Thane food festival celebrates Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu cuisine

Kheema panipuri

The origins of some of the best folk dance and music forms, and cuisines in India lie in the traditions followed by its various communities. One such community is Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu (CKP). Its members migrated to Maharashtra centuries ago, from the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, and today, the community is regarded as one of the most educated inhabitants of the state. Aside from intellect, the community is also proud of its unique cuisine. A food festival, now in its fifth year, will celebrate this very culinary heritage.

Kolambi bakarwadi

This year, the CKP Food Fest will begin on January 26, and will involve around 40 food stalls, competitions and cultural programmes. Sameer Gupte, one of the organisers, explains, "Our cuisine is a mix of Konkan ingredients with flavours of the north. One unique aspect of this festival is that the stalls are put up by home chefs from within the community, so that the authenticity of the food can be kept intact."

CKP spread of savoury and sweet dishes

He also says, "This year, we are holding a competition where the participants will make rukhvat (sweets), a ritual that is usually carried out by brides. In addition to that, we are also conducting a seminar with celebrity chef Tushaar Priti Deshmukh, who will help children prepare certain delicacies and exhibit the same at the fest. There will also be a band performance, and a fashion show." From all the sundry eats on offer , Gupte suggests you try the kheem panipuri, kolambi bhakarwadi and crab butter garlic, along with faral (snacks) and rukhvat.

Chicken lollypop CKP style

Crab butter garlic