Mumbai Food: Gosht stories in Marol

Khaara goshtAnyone attending a Kokani Muslim food popup scheduled for this weekend will get to sample a dish that isnt made anywhere else in the world outside of the home where the event will be held Not even the rest of my own family members make it Shabana Gajjar the home chef hosting the lunch tells us about khaara gosht the dish in question This she adds is because only she and her mother know the recipe after the latter created it at a time when Gajjars grandparents were facing a financial crisis which goes to show that at least in this case necessity was the mother of inventionGosht biryaniMy grandfather had made some pretty big losses in his chemical plant business and he didnt have any money Now this was during Bakriid which is when Muslims gift each other goat meat So my grandfather received some mutton from his friends and he brought it back home asking my mother to cook it But my mom wondered What do I make because I dont have anything at home The only things she had were whole spices and salt thats all But she eventually used just those ingredients and some ginger to come up with this recipe And Im telling you even while speaking to you about it my mouth is watering Gajjar revealsSandaanShe adds that people have flocked to her house over the years just to have khaara gosht on Bakri Eid because thats the only time she makes it She will make an exception for the popup of course But all the other items on the menu are typical Kokani Muslim delicacies These include tikone parathe mdash a triangular paratha made with wheat flour kneaded in milk mdash and sikori dhaan a mutton dish made with a rich red gravy that has fine rice or dhaan accompanying itBagare chawalSikori dhaan is a wedding specialty and if you go to a Kokani Muslim one you will find people judging the food only on how that one dish is made Gajjar informs adding If the rice is a little puffed up people automatically assume that the host cant afford the finer version And the gravy has to have a noticeable layer of ghee floating on it while the meat cant be too soft or fall off the bone It has to be cooked just rightShabana GajjarFood she adds is in fact such an integral part of the communitys culture that even everyday lunches and dinners look more or less like a feast And since the history of Kokani Muslims dates back to Arab traders who stayed back along Maharashtras coastline reaching here even before the Mughal era fish and rice form their staple diet We actually love to eat nonveg so much that we have to have it 364andahalf days a year that halfaday falling on Muharram which is a period of mourning Gajjar tells us She also says that while meals for those based in Mumbai are heavy on chicken and mutton the communitys members mdash unlike most other Muslims mdash dont eat beef since they consider the texture to be too tough for their likingBut vegetables are also a must for us because we like to have a complete meal Gajjar continues ending with Thats why if you ever go to a Kokani Muslims place you will find roti sabzi salan mdash which is the gravy mdash rice papad achaar and kachumbar And for foodie families like ours we also have a starter before and desserts after the meal which can even be a banana if nothing else Thats how it has to be every single day In fact when friends come visiting our house for the first time they think that we have made a special meal just for them But thats not the case at all Its just how we eatOn March 17 1 pmAt Blue Monarch CHS Military Road Marol Andheri EastLog on to openoutinCost Rs 1380Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates