Mumbai chefs share traditional recipes to celebrate the festive weekend

Musical Poila BoishakhA medley of Rabindra Sangeet and soulful poetry flavoured with slowcooked kosha mangsho a sort of mutton bhuna aromatic basanti pulao and crispy fish fry This is how Manna De mdash the owner of the 17yearold The Calcutta Club in Oshiwara mdash remembers Poila Boishakh at home Growing up in Assam the Bengali New Year festivities would coincide with the harvest festival Rongali Bihu he recallsldquoMy father was musically inclined so wersquod have a cultural assembly Of course this would be followed by a grand feast mdash led by fish fry my favourite The aroma of kosha mangsho would fill the air Ilish or hilsa also found a central spot on the table along with chitol maachher muitha curry made with dumplings of Indian featherback fish which my father loved and cookedrdquo shares DeChitol maachher muithaIngredientsgtgt 500 gm boneless chitolgtgt 200 gm potato boiledgtgt 1 tbsp jeeradhania pastegtgt 4 tbsp gingergarlic pastegtgt 5 to 6 tbsp gingergarliconion paste gtgt Salt to taste gtgt A pinch of sugargtgt 4 tbsp mustard oil gtgt 1 tbsp garam masala whole spices gtgt 12 tbsp cumin seedsgtgt 3 green chilliesgtgt 1 tbsp turmericMethodTo prepare the muitha mix the fish potato jeeradhaniya paste four tbsp gingergarlic paste salt and sugar along with the oil Mix together to form a dough and roll into loglike dumplings Bring water to a boil in a pot and dunk the muithas Let them cook for 10 minutes or till they are cooked and donrsquot fall apart Once cooled cut into desired shape In another pan temper mustard oil with whole garam masala spices turmeric crushed cumin seeds chillies and five to six tbsp gingergarliconion paste Drop the muithas and let them cook Once the muithas are redolent with the spices add some water to make a gravy and bring to a boilColours of BaisakhiHaving been born in a family which was into the hospitality business chef Jasjit Singh Keer of Alfredorsquos Malad grew up around food ldquoI used to spend time in the kitchen as a prep cook for my family My first word as a kid was kha eatrdquo he tells us The yellowhued Baisakhi festival which marks the Sikh New Year was thus centred on food ldquoMy grandparents and parents used to take us to the gurudwara There would be traditional dance kirtan stalls selling traditional goods turbans and toys and festive foodrdquo he reminisces Among the dishes whipped up at home were Punjabi kadhi made with curd and besan pindi chana meethe peeley chawal kesar phirni lassi and kada prashad which was the chefrsquos favouriteKada prashadIngredientsgtgt 1 cup atta wholewheat flour gtgt 1 cup brown sugar or 200 gm sugargtgt 1 cup ghee gtgt 3 cups waterMethodTake a cup of sugar in a saucepan add water Bring the sugar and water mixture to a boil Meanwhile place a heavybottomed kadhai or pan on a low flame Add ghee and let it melt Then tip in the wholewheat flour Stir and mix the flour with ghee Mix well to get a mixture without lumps On a low flame begin to fry the atta in ghee keep stirring The colour of the flour will change as you keep cooking it Keep on stirring the flour until it turns browndark golden evenly Pour in the sugarwater solution slowly and keep stirring The atta should have a nutty fragrance and the consistency of the kada prashad will also change When the kada prashad has a thick puddinglike consistency switch off the flame Serve it hot or warmA grand Easter lunchChef Freny Fernandes founder and chef at Monegraver Bistro amp Dessert Bar recalls eating the classic East Indian balloon bread fugia at Easter lunches The bread is usually made for weddings and eaten as a teatime snack or with a spicy curry But being a family favourite the chefrsquos mother also makes fugias for Easter to pair with roast chicken with stuffing and a meatbased curry prepared using her own recipe of bottle masala There are two varieties of fugias salty and sweet And this slightly sweet bread with spicy curry creates a perfect balance ldquoEnding Lent a time when my family usually abstains from nonvegetarian food with this Easter lunch with fugias is the best feelingrdquo she tells usTraditional East Indian fugiasEaster lunch at the Fernandesrsquo comprises potato chops fugias bheja fry chicken liver fry and biryaniIngredientsgtgt 1 kg flour gtgt 2 eggsgtgt 2 tbsps gtgt sugar gtgt 1 cupgtgt coconut milk gtgt 7 gm yeastgtgt Salt gtgt 12 tbsp oil hot gtgt Oil to fry as neededMethodPut all the dry ingredients in a bowl Add the wet ingredients and mix for seven to 10 minutes until it forms a smooth dough Cover the bowl with a towel and let it proof overnight In a deep frying pan heat the oil for frying Put one tbsp of dough at a time and cook until golden Serve hotVishu diversitySadhya headlines the food celebrations of Vishu the traditional New Year widely celebrated in Kerala and Tamil Nadu Here in the city Merilyn and Sherley Joseph owners of Just Kerala let us in on the Vishu celebrations at the restaurant ldquoA lovely annual custom that happens every year is the staff lunch we all sit in a circle for a sadhyardquo The sisters mark this tradition as special because this circle transcends all geographical and cultural boundaries and organisational hierarchies ldquoOur staff members hail from all corners of Kerala and belong to various religions that donrsquot typically celebrate Vishu But they come together to make the sadhya service a success and then once again to enjoy the food preparedrdquo Their favourite dish from the celebration is mambazha pulissery a curry madewith mangoMambazha pulisseryIngredientsgtgt 1 ripening mango peeled and sliced gtgt 2 cups water gtgt 3 green chillies gtgt 12 tsp turmeric powder gtgt 14 cup grated coconut gtgt 1 tsp jeera gtgt 1 tbsp jaggery gtgt 14 cup curd gtgt 1 tbsp coconut oilgtgt 12 tsp mustard seeds gtgt 1 sprig curry leaves gtgt 23 dry red chillies gtgt Salt to tasteVishu sadhya at Just KeralaMethodIn a deep pan add water mango slices green chillies and turmeric powder boil till the mangoes are wellcooked Grind grated coconut jeera and jaggery with a little water into a smooth paste Add the paste to the softened mangoes Keep stirring to avoid curdling and once thick lower the flame Beat the curd lightly and add it to the curry Switch off the flame In a pan heat the coconut oil add mustard seeds and let them crackle Add curry leaves and dry red chillies When crisp add this to the mambazha pulissery Add salt to taste