Aagri cuisine makes it to posh South Mumbai

The pungent smell of fish and curry like coastal evening breeze greets us when we push the glass door and step into the recently opened Maharastrian eatery that serves Aagri cuisine Aagri Culture ExpressSons of the soil the Aagris trace their history back to the original 26 villages of Mumbai when the land where Bandra and Andheri stand today was a mangrove jungles Yet their cuisine hasnt gained the urban patronage that Malvani and Koli food has But that might not be too far awayChef Kavita Patil and coowner Hari Kotian at the Aagri Culture Express kitchen The food is true to tradition and cooked on low flame in clay potsSitting modestly on Senapati Bapat Marg Lower Parel mdash the hub for corporate offices shopping malls and hotels mdash next to Asian Middle Eastern restaurants and French patisseries Aagri Culture Express feels like the outsider out to prove a pointChef and copartner Vikrant Patil apologises for not meeting us in the morning I was at Sassoon Dock Thats where you get the freshest catch mdash bombil pomfret prawns mandeli surmai halwa Ghol is a delicacy says the Sion resident whose great grandfather owned salt pans in SionDuring the British era the community gave up most of its salt pan land to the government and took to farming Today the Aagris are settled in Thane Dahisar Diva Dombivli and Panvel he says Taking a dig at his community he adds We love our gold We don ourselves with rings on all fingers chains and braceletsThe grin doesnt fade when we bring up the tough competition he faces from the neighbouring eateriesIn the one month we have been open weve already got repeat customers Though most officegoers enjoy this cuisine they have asked us to go easy on the spice says Vikrant who opened the restaurant with childhood friend and restaurateur Hari Kotian I was vacating this spot as my Asian eatery Wok Hei was moving to a larger space Thats when the idea of opening an Aagri restaurant came to us says KotianDeepa Patil in a traditional feta for the opening of an Aagri temple The women of this community don turbans at all religious processionsHaving been in the hospitality industry since I was 16 I knew Aagri food would work To ensure we served traditional fare we got clay pots specially made at Dharavis kumbharwada he says He had to bring in lowflame burners since this particular cuisine rests its flavours on slowcookingIts not that you wont find Aagri food elsewhere in Mumbai But says Deepa Patil a cook show host on a Marathi channel who has also authored a book on Aagri food the eateries are limited to dhabas on the highways that run through Panvel and Thane and their authenticity is questionableFinally someone has had the guts to serve our cuisine to the city says the 36yearold who also dreams to open her own Aagri restaurant Television channels she says call her to make Kohlapuri dishes but I insist on featuring Aagri food says Deepa Her book which offers recipes too was an effort to document the cuisine Two hundred copies she adds have been sold since the January launchA community effortSetting up the restaurant though Vikrant will tell you is about getting the whole community to rally around the idea The ukadichi bhakri rice rotis come in twice a day from a home chef at Worli village who has a homedelivery service The aged tamarind and kokum which give the tangy zing to the trademark curries come in from Alibag The basic recipes Vikrant has sourced from sister Kavita Patil The Aagri masala is all made fresh in the kitchenThe nonveg thali at Aagri Culture Express includes fish mutton curry roti and bombil chutneyMost dishes have seafood chicken or mutton while the gravy is a watery broth But its dense in taste explains Vikrant a former math tutor who along with his sister Kavita and her husband Jaywant head a team of seven cooks Kavita adds that unlike Kolis and Malvanis the Aagris roast coconut for the curry And we dont use coconut milk either Our food habits are similar to the Kolis she saysWhile Kavita has shared the family recipes and is responsible for the pickle and papad Jaiwant is the master of Bombay duck chutney Aagris eat nonvegetarian food like the sea is going to dry up They have a spicy palate and dont care for dessert In our chutneys even the onions are roasted to lessen the sweetness explains Vikrant Their menu boasts of khadiche mutton a sukka dish that loosely translates as hoggers dish Aagri vada made of rice flour and two curries mdash a tangy tamarind gravy for fish and an Aagri masala and roasted coconut curry for mutton and chickenHarvesting traditionThis cuisine like with most agrarian communities is linked to the soil With Navratri around the corner Aditi Keni says members will put soil around a metal kalash and sow nine to 14 types of seeds Keni founder of Eatyadi a private dining firm who runs Eatyadi a private catering service says On the last day we harvest the crop and serve it as prasad Our traditions are simple minus brouhahaAditi Keni cofounder of EatyadiPrasad should reflect whats important to the community And thus meat also gets offered to the goddess Tirpan a dish of teta goat liver and kalegi kidney tossed in coconut is served as prasad and later distributed says Deepa Other community dishes include the navsatchye mutton in which the mutton is cooked as a whole chunk We even make patkora which is fish in turmeric leaf similar to the Parsi patra ni machchi adds DeepaWhile the chefs at Lower Parel are trying to introduce the world to the Aagris Kenis is bridging the gap by walking the other way mdash modernising dishes to take them to a wider audience Keni who remembers her grandfather tasting every raw vegetable before buying it has found ways to incorporate home food in fancy dinnersFor private sitdowns I often serve a dish called patole which is similar to udki cha modak stuffed with coconut jaggery and elaichi I add a savoury twist by doing a fish filling she says adding that she once even served mutton Aagri masala samosas People loved the taste but couldnt place the spices till I told them