The Irani cafe. It symbolises old Bombay, the 'good old days'. When life was simple and could be found in a brun-maska chai combination (hard crusty bread liberally buttered and softened by dunking it in milky, sweet tea) or a plate of keema pav (minced mutton with soft bread). The chicken and mutton cutlets swimming in a thick gravy...I remember eating them with relish after a movie at Sterling Cinema, Churchgate. That was when I went to school. Today, whenever I visit Churchgate, I hardly ever pass an Irani cafe. When I looked them up in the Mumbai food guide, there was only one purely Irani cafe in the list: Koolar and Co. Restaurant and Stores.
I read the food reviews. While one review raved about the bun maska chai combination, another said they didnt have it so there was really no need for an Irani chai. Keema pav is still available. My father recommends Kyani and Co. I looked it up and found that their special dish is the cherry cream custard. Britannia at Ballard Estate was highly recommended for their
berry pulao dish. The berry pulao recipe was brought from Teheran to India by the owners. Dry, sweet and sour berries are cooked with meat and kebabs with rice, topped with caramelized onions. My colleague told me to visit it before the cafe's old cook died and took this recipe to his grave.
How did these cafes come to Bombay? Business Line had a piece on Irani cafes mentioning its history "The people who started these joints are Zoroastrians who migrated to India from Iran at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Legend has it that in their early days in India, the Iranis (the second generation of migrants) worked in Parsi (the first generation of migrants) homes and later gathered in the evenings to reminisce about their homeland. At one such gathering, one of the men apparently served tea to the rest and charged a small amount for it. This sowed the idea for Irani cafes."
Each Irani cafe has its piece of Bombay history. Sadly, one finds only a h
andful of Irani restaurants hidden away in various corners of South Bombay. One must stand in a line during the peak lunch and dinner hours and be very, very patient before one can experience the gastronomic delights of a simple yet very satisfying Iranian meal. While one realizes the historic value of these cafes, it's sad to see them vanish to make way for pizza joints and continental cuisine restaurants. Preservation is tough when trends change and what was once popular is relished only by a minority. Koolar and Co. have hookas on the menu; signifying the acceptance of a trend that started when the Mocha cafe introduced hookas. Other cafes have included pizzas or Chinese food.
I hope that the remaining lot of Irani cafes dont shut shop. It's still not possible; food reviews do their bit to bring in the local interest. However, Naomi Lobo from Expressindia.com brings a sombre fact to light: 350 Irani cafes in the 50s have dwindled down to 25. Will they disappear? Or is local support along with governmental intervention required to preserve these legacies? We need to remember that the history of this great city lies in its food as much as in the old architecture. These cafes are our key to the 'good old days'. Once they disappear, a large part of Bombay's identity goes along with it.
Get your piece of bun maska and a piping hot chai. Life cannot get any simpler and more flavoursome than this.
berry pulao dish. The berry pulao recipe was brought from Teheran to India by the owners. Dry, sweet and sour berries are cooked with meat and kebabs with rice, topped with caramelized onions. My colleague told me to visit it before the cafe's old cook died and took this recipe to his grave.How did these cafes come to Bombay? Business Line had a piece on Irani cafes mentioning its history "The people who started these joints are Zoroastrians who migrated to India from Iran at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Legend has it that in their early days in India, the Iranis (the second generation of migrants) worked in Parsi (the first generation of migrants) homes and later gathered in the evenings to reminisce about their homeland. At one such gathering, one of the men apparently served tea to the rest and charged a small amount for it. This sowed the idea for Irani cafes."
Each Irani cafe has its piece of Bombay history. Sadly, one finds only a h
andful of Irani restaurants hidden away in various corners of South Bombay. One must stand in a line during the peak lunch and dinner hours and be very, very patient before one can experience the gastronomic delights of a simple yet very satisfying Iranian meal. While one realizes the historic value of these cafes, it's sad to see them vanish to make way for pizza joints and continental cuisine restaurants. Preservation is tough when trends change and what was once popular is relished only by a minority. Koolar and Co. have hookas on the menu; signifying the acceptance of a trend that started when the Mocha cafe introduced hookas. Other cafes have included pizzas or Chinese food.I hope that the remaining lot of Irani cafes dont shut shop. It's still not possible; food reviews do their bit to bring in the local interest. However, Naomi Lobo from Expressindia.com brings a sombre fact to light: 350 Irani cafes in the 50s have dwindled down to 25. Will they disappear? Or is local support along with governmental intervention required to preserve these legacies? We need to remember that the history of this great city lies in its food as much as in the old architecture. These cafes are our key to the 'good old days'. Once they disappear, a large part of Bombay's identity goes along with it.
Get your piece of bun maska and a piping hot chai. Life cannot get any simpler and more flavoursome than this.
I love this new blog of yours. I got a letter from my Indian friend today (will blog about it tomorrow) and thinking alot about India these days.
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by :) That's wonderful...I'd love to read about it.
ReplyDeletesee www.iranichaimumbai.com
ReplyDeletethe list of 350 cafes that I have identified from the Times of India Bombay Street Directory can be found there, as well as stories from Iranis whose life and blood has been running the cafes..