AMCHI MUMBAI 

WRITTEN BY ME IN TIMES OF INDIA ( KOLKATA EDITION , FEW OF YEARS BACK )

You might think what can a Maharashtrian host serves in his daughter’s wedding dinner ? well, they have much diversity of menus.

             From the sophisticated & elegant wedding halls down to the small unknown wedding party you will find different menus.

              Once I was invited to a dinner party in Bombay where “Nistechi Kodhi” , a traditional goan fish curry, chilly hot was served & I liked that dish very much. Dhingri Dulma, a colourful combination of Mushroom & paneer cooked with tomatoes & tempered with cumin, Bharuch Kid  Gost – a very delicious Parsee dish made from young lamb, Oindhiu , a gujrati vegetable delicacy & much more adorned the menu.

All dishes were served with choice of plain rice, jeera rice & phulka.  Live Indian music from Shenai & Sitar complimented the evening meals. At the corner of the lawn was a Chat counter with delicious chats, most sought after counter was  Pani puri & Momos. Gazar Ka Halwa was served along with Amrit Kalash – an ice cream in terracotta pot as dessert.

It is evident that a Maharastrian’s wedding dinner is more cosmopolitan. One had  a choice of two soups - Shorba & Cream of Tomato. Other dishes served were Dal Hariyali. Methi Matu Malai, Achari Murg, Fish Amtitsari & Bombay Duck.

I spoke to the head cook , who was a Punjabi, told me that he hired all his cooks from different hotels & restaurants. Using my priviledged status as an owner of a prestigious caterer of kolkata “ CONTINENTAL CATERING SERVICES “, I managed to gain entry into the kitchen to see the  activities of the cooks.

They were quite efficient & working hard. The owner told me that Bombay’s consumer were finally coming of age. The kind of responses he received by giving a cosmopolitan touch to the menu was enormous.

He added that there was a time when the wedding dinner in Bombay was unexciting. Today they are not using the same ingredients for different dishes. The colour of every gravy is different from the others.

Here’s  the recipe of one of my favourete dish – BOMBAY DUCK ( Fish Bambloe )

RECIPE OF BOMBAY DUCK :

Ingredients :

Bombay Duck ( fresh) – 500 gms

Chilly powder -  10 gms

Turmeric – ¼ tspn

Cumin powder – ½ tspn

Salt – to taste

Vinegar – 10 ml

Refined oil– 100 ml

METHOD :

Clean fish, open them, centre bones may be removed or left on as desired. Washthoroughly. Keep between flat plates with weights on top to remove excess liquid. Dry on cloth. Grind together spicess with tamarind pulp, vinegar & salt. Rub into the the fish. Let it stand for one hour. Shallow fry. Serve hot.