Mumbai Food: Indulge in some delicious Kannadiga fare at this pop-up

It started with a bottle of gin Bengaluru resident Vishal Shetty was having people over for a meal and invited her childhood friend and neighbour Divya Prabhakar who went over with gin By the time everyone had left and the last drop of alcohol had been drunk the duo had a plan they would launch a business togetherThis was August 2015 By February 2016 the duo started the Bengaluru Oota Company BOC hosting meals at a lovely little home in their city Starting Wednesday they will be serving delicious Mangalorean and Gowda fare in Mumbai as part of the Canteen Karnataka Feast a popup being held in collaboration with The Bombay Canteen TBCKane Fry PicsAshish RajeCommunity talkWe meet the ladies at the Lower Parel restaurant on a sunny afternoon They greet us warmly before Shetty quickly excuses herself to oversee the work going on in the kitchen Prabhakar settles down and tells us their story Vishal is a Mangalorean Her father started Udyavan Bengalurus iconic drivein restaurant and also owned canteens in Mumbai I am a seventh generation Gowda an agrarian community from Ulsoor in Bengaluru she begins The duo brings together recipes from both communities gleaned from family members While there are restaurants serving Mangalorean food Gowda cuisine is a dying one Were not as enterprising as Mangaloreans you see chuckles PrabhakarPundi AjadinaTBCs chefpartner Thomas Zacharias and sous chef Shannon Lawrence share that word about BOC had travelled all the way to Mumbai which made them curious They went down to Bengaluru to learn the tricks of the trade from the two women and a collaboration was bornJeegujje FryA Kannadiga feastWithout further ado we tuck in to our meal which begins with the lightest appetiser imaginable mdash Sandige fryums paired with Kosambri a salad of diced cucumber coconut and moong dal Scoop some of the Kosambri into the Sandige and then pop it into your mouth Its the best way to enjoy all the flavours and textures suggests PrabhakarCurd Rice with Pineapple Menaskai and RasamWe then try the Pundi Ajadina rice balls in a coconut masala followed by the Kane lady fish Fry Its the Jeegujje Fry that comes as a surprise Breadfruit is tossed in masala and ravafried resulting in a dish that is piquant and crunchy with a texture akin to meat The appetisers make for the perfect accompaniments to our Red Rice Cooler one of the four cocktails that have been created by the TBCacircAcircu00c2u0080Acircu00c2u0088team for the popupSandige with KosambriClockwise from left The main course includes Kundapur Mushroom and Green Peas Taal Manoli and Cashew Upkari Sirikeri and Karamani Palya Mamsa Saaru Ghee Rice Ragi Mudde and Neer DosaOur table now heaves with dishes that make up the main course Our favourite here is the Mamsa Saaru a Gowda preparation featuring mutton cooked in a corianderheavy gravy which we mop up with Ragi Mudde finger millet balls The course concludes with Curd Rice and Pineapple Mensakai pineapple curry and piping hot Rasam which acts as a digestive Our meal finally comes to an end with Chiroti and Ghasaghase Payasa a festive flaky pastry served with a poppy seed pudding Word of adviceacircAcircu00c2u0080Acircu00c2u0088you will need a long nap when youre through with itLeft to right Vishal Shetty Shannon Lawrence Thomas Zacharias and Divya PrabhakarFROM November 1 to 15 a la carte for lunch yele oota banana leaf meal for dinnerAT Kamala Mills Lower ParelCALL 49666666COST Rs 2400 plus taxes veg yele oota for two Rs 2800 plus taxes nonveg yele oota for two