BENGALURU: Home, friends, and good food – is what, we believe, is an ideal combination for a get-together. Add a little uniqueness to this, and it becomes an unforgettable experience.
Said to have migrated from Yemen to Gujarat many years ago, the Bohra community is a small sect of Shia Ismaili Muslims who follow the custom of the Bohri thaal. It is the practice of eating together from the same plate.
Groups of eight people usually sit on the floor, eat from the huge plate, and make sure none of the food is wasted. This practice is more prevalent in Mumbai, and now, the owners of Bohra Bohra Cafe, Koramangala, have opened doors of their house for guests to experience the unique way of relishing home-cooked food.
On a Saturday evening, we sit down for the thaal in three groups, and were asked to wash our hands in the chelamchi lota (a type of jug and basin), which is carried around by the one who will be serving food. On the large plate kept in front of us, we see Bohri-style masala aloo in a bowl, which is an accompaniment in their term. After a refreshing glass of Gol Paani (Jaggery water drink), Rehanna Nagaria and Arpitha Rai – our hosts for the evening – asked us to start the seven-course meal with a pinch of salt – a custom followed in the Bohri community. We dug into the aloo, which had a tangy, spicy flavour that tantalised our taste buds and prepared us for what was coming next.
Along came Smoked Chicken Kheema Samosas with green and red chutney. There was another sweet chutney which Nagaria prepared with her own ingredients, and the flavour of the hot samosa became more prominent with all the chutneys.
We fell in love with the White-sauce Chicken Cutlets, a dish close to Nagaria’s heart as she follows her grandmother’s recipe for this. They were soft, succulent and left a delicious after-taste after each bite.
Next, we had the Mutton Shami Kabab, which is minced mutton carefully stuffed with ingredients, rolled, egg-washed and deep-fried.
As we came to the end of the starters (yes, these were all starters!), the much-awaited Raan arrived, looking appealing as ever. Slow-cooked for nine hours, the Raan (mutton leg) in red masala was the star of the evening. The meat was so soft that a slight pull made it easy for us to finish the whole piece in a few minutes. A bit similar to butter masala, the thick gravy had a lot of flavours and all of us enjoyed it
to bits.
Coming to the main course, the classic mutton biryani and raita left us fully satisfied. Seasoned with caramalised onions, differently flavoured rice and soft mutton pieces kept us engaged till the platter was empty.
The Bohri thaal is more of a mixed cultural influence from the Middle East and the Parsi community. In all the dishes that we had, the spices don’t really hit you at once, it’s more seasoned to give a soothing taste. In between the food items, we were asked to have small bites of Anjeer halwa in order to ‘cleanse’ the palate, a ritual followed during the thaal.
Vegetarians can also be a part of the Bohri thaal as there are ample choices like charcoal grilled dal samosa, Kari Masala with stuffed capsicum, Parr roti and more. The next thaal will be held on September 29, 12-2.30pm. Those interested can contact Nagaria and Rai through their Facebook page, The Bohra Bohra Thaal, to book a slot.
Price: Non-vegetarian is Rs 1,200 per person and vegetarian is Rs 800 per person.