How Gujarati supper clubs in Mumbai are changing the way you see the cuisine

When you dine at a Gujaratirsquos home it makes strategic sense to say you are full when you are only half there Thatrsquos the cue for the host to begin the tradition of lsquoaagrarsquo which loosely translates to coaxing sometimes forcing the guest to eat more Be warned they do not take no for an answer Keep this tip handy as you sign up for the muchtrending Gujarati supper clubs that have mushroomed in the cityBeyond Thepla Fafda and DhoklaWhen Hetal Chheda curates a Gujarati menu shersquos on a mission mdash to go beyond the familiar thepla fafda and dhokla The home chef hosted her first Gujarati supper club Unbox Jalso this October at her Andheri East home For the past five years she has been running a delivery kitchen under the name Not a ChefDesigned as a slow intimate popup for up to 10 guests each course tells the story of the Statersquos diverse culinary traditions With family roots in both Kutch and Kathiawad Chheda draws from a treasure trove of regional recipes and heirloom dishes ldquoIrsquom in search of forgotten preparations that are quietly disappearing from everyday kitchensrdquo she says ldquoMany come from my grandmotherrsquos repertoire others from my travels across Gujarat The idea is to get guests to slow down listen to the stories and experience the depth of Gujarati cuisine in a home settingrdquoSupported by her mother motherinlaw and two staffers Chheda insists on authenticity ldquoThese are recipes from the mothers so I make sure theyrsquore present when I cookrdquo she smiles ldquoKathiawadi food leans on red chillies with a sweettangy balance while in Surat green chillies dominaterdquo From her nana she has recreated an appetiser of roti crumbs called churma with banana raita potato and parwal na bhajiya roasted and roasted green chilli ldquoIt captures Gujaratrsquos colourful personality in one bite mdash tangy spicy and full of texturerdquo she saysChheda often travels to unearth regional gems On a recent trip she discovered Adivasi vadas made from black urad dalmdash a traditional food of the tribal communities in the region ldquoGujarat has so many regions and so much to eatrdquo she signs off with a grinAT Andheri EastCOST Rs 1900ndashRs 2400BOOK 7700095161A complete experienceDressed in a vermillion red patola sari draped Gujaratistyle Juhu resident Tejal Mehta welcomes every guest with an aarti and tikka This Navratri she launched her first Jamanvaar Supper Club in September turning her love for cooking and feeding people into a business shy eight guests per seatingWe settle into her living room sipping a guavapineapple cooler rimmed with chilli salt Mehta shares ldquoIrsquove always loved cooking and eating When my daughter was studying in London Irsquod cook for all the kids in her dorm Now shersquos in Melbourne and during a recent visit I noticed the supper club trend there I knew it was my callingrdquo says Mehta who convinced her businessman husband Rakesh to join her in this ldquocrazyrdquo ideaTejal Mehta and her husband Rakesh run Jamanvaar a Gujarati supper club from their home in Juhu PICSASHISH RAJETejalrsquos parents are from the port city of Jafarabad while Rakeshrsquos family hails from Bhavnagar On their farm in Umargaon they grow mango dragon fruit lentils and pulses and they also source produce from smaller farms The papad is made by a group of elderly women in her village She hopes to expand Jamanvaar into an openair villagethemed supper club in a heritage home in Juhu soonHer seasonal menu features regional delicacies On the day of our visit we start with crunchy dahi puri stuffed with sweet potato pohachana dal samosas and Ameri khaman paired with a fragrant coconutred chilli chutney The dining table with its vibrant deacutecor silverware and floral accents invites us to take our seats for the big meal Slipping into her singsong social media tone she recites the dayrsquos menu undhiyu palak malai methi gathiya nu shaak vagharyu dabka kadhi badam halwa fada kheer banana cucumber matho talela marcha gavar Rajvadi pulao with charoli multigrain puri dudhi thepla khichiya papad and chaas spiked with hajmolaThe following 45 minutes unfold in a delicious blur of khattu meethu and tikhu mdash sour sweet and spicy mdash flavours punctuated by Mehtarsquos easy banter The pickles and chutneys elevate the feast We leave with full hearts fuller stomachs and Mehtarsquos cheerful sendoff Jalso Padi Gayo had great funAT JuhuCOST Rs 3150BOOK 9833303708Introduction to a community through foodShanti Petiwala known for her home venture Riot of Flavours began hosting Bohra thaal experiences in 2020 to share the culinary traditions of the Dawoodi Bohra community in which the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin is married into Her tryst with the cuisine began in Dubai when her husband missed homecooked food ldquoI started experimenting with recipes but it truly came alive when I returned to India and began learning from my motherinlawrdquo says PetiwalaShe now hosts up to 15 guests for a communitystyle dining experience around the thaal beginning each meal with stories that introduce guests to the community and its culture ldquoWhile my motherinlaw and I handle the cooking my husband and brotherinlaw take charge of servingrdquo she sharesBohra cuisine she explains carries Arabic influences tracing its roots from Egypt to Yemen before reaching Gujarat ldquoAlong the way it absorbed Gujarati flavours One of our signature vegetarian dishes is dal chawal palidu much like a Gujarati osaman thin dal Our Yemeniinspired sandwich sufoot is elevated with green chutney And in Rajasthan therersquos gosht ki tarkari with mathania chilliesrdquo she says noting that the communityrsquos food culture also travelled to Pakistan and Sri LankaAt her table Petiwala serves what her family eats at home mdash Chana Bateta Kaari Chawal Kalamra and Keema Baida Lasan mdash following the communityrsquos tradition of alternating sweet and savoury dishes ldquoAt my last popup I served Lagan ni Seekh a minced mutton pie made at weddings It was a hitrdquo she smilesAT Marol AndheriCOSTRs 2000ndashRs 2500 per personBOOK DM riotofflavours on InstagramLet Maa feed youStep into Bansari Bhagatrsquos home in Goregaon and you instantly feel the warmth of a motherrsquos care The 54yearold single mother to daughters Hiteksha and Dhruti started Maa Nu Ghar to offer meal experiences that feels like homeA home chef for over 15 years Bhagat often found that Gujarati food served in restaurants to be oily and overspiced When her younger daughter returned from Canada earlier this year the two launched Maa Nu Ghar to change that perception ldquoThe idea was to bring back ghar ka khanardquo says Hiteksha ldquoWhen a mother feeds you she insists on second and third helpings mdash thatrsquos the emotion we wanted to recreate Many people in Mumbai live away from their families We wanted everyone to experience a motherrsquos cookingrdquo she addsWith family roots in Kutch and Mangrol a port town in Junagadh district Bhagat draws inspiration from her ancestral recipes ldquoWe make gol kokam dal rich with cashews and peanuts and add kachori dumplings to our dal dhokli In my inlawrsquos home undhiyu is paired with a sweet gol thepla for balancerdquo she sharesBansari Bhagat with daughters Dhruti R and Hiteksha Bhagat L runs Maa nu ghar Gujarati supper club in Goregaon West PICS ASHISH RAJEGuests are seated on floor cushions around a low traditionalstyle table Dhruti who manages kitchen begins the meal with a tray of condiments mdash tangy pickles kacchi kairi and amba halad The farsan course brings masaledar batata vada soft white dhokla and warm khichu Then arrives a spread of undhiyu served with bajra rotlo puri and roti paired with sev tameta nu shaak mix kathol and Bhagatrsquos Surti dal The puran poli drizzled generously with ghee rounds off the meal followed by spoonfuls of sitafal basundi and crisp papad to cleanse the palateAT GoregaonCOST Rs 996BOOK 9137475314The many flavours of GujaratGujarati cuisine varies across regionsmdashKathiawad Kutch Surat and Central Gujaratmdasheach defined by distinct flavours Kathiawad bordering Rajasthan is known for its use of red chillies and a sweet sour and spicy balance Surat favours green chillies and a bold gingerchilli paste Kutch is known for its vibrant street food characterised by sweet tangy and spicy notes The State offers meat dishes too and seafood comes from the coastline Parsi influences further enrich the Statersquos diverse culinary landscape