This food experience in Vasai will highlight East Indian community’s wedding delicacies

Judge a man by his actions, a friend by his loyalty and an Indian wedding by its feast. When mother-daughter duo Natasha and Veera Almeida invite us to a wedding in Vasai’s Giriz Village this weekend, it comes with a delicious twist — it’s all the food, without the actual wedding. Igoreyaa, the duo’s new experiential food venture will make Jao Shiker, a 1947-established bungalow in the village, their home for a day this weekend to give us a taste of their culture.

Chichavni with rice

“Cooking for an East Indian wedding used to be a community event before catering services took over. Women of the community would congregate and share their skills and knowledge to churn out large quantities of delicious fugiyas, sorpotel, and chichavni. The actual process would be short, but it would be purposefully drawn out to make time for bonding,” shares Natasha. The new venture brings back this tradition and allows participants to get a close look at this practice.

Natasha Almeida and Veera Almeida

The Almeidas have hit two nails on the head by reopening the doors to Jao Shiker after decades. “The home, like many other bungalows here, yearns for a dweller. Their original inhabitants have unfortunately or fortunately found home in better developed cities offering better employment opportunities. These bungalows stand out from the Portuguese-inspired residences you might spot elsewhere in Mumbai, owing to their local influences in design, marked by intricately carved teakwood work,” she reveals. Ten per cent of the proceeds from the event, to that end, will go towards the maintenance of these structures.

Sundried papris on a net 

While the host will share a brief history of East Indian wedding traditions — how the lugra gave way to wedding gowns, for instance — the focus is on igoreyaa, the dishes. Chichavni, a warm hug in the form of a tamarind stew, promises to be a favourite. “It’s not extravagant or complex. The recipe calls for tamarind, spring onions, and spoonfuls of bottle masala. There are few things a hot bowl of chichavni can’t fix,” she laughs. Ask her for a personal favourite, and the 27-year-old picks her mother’s humble pork indyal with bhokache wade.

Bhokache wade

We bid farewell to the hosts, after all they have one big fat East Indian wedding to plan, and then a Christmas feast right after, in December. Honestly, we’re fatigued merely thinking about it. The Almeidas aren’t — their goal is to revive at least eight such bungalows in Vasai to put the village on the map. “Planning and financing these monthly revival efforts is a mammoth task with rewards that come slowly. But if this is what it takes to keep our heritage alive, we must do it,” she signs off.

Participants join a traditional dance at last month’s session; (right) a woman prepares grated coconut for a dish ahead of the event

ON November 23; 11 amAT Jao Shiker, Lahan Giriz village, Vasai West.LOG ON TO @igoreyaa on Instagram ENTRY Revealed on enquiry

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