Call it by no name
Goddess Jivati, worshipped among Mumbai's indigenous Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu (CKP) community, is said to protect children and often, a coconut is left at her feet for four weeks as an offering. It is this sacred coconut that finds its way into ninaav (R50) in the form of coconut milk, which is mixed with jaggery and other condiments and steamed on a tawa or baked to arrive at a creamy custard-like texture. Ninaav, meaning no name, has its roots in mythology.

Shilpa Raje