Every day, this writer’s Bengali mother — like all others — habitually enquires what’s being packed for dabba, or what’s for dinner, and whether we’re eating enough fish. Sometimes, when the responses are unfamiliar — such as neer dosa and chicken curry, or puliyogare rice-sambar — they’re met with a curious “Wow, where did you learn this?” After five years in this city, the answers range from “my friend’s mother used to send this for tiffin” to “picked up the masala at the neighbourhood Mangalorean store”. This hodgepodge hybrid nature of Mumbai’s culinary culture flavours much of our meals, and an upcoming event will raise a toast to that through original food writing. 

Mallika Chandra and Sneha Mehta