WhenI Google searched Bhatkal, a small town in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, all I found were stories of communal strife, floods, and the disappearance of fishermen. However, something about the town that lacks due mention and attention is the rich cuisine of the Navayath (newcomers) Muslim community that populates Bhatkal.
The Navayath Muslims are a community that flourished on the land between the 8th and 15th centuries, following the arrival of traders from Iran, Iraq, and Yemen on India’s western coast. The community, its culture, and cuisine, as we know them today, are a result of the traders’ interactions with locals from across communities, but mainly with Jains.
A Story Of Cultural Assimilation
The Bhatkal cuisine, which belongs to a people who migrated to an alien land, tells the story of cultural assimilation. Over the years, the cuisine of the Navayath Muslims has gradually separated itself from Arabic and Persian influences to incorporate local ingredients and cooking and eating methods.
“When you arrive in a different land, it is natural to incorporate some influences from local culture and cuisine,” said senior journalist Aftab H. Kola, who is also a member of the community. But how the Navayath Muslim cuisine lost its Persian and Arabic influences remains an open question that is worthy of further research,” Kola added.
Their proximity to the sea and easy availability make seafood an intrinsic part of the Bhatkal cuisine. “We eat fish for lunch for at least five days a week while prawns, mussels, clams, oysters, and squids are relished with traditional spices, hand-pounded chilli and garlic paste, and herbs,” said Kola. Standout fish preparations from the Bhatkal cuisine include ambut lokha (an orange-coloured, coconut-based fish curry), lonmiri mahwre (fish in a red chilli soup), and traditional seafood curries.
The abundance of coconut trees on the coast makes coconut and coconut milk two other ingredients that regularly feature in preparations from the cuisine. Some dishes that centre around coconut include the mudkuley (rice and coconut balls in a spiced curry) and a variety of godan (a unique sweet dish made using vermicelli, wheat, or moong beans, often prepared with coconut milk and jaggery).
Apart from ingredients and flavours, the effects of local culture are also reflected in the way people eat. “While the practice is mostly lost and discontinued, I remember my grandmother routinely finishing dinner by 6 pm just like the Jains,” said Shaad Hassan Damudi, who runs Alibaba cafe and restaurants, an authentic Bhatkal cuisine restaurant in Bhatkal. “Even I remember doing that as a child, but my children have never known about the practice,” he added.
Other Dishes From The Cuisine
While the cuisine is primarily influenced by the local culture, remnants of its origins are also visible. “Mandi, a traditional dish from the Yemeni cuisine, is still quite prevalent among the Navayath Muslims,” said Damudi. It is a flavourful rice dish featuring tender, spice-infused meat (usually lamb or chicken) that is slow-cooked over a special pit with fragrant basmati rice. Additionally, the presence of hummus, a Middle Eastern dip, in their cuisine is another notable example of the cuisine’s connection to its roots.
The Bhatkali biryani is a dish that most people outside Bhatkal recognise as a representative of the cuisine; however, in addition to the more popularly known biryani, which is prepared using Basmati rice, there is also the lesser-known shayya biryani, which is prepared using vermicelli.
“Breakfast remains the most important meal of the day for Nayavath Muslims. If we count, breakfast dishes can go up to 200,” said Kola. He also mentioned how these dishes have been documented in a song by a celebrated poet named Shabbeer Baida. One of the most interesting breakfast preparations include a wide varierty of appos or pancakes that are very specific to the Navayath Muslims. The most popular among all the appos include tha hauka appo (basmati rice and grated coconut), urdha appo (boiled rice, half cup of white rice and urad dal), and pathal appo (maida, eggs, a pinch of salt and water and topped with a hearty dollop of ghee). Healthier options include the ragi appo called nasna oppo and flavoured ones include the kaazua appo (cashew apple pancakes), fansa goda appo (jackfruit pancake), and kela appo (banana pancakes).
The appo is used as the base to prepare other dishes too. Some incldue bafaqqi poli, Al Basrah poli, and appa gudio (crepe pockets).
Despite the richness of the cuisine, the community fears its loss. “While people from other parts of the country are unaware about our cuisine, we fear that even our children are unaware about some dishes that our ancestors left behind for us,” said Damudi. However, with the adevent of social media and people’s growing curiosity for regional cuisinse gives them hope that their cuisine will stand the test of time.
Read more: Chef Katherine Lim On Hakka Cuisine And Her Journey As A Chef
Also read: Chef Rukhsaar Sayeed On Kashmiri Cuisine & Dishes That Lie At Its Heart
