Home chefs share community seasonal dishes for the monsoon

Summer in a seedIn the absence of fresh fish in the season the Kokni Muslim community resorts to alternatives such as pulses Home chef Mumtaz Kazi home_chefmumz shares that one such dish is ghughri mdash a souplike preparation made with whole tur or chawli or watana ldquoMonsoon also brings with it small fish like ambar small shrimps so most vegetable dishes are made with itrdquo she sharesJackfruit seedsSince jackfruit is abundant in summer they also sundry the seed ldquoThey are then coated in mud and stored in matkas for the rainy season We roast them and enjoy them as snacks theyrsquore also used in cookingrdquo says Kazi who runs Mumtazrsquos KitchenA small fish called shingti also makes its way to the table when the sea enters small canals amid the downpour ldquoBoys of the village rush to the canals to catch as much fish as possible Shingti is a very delicate fishrdquo she addsBittersweet affairAAV re varsaad dhebariyo parsaad ooni ooni rotli ne kaarela nu shaakrdquo hums Parsi home chef Mahrukh Mogrelia serenading us to her rainsplashed childhood days in Navsari where monsoon meant the abundance of karela or bitter gourd ldquoThe folk song is an invitation to the rains to come so we can lap up warm warm roti with karela nu shaak This is also Bahman mahino month when we Parsis abstain from meat of hoofed animals So eggs are dearer to usrdquo Mogrelia who runs mahrukhskitchen tells us Naturally then eggs find their way onto bitter gourd too in the form of karela per eedu ldquoWe cook it with onions fresh green chilli masala and a spot of jaggery Itrsquos a very Parsi way of cooking the vegetable topped with eggsrdquo she reveals adding that the bitterness in karela helps cut down toxins in onersquos system and rejuvenate the liverHigh and dryBy May the familiar sight mdash and smell mdash of bombil and vakti on bamboo mandavs and jawla tiny prawns on gunny bags lining koliwadas in the city greets us Dried fish like bombil jawla karandi and khare come to the rescue of the community in the monsoon months when the boats stop venturing into the sea Koli home chef and fishmonger Harsha Tapke tells us they also stockpile finds of the summer ldquoFish is a must for us and if itrsquos raining and we canrsquot go out we bank on dried fish Dried jawla bombil and khare are all cooked mostly in onions and garlic We add a dash of sugar to expel the pungencyrdquo she reveals Dried mandeli and karandi are also consumed by roasting on a low flame ldquoSukkhi vakti ambat is also a delicacy We cook baingan or eggplant with bombil toordquo she addsSuka kanda jawlaSuka kanda jawlaIngredientsgtgt 7 big onions gtgt 3 green chillies gtgt 1 kg dry jawla gtgt 3 garlic cloves gtgt 2 tbsp turmericgtgt 2 tbsp oil gtgt 1 tbsp Koli masala or red chilli powder gtgt 1 cup coriander gtgt 50 ml water MethodAdd chopped onions to the oil along with chopped garlic and chillies Stir well and add salt as per taste Throw in the dried jawla once the onions turn brown add water and cook for 10 minutes by closing the lid Tip in turmeric powder and the Koli masala Mix it well and sprinkle a pinch of sugar to reduce the bitterness Add a pinch of salt as per taste if necessary Once ready garnish with chopped coriander and enjoy suka kanda jawla with hot bhakriFishy flowerRight from the end of May a Facebook group of Pathare Prabhus mdash one of the original settlers on the Mumbai island mdash starts buzzing with excitement around shewla or dragon stalk yam a seasonal blossom that occupies pride of place among the community Home chef Soumitra Velkar who runs Hungry Cat Kitchen hungrycatkitchen says shewla is typically found after the first showersShewlaMaharashtrian vendors sell it in pairs with a fruit called kakda a souring agent Pathare Prabhus however use tamarind as a neutralising agent ldquoShewla is rich in oxalates that donrsquot agree with peoplersquos throats and if you have it without neutralising it it can cause a severe allergic reactionrdquo he cautions The produce is akin to a mushroom but slightly squishy and spongy ldquoItrsquos got a strong fishy aroma and an umami flavour Itrsquos eagerly awaited among the communityrdquo Velkar elaboratesShewlache sambhareShewlache sambhareIngredientsgtgt 1 cup chopped and blanched shewla gtgt 15 cup chopped onions gtgt 12 cup tamarind extract gtgt 2 tsp red chilli powdergtgt 2 tsp parbhi sambhaar gtgt 4 tbsp oil gtgt 12 cup prawns preferably karandi gtgt 15 cup thin second extract of coconut milk and 1 cup thick first extract gtgt 2 tbsp besan dissolve in thin extract and make a slurry gtgt A pinch of hingSoumitra VelkarMethodHeat oil in a thickbottomed pan add a pinch of hing and chopped onions Sauteacute on a medium flame till the onions are pink Add the blanched shewale and tamarind and continue to fry stirring for 10 minutes Add the powdered masalas and continue frying till the oil separates and the mixture comes together Combine this with the thin extract besan slurry and bring to a bubbling simmer Add the prawns and the thick extract adjust the seasoning and simmer gently for a couple more minutes till the prawns are cooked Serve once slightly cooled with steamed rice