A taste of Bohri tradition: Patvelia

“A celebration is always in order for us Bohris. Be it a birthday, an anniversary, graduation, reaching puberty (misaak), anything that is good news and can be celebrated by hosting dinners to share the joy. Not to forget a dinner hosted to commemorate a dead person. Just leaving aside a divorce, there is nothing we do not celebrate,” says 31-year old Abhizar Kagalwala, whose family has lived in Mumbai’s Bhindi Bazaar for the past three generations.

“When we Bohris dine together, patvelia is the standard starter served. My naani and mum would make sure this dish was always on the menu. It is one of my most favourite Bohri dishes,” he says.

A small number of restaurants in this traditional Bohri locality still offer patvelia, says Kagalwala, who still remembers eating it on the streets as a kid: “Once when we were renovating our place at Bombay Central, I was in junior school, we moved to Bhindi Bazaar temporarily. When mom was not around, I’d be starving and run down to the streets. With all the choice of chana batata, ragda, chat, I’d always go for patvelia.”

The distinct Bohri cuisine combines the rich, aromatic Mughlai-inspired gravies with elements of Gujarati cooking. In the case of patvelia, for example, the pa__trel, or the Gujarati staple, p_atra_ (cocoyam leaves), is combined with mutton boti or kheema. The spicy dish, served with a generous topping of oil which stores its rich flavour, can be eaten alone as a snack or or served as an entree with chapatis. It is also a popular dish during Ramzan when breaking the holy fast at iftari.

The best place to eat patvelia— if you don’t want to make it at home — is Firoz Farsan in Bhindi Bazaar, where Rs 18 can buy you a delicious plate of nostalgia.

Ingredients for the patrel (Serves 4) 10 patra/ cocoyam leaves 100 gms chickpea flour or besan 50 gms dried tamarind soaked in a little warm water to make a paste 1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste 2 tsp red chilli powder 2 tsp coriander powder ½ tsp turmeric powder salt to taste

1 Mix all ingredients except the leaves together, to form a thick paste and set it aside.

2 Prepare the leaves by trimming off the thick stems. Sort the leaves into two piles, i.e. five each.

3 Take each leaf in one pile and turn it upside down. Spread the besan paste thinly and evenly over the entire leaf, placing the leaves one on top of the other.

4 Fold in the edges and roll the leaves, starting from the base towards tip. Make the roll tight and seal sides with some paste. Do the same with the other five leaves to create two thick rolls.

5 Place both rolls in the perforated vessel of a double boiler or steam cooker. Steam for 30-40 minutes till cooked.

6 Cool, remove, and cut into 1/2” thick slices.

7 Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry these patrel slices till they’re crisp and light brown in colour. Set aside for later.

Ingredients for the gravy 250 gms mutton boti or keema (you can also use chopped pieces of chicken) 2 small onions finely chopped 1 tbsp ginger, garlic and green chili paste 2 tsp red chili powder 2 tsp coriander powder ½ tsp turmeric powder 1 tomato chopped 1 tbsp crushed garlic 1 tsp jeera seeds 1 cinnamon stick 4-5 whole black peppercorns ½ a star anise 1 badi elaichi 2 green cardamoms 1 tej patta 2 tsp red chilli powder 2 tbsp of the besan paste prepared for the patrel ½ cup oil salt to taste coriander to garnish

1 In a heavy-base pan, take 3-4 tbsp oil and sauté the onions till golden brown.

2 Add the ginger, garlic and chilli paste and fry, adding the tomatoes until they are well-cooked.

3 Add the coriander, red chilli and turmeric powder.

4 As the tomatoes soften and break down, add the mutton and fry it very well.

5 Cook until the meat is done and the oil begins to surface.

6 Now to give it the final touch, take the rest of the oil in a tadka pot. Heat it till smoking hot and add all the whole spices.

7 Add the tempering to the mutton and stir well.

8 Now add the besan paste to give the dish its body and bind the flavours together.

9 Cook another ten minutes, and slowly add the patrel pieces, one by one. Be gentle and do not stir too often or vigorously. Toss the pot lightly to mix the keema and patrel.

Garnish with coriander and serve immediately.