Mumbai Food: Go on a culinary journey from Kabul to Bangladesh in BKC

FIRST LOOK

An emerald green door with a carving of an emblem on a coin from the Mauryan dynasty leads us into Taftoon, dished out by the food mavericks behind Oye Kake and Haqq Se. The setting is modern, with hexagonal lamp shades, wooden furniture and green walls - resembling the sun, trees and a road. Chef Milan Gupta doesn't want it to be just any road, but the Grand Trunk Road (GTR) that made its way into every history textbook.

Taftoon - which earns its name from a cardamom and saffron bread - opens next Thursday. Gupta takes us back to the Mauryan dynasty. "During the reign of Chandragupta, culture was given a lot of importance, and food was integral to this," he says, adding that the Grand Trunk Road was built with the idea to connect Chandragupta's kingdom that spread from Afghanistan in the west to Bangladesh in the east.

"The road was rebuilt during Sher Shah Suri's rule, and has been used as a spice route down the ages. It begins in Kabul, snakes through Peshawar and Lahore, and heads towards Amritsar. It then passes through the plains of north India, and eventually into Bangladesh," shares Milan, adding, "the food is another story that you have to taste."

At Taftoon, Naman Centre, unit No 2, C-31 & 32, G Block, BKC.
Time 11 am to 12.30 am
Call 65656100

1) Chooza Persian chorba (Rs.298)

PIT STOP: Kabul, Afghanistan
A breakfast soup made from leftovers, this dish involves mixing ingredients into a large pot and leaving it on the evening barbecue fire. An earthy, hearty soup with chicken, it is spiced with ginger and coriander seeds. Afghani food is robust, wild and ethnic with lavish Persian influences. This is served with a taftaan or taftoon as it was originally called, which arrived in a rustic form to India, where it was developed, baked in a fire-charred oven. It was eaten at every halt en route, and is a vital link to GTR cuisine. Made with milk, saffron, ghee, sugar and salt, it is left to ferment for a couple of hours before baking.

Chooza Persian chorba

2) Lipta jhinga (Rs.569)

PIT STOP: Moga, Punjab
While bacon-wrapped meat is a western technique, the royal kingdom of Punjab created this dish, where prawns are wrapped in a sweet chilli oil chicken strips. True, the Mughals are responsible for introducing their recipes into India, but it is the khansamas/bawarchis /rakabdars as they were called in different regions who developed the cuisine and gave it finesse.

Lipta jhinga

3) Makkhandari kekda (Rs.689)

PIT STOP: Delhi
This is a rare seafood dish to come out of the Delhi durbar. The freshwater catch arrived from Punjab. Tossed in creamy burnt garlic and red chilli gravy, this dish is believed to be nearly 400 years old.

Makkhandari kekda

4) Bihari kebab (Rs.409)

PIT STOP: Bihar Sharif, Nalanda
A dish made at Bihar Sharif during festivities, the region, which was also part of the Mughal empire at one time, includes mutton kebabs that have a distinct taste. The sweetness of charcoal, and margination of garam masala in cashew nut paste gives it a cheesy coating.

Bihari kebab

5) Fish kobiraji (Rs.429)

PIT STOP: Bengal
A festive dish in East and West Bengal, the Fish Kobiraji shares its name with a royal poet, though the back story has evaporated. A batter-fried bhetki is dipped in an egg batter and the enveloped piece is then laced with droplet batter. An interesting cooking technique of double wrapping the meat, the masala is simple turmeric, red chillies and salt.

Fish kobiraji

6) Keema khichdi shiraazi (Rs.389)

PIT STOP: Chittagong, Bangladesh
Silky mutton keema and slender grains of rice treated with saffron make this delightful khichdi spiced only subtly.

Keema khichdi shiraaz

Compared to Lucknow, Bengal and Bangladesh don't use coriander powder or cumin seeds. They stick to turmeric, red chilli powder and cinnamon, preferring a sweeter taste.