Earlier this month, a lesser-known cuisine popped up at the restaurant Neel in Powai and Mahalaxmi. Yet, The Kokani Muslim Special by Authenticook home chefs and cousins Mumtaz Kazi and Sameera Gawandi had many takers. Close to 250 people attended the pop-up. It's the cuisine belonging to a prosperous population in Mumbai — settled in pockets from Mazgaon to Mumbra — who are originally from Raigad and Ratnagiri districts on the Western Coast of India. "The Kokani Muslim community is not very proactive in promoting itself and so its cuisine is not well known," explains food historian Dr Mohsina Mukadam, a Kokani.

The scene is changing gradually. Wedding specials like Dhaan-shikori (rice and mutton gravy) are making a silent entry into the menu at restaurants like K2 in Thane, Saher Khanzada's blog The Bombay Glutton and Najmunnisa Mukadam's videos on YouTube featuring authentic recipes are finding large followers. Coffee-table books like Zaika-e-kadwai (contributed by the residents of Kadwai village) and Kokani Delights (cuisine of Kokani Muslims settled in Africa) by Nujmoonisa Parkar featuring recipes are also giving a glimpse of the socio-cultural aspect of the region.