to keep out the harsh winter cold.It is also served without alcohol as a concoction made with berry juice.Berries such as lingonberries are available all over Sweden.People also go to forests to pick them.These are added to savory dishes as well.Lingonberries are a rich source of antioxidants and vitamin C.Other Swedish berries include Cloudberry and Arctic Bramble.

Before Xmas,people meet and sip glogg and chat....just like the Bengali adda :)
At this event,I bumped into the effervescent couple Gaurav Sharma and Romi Purkayastha who kept us entertained with their quips.The above picture is of Romi mulling over wine.
I also met Swedes ( for the first time) and found them to very warm and easygoing.Learnt about the "Julbord buffet" which is served in the Xmas season which has several courses of which seafood is the first (my weakness).Marinated herring and cured salmon are the mainstay of this course.
Crayfish season is in August when crayfish parties are held.Sweden now hosts Seafood Safaris on its West Coast :)))

Here's a description of how Glogg is made..click here

My fellow bloggers Kalyan Karmakar and Rhea Mitra Dalal will be happy to hear that Christmas Ham studded with cloves is a part of the Julbord and that pig memorabilia is seen all over the country during this festive time.

Lest you think that Swedish food is all about seafood and meat,there is the famous Art Soppa or the Green Pea Soup,Beetroot Salad,Potato Salad,Kale and Cabbage.Vegetables are more in the South as a result of the climate.Tomato,Cucumber,Green Peppers and Lettuce are grown in greenhouses.Most Swedes have a balanced diet suitable for their environment which is why lifestyle diseases are less common there than in other countries.

At the party we were served Ginger Cookies with Glogg which were oh so light!

The St Lucia buns had saffron! There was also Ginger Cookie Cheesecake and Chocolate Cake(Kladdkaka) that was better than anything I have had before,in India and abroad.

We celebrated the birthday of one of the guests by singing in Swedish and then in English, before he cut the cake.

Caught up with food blogger(Nonchalant Gourmand) Nikhil Merchant who is also Product Manager for Shop For Change.He is sure to make his own version of Glogg soon.

Met the unassuming Sameer Malkani,an educationist and the brain behind the popular Food Blogger India Awards

All in all it was a great afternoon,connecting with people and learning about a new culture! It is only when we interact at a personal level that we realize that just as we are different,we also have our similarities....cinnamon used by us (in food) and them (in drink),berries used by us (in desserts) and by them (in savory dishes) ; they are family oriented (like us) and if we visit them at home,we would have to remove our footwear at the entrance just like we do in India!!
Come,let's discover more........

We went to Pench Forest Reserve,the jungle Rudyard Kipling based Mowgli's story Jungle Book in.Located two and a half hours from Nagpur,it lies in Satpura Hills in Madhya Pradesh.The temperature was 5 degrees centigrade in the mornings increasing gradually to 20 degrees in the afternoon.There are several resorts in the area including Kipling's Retreat run by the Madhya Pradesh,Baghvan Pench Jungle Lodge (where we were),Tuli's Tiger Corridor and Pench Jungle Camp.

I thought we'd be the first ones when we wrapped ourselves in two sweaters,two blankets,muffler,monkey cap and hand warmer and arrived there at 6.30 am but there were many others! Some sipping hot chai at the tea stall.The hot water bag provided by Baghvan was a source of great comfort.We wore clothes in brown and green to blend in with the forest

At the gate,a forest guide joined us.Our naturalist Sangeeta,well versed in her subject and with excellent diction, drove us in the safari jeep,deep into the forest,following a route marked by the park officials for us that day.Everytime we came across another jeep,notes would be exchanged and the tiger or any other large animal's location would be surmised

We saw several Chital or spotted deer,Wild boar,Gaur,Nilgai,Langur,Jackals and Sambar.Birds like Rufous Treepie,Drongo,Kingfisher,Plumheaded Parakeets,Cormorants and India Rollers were a plenty.Nothing to match the view of the most majestic of all.....the tiger!! The warnings calls of monkeys and deer alerted us to his presence and we rushed in the direction of the sounds and waited.Soon he emerged from the trees,looked at us nonchalantly and moved on.....leaving us spellbound!

Later,we had a picnic breakfast in the rest area.Sangita arranged it on the jeep's bonnet.The chefs had packed egg sandwiches and alu parathas,muffins,fruit,tea and coffee.The surprise of the morning was the special sugar free fruit cake for my mother's birthday!!

I was reminded of childhood picnics...sigh!

When we returned,we met the chef who prepares local dishes.The lodge held interactive sessions between chefs and the local adivasis so as to ensure authenticity.Our extremely hardworking,efficient and ever smiling butler Charandas belongs to the Gond Tribe which is the predominant Adivasi group in India.He told me more about his culture.Their food is simple.He prepares food in two ways: one where onion is sautéed and main vegetable added and then masalas.The other with garlic in which masala is added first and vegetables last.He prefers the former as makes the food more flavorful.

Aloo Baingan,Channe Ki Bhaaji,Methi Sabzi,Laal Bhaaji,Vaal (Semi) and Lauki are common Gond dishes.Nonveg includes a very spicy chicken curry which uses masala ground on silbatta (stone).Fish curry is another speciality wherein tiny fish is used.

Kadu Ke Gulgule (Pumpkin Dumplings) is a well known Gond dessert.The Adivasis also make liquor out of Mohua flowers (Katrina Kaif mentions it in her song Chikni Chameli).Mohua leaves are also a source of nutrition.

Gond make a veg-nonveg dish by mixing potato,vegetable and tiny fish roasted over grass which renders a smoky flavor.At the lodge we tried Hing-Dhania Ki Alu Bhujia,Tamatar Meetha,Semi (Vaal) and Tamatar Kanda.

The team of Chef Aks,Rafique and Charandas decorated the lunch table by the poolside as it was my mother's birthday.Her dessert included sugar free creme brûlée and malpua

In the evening it was cold and we had chaat and grills.Exceptional was the Pahadan Fish Kebab....totally drool worthy.Pahadan is a freshwater fish like the Mahaseer.

I got to visit their Organic Garden where they grow basil,rocket,lettuce,tomatoes and brinjals.These are served at the lodge.You can pick vegetables and ask them to cook them for you.They also show you how to cook them.We didn't have time for a cook session this visit.

The garden had Pok Choy,Green Chillies,banana and lime as well.

We visited a tribal village nearby where most of the staff lives.

Was happy to see an Adivasi school

The staff at Baghvan is amazing.Everything is taken care of.Mr Gogate,Sangita S.Mani,Charandas,Chef Aks,Chek Kalve,Kunwar,Rafique,Dhote and of course CD (Charandas) work really hard and are warm.The lodge is designed on the lines of South African game resorts and is ecofriendly.We caught up with other guests and their experiences when we dined at the common table.

Would love to go back someday.... for the magnificence of the Pench Forest Reserve,the Baghvan Hospitality and of course the outstanding food including Gond cuisine!!

Started the New Year with close friends sinfully feasting on Jamon Iberico,Foie Gras, Cheese-Grapes,Vindaloo and Pao while watching Salman Khan and his countdown on TV.I start this year's blog with the Parsi-Persian wedding I attended cos Parsi weddings are about fun and frolic and that's what I wish for you this year!

Our friends,the Afaghs,run the Persian Bakery and it was their grand daughter's wedding.Every Xmas they arrive with delicious rum soaked Christmas Cake,which my relatives hope I will share with them.This time,Mr and Mrs Finely Chopped had it.It was the best ever....I think Grandpa was really happy about the wedding so more love went into it and with that...rum :)

The wedding was held with both Parsi and Persian customs,at the Dadabhoy Agiary near Afghan Church,Colaba.The place was lit up with hundreds of lights ...and hundreds of diamonds on chiffon clad Parsi women :D

The music was Bollywood contemporary and had everyone wanting to shake a leg.The crowd had as many Parsis as non-Parsis

The caterer? The best....Godiwala!! Starters were served while people chatted and then it was time for the sit down meal.On one side were tables with silver thalis and I was quickly warned that the section was vegetarian.Grabbed my wits and moved over to the other side.

Then came waiters in an army and set out banana leaves on the tables to act as plates for us carnivores....probably the only veg thing there.

I got my Raspberry Soda...hahnjee!!

and Lagan Nu Achar....yum!!

and then came the man with the veg stuff,just in case some of us felt like going green.Don't tell my friends but I did and I loved it!
Before I could have anymore,the nonveg trail began...Curried Chicken which was so tender,Raan,Saas Ni Maachhi and Prawns.Tried them all and then Pulao and Dal made its appearance.Not wanting to upset them,I tasted but really couldn't have more than a bite

So while Paan and Kulfi were being served,I headed to the dance area where some of the groom's gorgeous Persian relatives sportingly bellydanced in their shararas,enthralling everyone.Some kids danced to the latest chartbusters including a tiny tot who melted everyone's hearts

Then there was Cake Cutting by the lovely newly wed couple.Here's wishing them a lifetime for happiness and much love and luck to you too!!! Happy 2014!!

Here's a link to Finely Chopped's interesting account on Parsi Wedding Food...click here

I was back at the Bandra Reclamation for Mahalakshmi Saras Exhibition on rural fare.Not only are there handicrafts and food items on sale,there is also a large food court that has stalls run by various families from all over Maharashtra and its neighboring states.The best thing I tasted was the Hurda Thalipeeth made by this lady above which had Hurda (jowar grains) and Palak.As I have mentioned,winter time is time for hurda parties in the fields!

There was so much choice for lunch....Malvani,Kolhapuri,Beed cuisine and what not.I settled for Agri food from Alibag.Agri folk are found mainly in Thana and Raigad area.Agri food is different from Malvani as it does not have roasted coconut and onion as masala.It is spicier and has a rustic feel to it.

The Chicken Thali had rice and rice bhakri both of which I managed to finish.

For dessert,I had the Puranpoli made over a khapar...the upturned vessel you see below and the lady swirled it in the air with the ease of a pizza maker :D

The food court is huge....so many stalls and so much to choose

There was pithla -bhakri being made at one.This is nutritious and cheap.Pithla is made from gram flour and bhakri of millets

Bharli Vangi or Stuffed Eggplant is a well known Maharashtrian speciality and was in many stalls

One stall had food from Beed,in the interior of Maharashtra....Usal with Beed Masala

Then there was Seafood from the Konkan....fish from Bhau Cha Dhakka cooked with gram flour,ginger,garlic,salt,turmeric and chilly powder

There was Amboli at another stall.These are Maharashtrian rice dosas

There was Kolhapuri cuisine....spicy ofcourse.Tambda Rassa and Pandhra Rassa are red and white curries made with the same stock....trotters cooked over slow fire for about twelve hours

Papads made of Nachni (millet) and Carrot !!

There was a stall on Warli art....not just paintings but also dupattas!

Terracota tea sets

Gorgeous large coconuts from Murud Janjira,on the Konkan Coast

and dried fish too

Yam and other root vegetables

Cashewnuts

and a host of other goodies from the Konkan such as Amla juice

Kokum Butter (made from kokum seeds) used as a moisturizer

Packs of jaggery

There were pedas made from evaporated milk without sugar

All kinds of rice

Wheat Vermicelli to make Upma

Concoctions of honey with garlic and even cherry! At a stall for Kerala and Jharkhand together

Wooden spoons from Saharanpur,U.P

Pickles from Delhi!

Fresh vegetables from Mahableshwar...

Strawberries....

A fruit called Kavat....made into pickles.....

Lemongrass drops for tea...

A visual treat for foodies.....to say the least!!!

The Small Fry Co. set up a pop-up event "Bombay Local" in Colaba on 25th Jan 2014.This was after the grand success of similar events in Bandra.It presented fresh and locally produced goodies to Sobo

I was there to meet Perzen Patel a.k.a Bawi Bride who had a stall selling delicious Parsi food,assisted by her sweet and supportive husband Rushad,who shies away from the camera.Was thrilled to finally meet the pretty Roxanne Bamboat in person...Tiny Taster to many...whose blogposts I never miss.Her tastes are similar...her recommendations work for me! Meher Gandevia-Billimoria,on the right, works for an NGO (Centre For Advancement of Philanthropy) that launched the "Cuisine for a Cause" book on Parsi cuisine.Also met Antoine Lewis,food critic,for whom I hold great regard.Methodical,analytical and adventurous,he has a flair for writing which you can see here

The pop-up had me intrigued with micro greens (tiny edible young greens) that are rich in vitamins and carotenoids....tried them on melba toast with grilled chicken and they were oh so yum.This was by Terra Farms,an urban vertical farm from Manori Island,Malad.These are untreated and non-GMO.There were pea shoots,moong shoots,fenugreek,fennel and radish.These can be added to salads,appetizers or main course.It also has visual appeal.Great way to get children to have their greens.Was happy to see Joel D'souza associated with them.Joel is chef and owner of Crumbs To Gourmet catering and loves to try all types of cuisines.He travelled to the North East and then made dumplings inspired by their cooking.

Then there was ethereal dark chocolate combined with Mysore coffee! Handcrafted,these were made from high quality cocoa beans and vanilla beans from Africa by Bean Therapy

Oats-Cinnamon-Wheat Cookie was healthy yet flavorful!

The Raw Pressery had vegetable juices in 250 ml bottles.These are delivered to your home on order.Options include apple-beet-carrot-ginger-lemon and kale-spinach-doodhi-amla-celery-green apple-ginger-lemon.Good Juicery with its apple juice,passion fruit juice and guava juice was also there.

Life Ki Recipe by Amrita Rana provided goodies such as Strawberry Vinaigrette...will go well with my micro greens.

Artisanal cheeses were also on display

Mumbai does have many new and exciting options today.For home delivery there is also My Peon!

The Kala Ghoda Festival held some pretty amazing walks this year.I was floored by their Stained Glass Workshop and Walk earlier in the week and again by the talk and walk on Public Dining History today.A great way to know your city! Kudos to the Kala Ghoda Fest committee for organizing such events
First we had Krutti Garg tell us about Fort and its three gates.She spoke of how Indians traditionally ate at home in the late 1800s and how restaurants were unheard of.The migration of people from interiors of Maharashtra to work at mills brought about the setting up of Khanawals,home style cheap food served in little houses for workers living away from families.These were in Dadar,Parel and Lalbaug area as that's where the mills were.Bhatiyarkhanas and Caravan Serais were also set up in the same light.
The first hotel that was set up in Mumbai was the Watson Hotel,which was in current day Kala Ghoda area,next to the Army-Navy Building.British clubs and hotels were not open to Indians,at the time.The Royal Bombay Yacht Club was one such and now of course has Indian members.For this reason,the Taj Mahal Hotel was started as a place where Indians and British could socialize with each other
Kalyan Karmakar joined in and spoke of Pancham Puriwala which is near VT and is being run since seven generations.This served as a food joint for workers who transported cotton bales which was the prominent trade then.

The talk was a huge success with people above,below and under (even on the floor,that is :)) There were people of all ages united by their interest in food and Mumbai

The talk was held at the Artisans' Centre which is in the lane adjoining Rhythm House,opposite the Synagogue

After the talk,we gathered outside Rhythm House and set off to look at Irani Cafes.Irani Cafes,as we learnt are usually in corners of buildings,a place that is considered inauspicious by Hindus but it worked well for the cafes.

The cafes sold provisions as well as tea,coffee and biscuits.The tables used to be made of marble tops as they were easy to clean.The ceilings used to be high for better ventilation

We stood in the Fort area that used to be enclosed by the Church Gate,Apollo Gate and Bazaar Gate.This was the Ropewalk Lane that once had shops selling ropes for ships. Kalyan described Fort in his talk as having Mangalorean Seafood,Tamilian Dosas,Kerala Parboiled Rice,Punjabi lassis,Gomantak thalis and more.Food from all over just like the people that worked there.

Cafe Military was our first stop and its menu showed they served more than just Irani Chai :)

Most Irani cafes had family rooms enclosed by glass (you can see this in Kyani near Metro) and did not serve liquor.They instead sold provisions like eggs,bread etc.You can spot this at the Regal Restaurant at Byculla.

The second stop was Jimmy Boy.a restaurant that serves Parsi Wedding Food all the year through!

Above is the picture of the son of the owner of Jimmy Boy,a quaint restaurant we hope will run for many years to come,unlike B.Merwan that is shutting down.Yes,there used to be 1400 Irani cafes earlier,then 350 and now only 25!

Our third stop was Yazdani which is shaped like a Japanese Pagoda as it used to be a Japanese Bank.Just as valuable today with its Brun Maska and Wholewheat Bread

Irani Chai,Suleimani Chai and what not.......I stopped to buy some bread and missed the last part of the talk which was outside Mocambo Cafe

The tea/ coffee houses have changed today

Brands like Starbucks attract large crowds.I must say they provide great service too.The other day when I was waiting for the Stained Glass Walk to start,I dropped my Java Chip Frappucino while trying to photograph it at the Fort store and they replaced it without a charge!
The decor at this cafe is lovely

The point really is that we love them all....be it the Irani cafes or the Kaapi from South Indian coffee houses or the new coffee chains.....we don't want to choose between them.... there's place in our hearts for all of them!!!
We passed the Banyan Tree above, outside the Horniman Circle Garden.It used to be the Bombay Stock Exchange under which people traded.It still stands strong today and provides shade to people.Here's wishing that all the cafes last a long time,like this banyan tree, and serve to connect people,regardless of caste,creed or religion

This year,there have been a lot of posts on Parsi and Irani food.Just the way,the year has unfolded.When Perzen invited me over for Navroz,I was thrilled.Have always wished my Parsi friends Navroz Mubarak without really knowing the significance so here was a way to find out and also get to have her great cooking.Navroz is the celebration of spring equinox in Iran
Perzen Patel (Bawi Bride) started cooking after marriage....to impress the mom-in-law :) Armed with Katy Dalal's cookbook and her mom's recipes,she slowly learned to cook a great deal of Parsi cuisine.Now she blogs as the Bawi Bride and is supported lovingly by her charming husband Rushad in all her endeavours.Born in India but having spent many years in New Zealand and Canada,Perzen has a wide perspective on life.She loves to feed people and is always afraid that food will run off,so it was no wonder she had cooked for an army :)

At the dinner,I was fortunate enough to be introduced to my Twitter friends @ghaatidancer Anisha Sharma (who has bewitching eyes and a bubbly personality) and @riotofflavours Shanti Padukone whose amazing blogposts on recipes I have enjoyed in the past.Then there was @Sporty_baba Vipul Yadav,a brand management guy, who has been on @finelychopped Kalyan Karmakar's food walks and has conducted on his own too.Then there was the adorable and funny @brandedbawi Zenia Irani,part time foodie,full time Bawi :) Kalyan Karmakar @finelychopped and his gorgeous wife Kainaz joined us later.

The Navroz Table has seven things that represent seven laws of nature,viz. good mind,ultimate truth,good rules,lawful desire,perfection,immortality and creation of wisdom.I spotted the prayer book,grains,fruits,flowers and dried fruit.There were seven things with started with S ....sev (vermicelli),seb,sakhar,sharab,sherbet,salad and soi-doro (needle-thread)

We all peered into the mirror and reflected and made a wish

Then we had the lovely feast Perzen had prepared.....
Kachumber or the Parsi salad similar to the Maharashtrian Koshimbir and Mexican Pico De Gallo.
Mamaji's Prawn Curry which was a coconut and tomato based tangy curry with medium prawns
Sali Ma Ghosh,a well known Parsi meat dish which is sweet and sour
then there were Kebabs,Bread and Rice

She saved the best for the last.....a stunner of a dessert called Lagan Nu Custard Icecream,her own concoction.(Ofcourse she made four desserts but that's another story).The dish got empty really fast and everyone decided to walk home....

BBC Good Food Magazine held its first Great Food Show at the Nehru Centre.I enjoy reading the magazine as it covers all kinds of cuisines and new products available in the market.I like the part where they compare and grade giving reasons.There's usually an article on a lesser known vegetable, something I love discovering.That's why I chose to go to the show,even though it was vegetarian :)

The show was spread over three floors.The one that was air-conditioned was the most comfortable as I was visiting in the afternoon.There were stalls on the terrace but these would be a lot more comfortable in the evening.
On one floor,there were cooking demonstrations on brown rice and Spanish saffron on display

We were really hungry so we headed to the Jade Garden and had Busaba's veg momos

and cold Vietnamese rice paper rolls filled with tofu and chopped veggies

Something new was the Bahn-Mi sandwich.I learnt the next day at a party from a lovely couple Marc and Toni who have travelled to Vietnam that there are people who go around town with these on their cycles,yelling out "Bahn-Mi" and selling them.The classic one has pork but here it had tofu and carrots in a baguette.You guessed it right,the bahn-mi has a French influence.

The Samskara Wellness stall has cheeses from Auroville Pondicherry....Feta,Lofabu,Auroblochon,Parmesan and Cheddar.These are all rennet free so vegetarian.

Trikaya had goat cheese and shitake dim sums,both ingredients which I love.

Aamrai Organic mangoes were a pleasant surprise.Preservatives can cause allergies and so also early ripening using chemicals.

Organic food was available at many stalls.

Pretty impressed by Meal Tango,which arranges for home meals in a country you visit...how cool! I don't understand why people travel and then eat only Indian food.

The Spotted Cow Fromagerie by Prateeksh and Agnay Mehra which is in Mira Road,in the basement of their house, had some pretty awesome cheeses...Bombrie and Camembert

There were cookbook releases by Pooja Dhingra and Varun.There were also cooking demos but they were to be held later in the day.

Let's hope the next one has nonveg!! :)

This weekend I was at the Lil Flea Market at Bandra Reclamation.It was a pop-up event with art,music and food from all over Mumbai.I went on saturday afternoon and sunday evening.The first day was ideal for shopping as the crowds hadn't built up owing to the heat.I bought some pretty trinkets and baubles at a steal.

Close to the entrance was the Lil Flea Cafe with stalls such as by Sanjay Solomon and his brand of artisanal chocolates called Bean Therapy.He uses Belgian dark chocolate with spices such as Coorgi Pepper,Elaichi,Lemon Peel,Mysore Coffee and Guntur Chilly! The effect is phenomenal and exceptional!

Joel D'souza of Crumbs to Gourmet,an Orlem boy,had a stall serving sandwiches and Polish dumplings! The dumplings contained Jamun!! The sandwiches ranged from pork (which incidentally went viral after it was instagrammed by a customer),Mango Chicken (with Alphonso Mango) and Tangy Mangy Vegetables as seen below

Perzen Patel of Bawi Bride was there and on both the days her fare was sold out before closing time!

One of the most fascinating stalls I loved was that of Sayeeda....an outstanding display of colors!

The place was throbbing with music....Ini Kamoze's Hot Stepper making everyone tap their feet to music

Learnt about Poi,an exercise form followed by the Maoris! Mad Poi conduct Twirling Art Workshops in Juhu and Bandra...a new way of fitness based on traditional principles!

Monali and Sonali Mitra's stall Unwind had a marvellous range of bags in vibrant colors.She also had stunning sheer cover ups for beach parties

Last but not the least was Healthy display of Cafe Jiwa,,Bandra ..they offered rotis of bajra,jowar,soya,rajgira coupled with greens like salad sprouts and assorted greens and stuffed with mains like chargrilled fruits and exotic veggies in balsamic.This was doused in greek yoghurt or desi chutney or similar sauces.Way to go!

On Sunday evening it was nice and cool and I chatted with friends on the floor of the cafe,with lovely music playing in the background.My sort of Sunday :)

Kolis (fisherfolk) are the first inhabitants of Mumbai.There have been several Koli Seafood Festivals all over Mumbai in the past few years which have been hugely popular.Mumbai now has its first Koli Restaurant Koli World at Oshiwara,Andheri.We wanted to learn more about their culture.

We set about shopping for fish with Anjali Koli at the Gopi Tank Market (Citylight) at Mahim.She is originally from Thal (Alibag)....same village by the sea that Anita Desai has written so beautifully about! She sources her ingredients from there and tries to help the women who make it,in her own special way.

Nirmala who has made an appearance on Discovery Channel helped us make choices.Anjali and she conversed in their sweet Koli language,a Marathi dialect.

Anjali showed us how to look for firmness in a fish for freshness and to check if the gills are red.We bought small crabs and learnt to distinguish between male and female crabs by turning them over.These were transformed

into a delicious coconut based crab curry which was finger licking delicious.

In the monsoons,one gets crabs,lobsters,clams and small fish like mandeli,nevta and khare.Khubi is a type of sea snail that they have.Kolis make a thin curry of the"Newta" (see picture below).During Shravan,they are vegetarian,which helps nature replenish fish.They have dry fish and pulses after Shravan,while the rains persist,for the same.

Kolis have rice and rice bhakris.We saw Anjali make rice by the yelni method,yielding rice from water.They say it's the best method and those that don't follow it are lazy :)

She used Ambe Mohar which has the aroma of mango trees.When she cooked it,the aroma pervaded the rooms.

She used Koli masala (a blend of 18 spices )for all the dishes.She blogs as Annaparabrahma and you can see all her Koli dishes here.We had pomfrets with Koli masala.Anjali herself is a vegetarian.She felt like giving up non veg while cleaning prawns one day.

She made a stir fry dish with Kolim (Javla or dried tiny shrimp),brinjals and spring onions...a dish with a refreshing new flavor.This is had at Koli wedding breakfasts and is served with Ghoad Ghari,made of wheat flour and jaggery.

We shopped,learnt how to cook the Koli way and ate.It was an afternoon all about fish and fish stories.There were three seasoned travelers with us,all adventurous about food...Pradeep,Shanky and Deepak.All extremely busy professionals who made time for exploring another culture.It was such a joy to listen to all of them.

In the end we received gift bags with Sode (dried prawns),Amboshi Cha Loncha (sun dried raw mango pickle) and the Koli masala.Can't wait to try them...

Had read about the Pet Pujaris quite some time ago and followed them on Facebook.They organize a Fatka event (in an expensive restaurant) and a Kadka event (cheap/streetfood) once a month.Somehow I would always miss their announcement and see the photos later.This time I saw that they had an event in a new restaurant Terttulia and decided to attend.My friends know my sense of punctuality and set alarms on the day we are to meet :) I wasn't sure about the location yet I landed up being the first guest to arrive.Kumar Jhuremalani who set up Pet Pujaris and his friend Taha were waiting.Found them both to be warm and great conversationalists.

It was raining heavily yet we were about twenty five people! There was loud music but it didn't stop us from having a conversation.There we were....architects,lawyers,doctors and folks from the digital and social media connecting through food.

The best part was that it wasn't all about food,food and food.It was like going to a party and making new friends.People hopped from one table to the next,meeting everyone.I was in a lazy mood so I stayed put but managed to meet quite a few people.Next time,I will do better :)

We had drinks and starters....Pesto Mushroom and Chicken Tapenade (star of the lunch).Also this thing called Karari Roti which was like a giant khakra with fresh flavors.Their thin crust pizzas were cooked perfectly.

For the main course,there was a choice of pasta,ravioli,seasalt rubbed grilled chicken with vegetables or lamb ragout with root vegetables and spaghetti.Then there was dessert.

We started at 1 pm and ended at 4.30pm!! Exchanging anecdotes about food and travel made time fly.The only person I knew was Vishwas Kasat,a fellow blogger.One of the things he spoke about was Locha.Apparently it's a dhokla gone wrong (Locho happened) Yet very popular! A well known Surat speciality now available in Mumbai suburbs.Also met Kaushal Karkhanis whom I follow on Twitter.He blogs about travel as Exotic Gringo

Have to thank Kumar (the one in the blue tshirt) for finding this lovely way of getting people closer :)

I am going to be back someday...soon

When one talks of Maharashtrian food,there really is such a wide variety.Every community has its own distinctive masala and cuisine.One such community is that of Pathare Prabhus who currently are about 7000 in number,lesser than Parsis! Nikolai Kirtikar told us about their history.Pathare Prabhus trace their descent from King Ashwapati (circa 700 B.C) who was a monarch of Nepal and from solar lineage of Lord Ram.His kingdom included what is now Nepal and extended to present day Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.The descendants travelled down to Gujarat (Somnath temple area) and finally to Mumbai.Their journey contributed to the unusual dishes you find in the community.Their language too has words from the Gujarati and Marwari language.

Members of this community owned places like Fort,Palav Road (present Girgaum road),Laini (present day Princess Street),Girgaon Back Road(now V.P.Road) and Navi Wadi.Malad,Bhayandar,Kashi-Mira,Uttan,Kelve Mahim and Chene were places that were their strongholds.Amajor part of present day Khar is still owned by them.They built landmarks like the Mahalakshmi Temple,Bhau Cha Dhakka ( Ferry Wharf),Kirtikar Market and Prabhadevi Mandir at Dadar and the Gora Ram Mandir and Kala Ram Mandir at Thakurdwar.
Prominent members include noted statesman and freedom fighter Mukundrao Jayakar and Rao Bahadur Narayan Velkar who was instrumental in starting the Central Library at the Town Hall,Mumbai.
Today everyone knows Kunal Vijayakar of The Foodie on Times Now,actress Smita Jayakar (whose house has a astounding Gauri festival celebration),the late political leader Pramod Navalkar,actors Shreyas Talpade and Mahesh Kothare.

We were there to know more about their food from Bimba Nayak.Her whole family got together to give us a meal that we will forever remember.This togetherness we saw in 2012 at the Pathare Prabhu Festival at Khar where they had stalls.

At the core of Pathare Prabhu cuisine is their Sambhar Masala.....different from the Tamilian one.It has thirty two spices.Barring a few dishes,they don't use much coconut as compared to coastal Malvani cuisine.Their dishes can be cooked in a jiffy.They have more stews with more onions and less tomato.They have non vegetarian food the whole year through.As compared with other Maharashtrian communities,they have more meat.Even to the vegetarian dishes,they tend to add prawns.In earlier days when game was allowed to be eaten,venison and rabbits were on their menu.

We were six guests.....Kalyan and Kainaz Karmakar,whose food travels you would have read for sure,Pervin Billimoria whose Parsi Bombil recipes were published in Bombay Times recently and Kurush and Rhea Mitra Dalal who are archaeologists.Kurush also runs Katy's Kitchen,his mom Katy Dalal's legacy.Rhea runs Gyaan Exchange which organizes cultural events such as the Assamese lunch by Geeta Saikia and the Cyrus Cylinder event

With all our varied backgrounds,it was no wonder that the evening turned out to be such a delightful journey!

First we had starters.....The Bhanole made below is made of cabbage,onions and prawns.My community to makes this and we have a veg one with cabbage and gram flour and a nonveg one with kheema and egg.This is baked in an oven

There were Bombil (Bombay Duck)cutlets and Jwala Bhaji (tiny shrimp).Yet another appetizer was the Mumbra which was Yellow Banana stuffed with Coconut....simply delightful!

It was Guttari Amavasya.....the last day before Shravan when a whole lot of nonveg food is consumed (and drink also but none of us drink much) before going all veg.The dinner was representing just that.

Bimba showed us ancient books she possessed...a Marathi recipe book Grihani Mitra by Laxmibai Dhurandhar and a Gujarati recipe book Vividhvani which Kainaz and her mom Pervin Billimoria loved.The latter contains 2180 recipes,first published in 1867,Bimba has the forth edition of 1926!

She had prepared the classic Maharashtrian salad....Khamang Kakdi,cucumber with green chillies and peanuts

There was a vegetarian Pineapple curry.There was also a Pepper Caulifower dish.

The choice of non vegetarian curries blew us away....each one different.Above is the piquant Prawn Loncha which reminded Kainaz of the Goan dish Prawn Balchao and Parsi dish Prawn Patio

The Pomfret Bhujna was onion based.We make this as a dry dish in our community,using prawns and egg,tomato and onions

The Fish Roe was fantastic!

You can see the Gujarati connection with the Patwad made of a roll of Colocasia leaves which are steamed first.This is called Patrel by Gujaratis and we make this in our community too (Alu chi Wadi).The difference is that the Pathare Prabhu version has prawns! They also have a nonveg version of Undhiyo called Ghada which has mutton.This was earlier cooked in earthen pots buried under sand.

Pathare Prabhus also make bread at summer time to go with mango juice.It's their version of sour dough bread which I first learnt of from Kalpana Talpade who has CD versions of her cuisine.

As if we hadn't eaten enough,Bimba rolled out the desserts....Yellow Bananas stuffed with coconut and
Roth (made of semolina,a dish as a result of Gujarati Muslim influence)
It was a truly spectacular experience,having a meal where the family got together to showcase their community with the youngest being 13 years old (Sufiyaan who is 100 percent sure he wants to be a chef) and the eldest,Bimba's aunt who is 86 years old!
This is a tale about a Maharashtrian community cuisine which is a result of migration.Unity in our diversity. Can't help thinking how important it is that to preserve all our communities! The elders have done enough.Now it is the younger generation that must carry it forward.

Was back in Fort,this time for a Parsi Food Walk by Finely Chopped.Parsis and Iranis both follow the Zoroastrian faith and migrated to India from Iran.Parsis came earlier.They landed up in Sanjan in Gujarat.Legend is that the ruling king told them that the place was already populated by many people.The Parsi representative asked for a full glass of milk and then added sugar to it without causing any milk to spill.This was to show the king that they would blend in just the same and add sweetness to the land that they had arrived in.

We gathered at The Bombay Store and introduced ourselves,where we were from and why we were at the walk.Then we set off to our first halt :Ideal Corner

Parsis love cars and bikes.A Parsi owned vehicle had greater value as they maintain them so well.Ideal Corner used to be a bike showroom earlier.

We tried the Akuri here....scrambled eggs with masala,slow cooked on a hot pan to render it creamy.It was outstanding.

We also tried the Bharuchi Akuri which is creamier,less spicy and has potato and almond slivers.Bharuch is a town in Gujarat where many Parsis live.I don't know what the connection of egg in Parsi cuisine is but it is there in a whole lot of their dishes including over vegetables.

Then we walked.This walk involves a lot of walking which is a good thing as one doesn't feel stuffed.Kalyan had also taken care that we try just one dish in each place.

We headed to the Yazdani Bakery where we had Irani chai and bun maska.This place used to be a Japanese bank earlier and therefore the Pagoda shape.

We were allowed into the baking section and we saw that they had two ovens....the wood fire one

and the metal one as shown below...

Next we walked by another fire temple.We weren't allowed inside.We had one Parsi participant Benaifer who told us about the feeling of peace you sense inside with the fire burning and the scent of sandalwood all around

Kalyan pointed out to the architecture of surrounding buildings which had images of Parsis.Have passed this so many times but never noticed.

Pherozeshah Mehta road in Fort is named after the famous Parsi lawyer.There is a statue of another legendary Parsi,Dadabhai Naoroji, which my relative has sculpted in 1925.Tatas,Godrejs and Wadias are synonymous with industry today.Parsis are known as much for their joie de vivre as their philanthropy

We saw the remnants of Fort (see above).We looked up various buildings to see the statues on top.

The statue below was also made by my relative....it represents the martyrs of the agitation against the division of Bombay Presidency into Gujarat and Maharashtra.The chowk is now called Hutatma Chowk for the same.

Then we went to Military Cafe with its pretty checked tablecloth.It is an Irani cafe at the corner of a building.These corners were considered inauspicious by Hindus but Iranis bought them and set up restaurants.Iranis set up restaurants and Parsis are more into catering.Wonder why.

Here we tried a tasting portion of the Kheema Ghotala which is minced meat with egg scrambled into it.We also had Caramel Custard said to have European origins,some say French and some British.As you know Parsis love the British.Aapri Queen and all.

I loved the way Brian and Jean from America and Patricia and Eric from Canada tried everything and enjoyed it.Jean was stunned at the vast variety and diversity of "Indian Food".We had great inputs on food from Shanky (who cycled to Fort) and Aditya throughout the walk.

Finally we reached Jimmy Boy where a Lagan Nu Bhonu (Parsi wedding feast) was set for us

We started with a carrot pickle and then steamed fish in green chutney which I skipped cos I don't like green chutney in general.

Poorna is from Kerala and she enjoyed the Parsi rotlis with jardaloo (apricot) chicken,a sweet and sour gravy.The Persian influence of adding berries or fruits to food is evident here.Then there was pulao and dal

Benaifer is a typical Parsi,full of life and laughter.She has promised to call us all for her wedding bhonu when that happens (listen all you single Parsi men).The Parsi community is dwindling so their panchayat has various schemes to promote same community marriages. Benaifer has also trained us in the art of preparing the gift envelope for the same :D Apparently one should give a little more than the amount that the caterer charges for the meal.Okay,done!

At the end of the meal came this contraption to wash hands which Poorna's hubbie Binu used so I asked Binaifer if that was typical Parsi.She said yes.I asked her what it was called.She said "washing hands" :| That is Parsi humor for you...hahaha!

The Fort Food Walk

Lavasa...Our Lovely Weekend Getaway

Food at a Baarsa...A Maharashtrian Naming Ceremony

Durga Pujo 2013

An Evening at the Royal Bombay Yacht Club

Mahim Koli Seafood Festival 2013

Upper Crust Food And Wine Show 2013

Merry Christmas...the Swedish way!!!

The Magical Pench Forest,Madhya Pradesh

Parsi Wedding Bhonu

Food at the Mahalakshmi Saras Exhibition 2014

Bombay Local

Kala Ghoda Irani Cafe Walk

Navroz with Bawi Bride

The Great Food Show 2014...Things that interested me

The Lil Flea Market at Bandra

Exploring Koli Culture with Anjali Koli

Pet Pujaris: Connecting People Through Food

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