Secrets from the Bohri kitchen

The Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community originated from Yemen, settled down in Gujarat and eventually Maharashtra. Understandably, our cuisine and eating habits are largely inspired by our origins and travels. Food is important to our culture, and one of the most significant elements is the thaal, where seven to eight members round up to eat a meal in a circular metal dish. Sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, and sometimes getting to know the stranger you are eating with, is all part and parcel of the average Bohri community event.

The meal begins by tasting a few grains of salt, since it is believed to improve one’s appetite. The first course is actually a round of desserts. Traditional sweet preparations like malida (made of wheat and jaggery), lacchka (cracked wheat halwa) and even cakes are consumed before a full course meal is served.

Then comes a round of appetisers and rice-based preparations. A few specialities include the khichda (delicacy made with mutton and beaten wheat), mutton kari chawal (a coconut milk stew served with rice) and of course the samosa kheemas.

The food we serve retains the general blandness of Middle Eastern cuisine. Our use of spices and masalas is mild, which is why our food is appreciated by most people, including foreigners, who generally aren’t really fans of spicy fare.

It is said that depending on which part of Gujarat a Bohri originated from, their food habits were generously integrated. So, there would be additions to a local dish to make it appetising for the Bohri palate. Take the Gujarati undhiyu for instance, we make a similar preparation but with mutton in it! Another common comparison is the Parsi cuisine. Their chicken farcha, and dhansak (a mutton preparation with a mix of lentils and vegetables) are in many ways similar to our fried chicken or daal gosht.

One ingredient that possibly stands out is our use of charcoal. We use ghungaar for a lot of our dishes. It’s a method of using a smoking hot charcoal by heating it, and later adding ghee on it. It is then put in the vessel, which gives it a smoky flavour. We use this method for our biryanis, daal chawal palidu and even our mutton samosas.

While Bohri cuisine includes a lot of meat-based preparations, the importance of the daal chawal palidu should bust any possible myth that our cuisine is primarily non-vegetarian. This rice dish contains tur dal. The water used to cook the rice is turned into gravy, which we call palida. The palida is further accentuated with drumsticks. The rice is given a beautiful smoky flavour by doing ghungaar to it. This is usually served with papad and baingan bharta.

While we may have taken lessons from local regions, Bohri cuisine hasn’t influenced the local Indian palate. I believe, for the longest time our food has been limited to within the community. There were no options for non-Bohris to have access to this fare, unless you were attending a Bohri friend’s wedding or were invited for a feast at his/her home. This is why Bohri food catering has expanded in the last two years.

Chicken Kari Ingredients: 1 kg chicken with bones cut into small pieces l2 tbsp green masala paste (a paste made of green chillies, garlic and ginger) 1/4 kg kari masala (readily available at any Bohri store) A handful of curry leaves 4 tbsp coconut milk powder 1 small ball of tamarind soaked in warm water or 2 tbsp tamarind paste Salt to taste

Method: In a small pan, cook the chicken with the green masala and salt on high flame for five minutes. You don’t have to cook the chicken completely. The green masala is prepared by grinding green chillies, garlic and ginger with some salt. The proportion used is 2:1:1. You can make this paste and store it in the fridge and use it when required. Now, in another thick bottomed pan, heat some oil. Grind the kari masala to fine paste with very little water. Add this paste to the oil and sauté till the aroma of the kari masala fills the kitchen. Add the kari patta (curry leaves). Mix the coconut powder in 4 cups of water to make coconut milk. Add this to the kari masala, stirring continuously so that no lumps are formed. Add the chicken and let the kari cook on slow flame. Add the tamarind paste into the kari, and cook the kari till the chicken is cooked. Garnish with coriander. Serve chicken kari with basmati jeera rice.

Pineapple rice aka ‘Jarda’ Ingredients: 2 cups long grain basmati rice (soaked for at least two hours) 1 and 1/2 cups sugar A handful of blanched almonds, cut into halves l Fresh pineapple, cut into small pieces 2 tbsp pure ghee lA few strands of kesar (saffron) 1/2 inch cinnamon stick 4 to 5 cloves 6 to 7 cardamom Juice from 5 lemons

Method: In a large vessel, put water to boil. After the water starts boiling, add 1/2 lime juice and the soaked basmati rice. Remove the rice in a strainer after it is semi cooked. Soak all the garam masala in little water. In another big, flat bottomed vessel, heat the ghee. Add the soaked garam masala and cover immediately for the aroma to be retained. Open the cover and add the saffron, pineapple, lemon juice, blanched and cut almonds, sugar, saffron colour, and 1 cup water. When the sugar melts in the water, add the rice and mix well. Switch off the gas and let the rice soak in the sugar syrup with all the aromas of the garam masala, saffron and pineapple. Before serving, heat it on a tawa for at least 20 minutes. Garnish with almonds.

Mutton Rosht Ingredients: 1 kg mutton pieces with bones 5 medium onions, sliced and deeply fried golden 3 potatoes 2 eggs 200 gm curd 3 cloves 1/2-inch cinnamon stick 1 tbsp cumin 1 tbsp ginger, garlic and green chillies paste 2 tsp red chilli powder 1 tbsp jeera powder 1 tsp turmeric powder Oil for frying

Method: Pressure cook the mutton pieces with the ginger, garlic and green chilli paste. Cut the potatoes into four pieces and deep-fry it. Hard boil the eggs, peel and keep aside. Soak the garam masala (cloves, cinnamon, and cumin) Grind the fried onions with the curd In a pan, heat 2 tbsp oil and put in the soaked garam masala and cover it immediately. Then add the cooked mutton, and the ground onion and curd mixture. Add the fried potatoes and cook for 10 minutes, add a little water so that it forms a thick gravy. Add 2 tbsp of of cashew nut paste to make the gravy thicker. Garnish with boiled eggs cut into two pieces, and coriander. Serve hot with jeera rice, pineapple rice (jarda) or parathas. Dal Chawal Palida INGREDIENTS; For the Palida l 200 gms tur dal (preferably oil coated ) 1 tbsp methi dana 1 tbsp cumin 2 tbsp finely chopped garlic 2 tbsp besan flour 1 onion chopped 3 to 4 finely chopped tomatoes 2 to 3 kokum 4 drumsticks, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1 tbsp red chilli powder Salt to taste

For the dal chawal: Leftover dal from the palida 400 gm basmati rice soaked for 2 hours 2 tbsp garlic chopped 3 onions sliced 1 small stick cinnamon 2/3 cloves 2 tbsp jeera 1 sliced capsicum 2 to 3 tbsp ghee

METHOD For the palida: In a big pan cook the dal with 5 cups of water, salt and turmeric. The dal should not be overcooked, it should remain whole. Strain the dal and keep the water. Now in another pan, take 2 tbsp oil, add garlic, saute till golden brown, then add the methi, jeera, red chilli powder, turmeric and besan. Stir for some time till you get the smell of roasted besan. Add the onions and tomatoes. Pour in the water of the dal slowly, stirring continuously, so that no lumps are formed. Add the kokum, drumsticks and let the palida cook on slow flame till the drumsticks are cooked. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander.

For the dal chawal: Boil water in a large pan. After the water starts boiling, add the soaked basmati rice. Add salt and juice of one lime (put extra salt, because there is excess water, which will be drained). After it boils over 2 to 3 times, when the rice is half cooked, drain it out in a strainer. Pour some cold water on the rice, to stop its cooking process. In another pan take ghee, and heat it. Add garlic and stir till golden brown, add jeera, cloves and cinnamon. Then add the onions and fry till golden brown. Add the capsicum and cook for two minutes, and then add the dal. In a flat bottom pan, put a layer of basmati rice, followed by a layer of dal, and rice again. Garnish with fried onions. Pour another 2 spoons of ghee over it. Simmer it for 20 minutes on a tawa. Serve with fried papads, baigan ka bharta and pickles.

CHICKEN TIKKA BIRYANI Ingredients: 1kg chicken in boneless bite size pieces 1 tbsp jeera or cumin 3 cloves 1/2-inch cinnamon stick 2 bay leaves 5 medium-sized onions sliced and fried till golden brown 200 gm slightly sour curd Fresh coriander and mint leaves 3 potatoes 1/2 kg long grain basmati rice Lemon juice Salt to taste A pinch of saffron soaked in 1/2 cup of milk 4 to 5 tsp oil or ghee

For the marinade: 1 tbsp green masala paste (a paste of ginger, garlic and green chillies) 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 2 tbsp red chilli powder 1 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp cumin powder 1 tbsp salt Note: Remove water from the curd.

Method: Wash and drain the boneless chicken pieces properly. Add all the masalas — green masala, tumeric, red chilli, coriander, jeera powder, and salt. Marinate the chicken for at least two hours. Soak the garam masala in little water. In a heavy bottomed pan, add at least 4 to 5 tbsp of oil or ghee. Add the soaked garam masala and cover the pan immediately so that all the flavours get trapped. After some time, add the marinated chicken in the pan and cook on high flame for a while, till the chicken is done. Let the chicken cool for some time. Grind the fried onions, coriander, mint and the curd. Mix the paste with the chicken. Cut the potatoes and deep fry it. Add it to the chicken. Boil water in a large pan. Add 3 tbsp salt. After the water starts boiling, add the soaked basmati rice (the rice should be soaked for at least 1 hour) with the juice of 1 lemon. Let the rice boil till it is slightly uncooked. Remove the rice in a strainer, and put lots of cold water on it so that the cooking process of the rice stops. In a flat bottomed pan, add ghee and then a layer of rice. Then the chicken mixture, and once again, top it with a layer of rice. Sprinkle the saffron soaked in milk on top of the rice. Cover the pan with aluminium foil. Put the pan in a pre-heated oven 150 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve hot with raita.

Nafisa Kapadia is the chef at The Bohri Kitchen, Mumbai