Explore Pathare Prabhu cuisine at this week-long celebration in Mumbai

In an age where people are turning away from meat chef Bimba Nayak heartily stands by it Not surprising since the septuagenarian traces her roots to a native community that has etched its presence in their city since the 13th century This week the chef will bring her heritage generational knowledge of the Pathare Prabhu cuisine and stories to the restaurant South of Vindhyas in a weeklong Pathare Prabhu festival that begins tomorrow in Vile ParleBombil methkuta cheldquoWe Pathare Prabhus do not have a native place you knowrdquo Nayak jovially remarks ldquoThere was no lsquomamachya gaavala jaaursquo let us go to unclersquos village in the summers for usrdquo The chef has spent over five decades to put the spotlight back on this culinary legacy ldquoWe were the first settlers of the seven islands alongside the Kolis and later the Parsis and other communitiesrdquo she remarksDiverse influencesPrawns khichdiLike Mumbairsquos cosmopolitan culture the Pathare Prabhu cuisine was also coloured by many cultures ldquoThe community travelled down from the Aravalli mountain ranges through Rajasthan and Gujarat They often worked with several rulers from Muslim kings to the Peshwas British Portuguese and the Frenchrdquo Nayak sharesNot all influences are foreign The ghada for instance is a popular onepot dish made with over 20 vegetables thrown together with ghol fish mutton or prawns and cooked ldquoThis is a nonvegetarian undhiyu that is eaten with tel poli or churma ladoo In such instances you see the influence of Rajasthan and Gujarati cuisinerdquo she points outBimba NayakAn open secret in the community was the recipe book Gruhini Mitra written by Lakshmibai Dhurandar in the 19th century ldquoIt had recipes created from European French and Chinese influences Imagine a lady in a kashta saree documenting all these back then and so beautifullyrdquo she saysDefining featuresSo what defines the communityrsquos cuisine we ask Meat is the one definite answer ldquoIt is a heavily nonvegetarian cuisine Even the daily vegetables came with a component of prawns or fishrdquo she explains Except for the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi the community celebrated their feasts with meatbased dishesMutton godeldquoWe also had a fondness for big fish mdash rawas pomfret and ghol The small fish were given away to helpersrdquo Nayak shares Naturally the markets became a hub for the community ldquoWe would buy fish at the Grant Road market or Andheri and Khar fish markets But the best fish was always in town near Bhaucha Dhakkardquo the chef recallsTaste of heritageAll of these influences will come together in the celebration at the South of Vindhyas through the week Dishes like bhanavle pomfret bhujne mutton gode will make their appearance ldquoThe awareness about the cuisine has grown in the last decade but I wanted to remind people of the taste of Mumbairsquos native cuisinerdquo chef Nayak notesShubhamoy Banerjee general manager of The Orchid Hotel where the festival will be held adds ldquoWith our focus on authentic cuisine it seemed natural to invite our patrons to taste the unique and diverse cuisine of the Pathare Prabhu communityrdquoFor Nayak nothing beats the food ldquoIt is a delectable and diverse variety The only drawback is that the community has been reserved in sharing these recipes But now things are changing I hope more people discover the joy of these dishesrdquo she concludesFROM July 26 to August 4 7 pm onwardsAT South of Vindhyas The Orchid Hotel Mumbai Nehru Road Vile Parle EastCALL 9169166789COST Rs 1699 onwards vegetarian buffet Rs 2222 onwards nonvegetarian buffetPrawns khadkhadileIngredientsgtgt 12 large prawnsgtgt 3 tbsp oilgtgt 14 tsp hing asafoetidagtgt 1 tbsp garlic pastegtgt 14 tsp turmeric powdergtgt 3 tsp spicy chili powdergtgt 2 tsp Prabhu sambar masalaMethodHeat some oil in a pan Add hing and sauteacute until fragrant To this add minced garlic and sauteacute until they are golden brown Add cleaned prawns and dry spices Adjust salt to taste Add a small amount of water to cover the prawns Cook until the prawns are well done and the water has evaporated Serve hot withsteamed riceChutney cha sarangaIngredientsgtgt 1 pomfretgtgt 1 grated coconutgtgt Salt to tastegtgt Fresh coriander kothimbirgtgt 5 ml lemon juice to tastegtgt 2 to 3 green chillies as per tastegtgt 1 tsp turmeric powdergtgt 1 tsp red chilli powdergtgt Oil for deep fryingMethodFor the chutney Combine grated coconut chopped coriander green chillies salt turmeric powder and red chilli powder in a mortar and pestle Grind into a coarse paste Adjust the spice level according to your preference Stir in lemon juice for a tangy flavourFor the pomfret Clean and gut the pomfret Carefully stuff the chutney mixture into the cavity of the fish Secure the opening with toothpicks or skewersFor frying Heat oil in a deep fryer or a heavybottomed pan Gently lower the stuffed pomfret into the hot oil Fry until golden brown and cooked through Drain excess oil on paper towels Serve the chutney chasaranga hot with your favourite dipping sauce or chutneyEating GuideWhere else to eat Pathare Prabhu faregtgt Dine with VijaykarsAT 8 Gurukrupa Saraswati Baug Jogeshwari EastLOG ON TO dinewithvijaykarsgtgt Kalpanarsquos KitchenAT Khanderao Smruti Dattapada Road Borivali EastLOG ON TO kalpanatalpade on Instagramgtgt Gossip and GarnishCALL 7506264307