Pathare Prabhu Food Festival Takes Mumbai On A Gastronomic Journey With Amazing Flavors of the Past – News18
Last Updated:
Courtyard by Marriott, Navi Mumbai’s 11-day Pathare Prabhu Food Festival is bringing this 700-year-old culinary legacy to the spotlight with its distinctive fusion of coastal Maharashtrian, Gujarati, and Kathiawari influences.
A unique culinary experience that combines robust flavours, speedy cooking techniques, and a rich cultural legacy as it explores the ancient mysteries of the Pathare Prabhu community.
Mumbai is celebrated for its vibrant food culture, but it also has a lesser-known but remarkable culinary heritage: the Pathare Prabhu community’s cuisine. Courtyard by Marriott Navi Mumbai strives to bring Pathare Prabhu food, which is frequently eclipsed by popular Maharashtrian cuisine, into the forefront. The hotel had partnered with famous chef Bimba Nayak, who has over 52 years of experience in the culinary arts, to host a unique 11-day festival that will highlight the wonderful flavours of the town.
Pathare Prabhu cuisine has elements from Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Kathiawar, representing the voyage of this ancient tribe before it landed in Mumbai during the 13th century. In contrast to other Maharashtrian cuisine, it uses a lot of onions and very little coconut or tomatoes. The cuisine is unique in that it doesn’t use customary ground pastes or tadkas (tempering), letting the natural flavours of the ingredients take centre stage. Although the seafood is the main attraction, the vegetarian options are equally delicious.
Speaking about the challenges of popularising this lesser-known cuisine, Chef Bimba Nayak spoke exclusively with News18 about her aspirations for the festival.
Excerpts of an interview with Chef Bimba Nayak:
How does Pathare Prabhu cuisine differ from other regional cuisines of Maharashtra?
Pathare Prabhu has come from Rajasthan, Gujarat and Kathiawad and finally settled in Mahim fort in the 13th century. Bringing along with them the local food and cuisine. The entire Pathare Prabhu cuisine is cooked in onions with very minimal use of tomato and coconut. There are no tadkas or grounded paste.
What challenges have you faced in preserving and popularising this lesser-known culinary tradition?
Making people understand that Pathare Prabhu food is different from other Maharashtrian food. It is beyond wadapav, misal pav, and pavbhaji.
Pathare Prabhu cuisine has a strong seafood and non-vegetarian presence—how does it cater to vegetarian food lovers?
We equally have a huge array of vegetarian dishes that equally compete with the seafood dishes, each dish a masterpiece.
What dish would you recommend to someone trying Pathare Prabhu cuisine for the first time?
Kolambi ch khadkhadle, non-veg Ghada (undhiyo) and ananasache sambhare, Prawns khichdi and for vegetarian panchamruta chi vangi and parwad (aluwadi)
What are your hopes for this food festival, and what do you want guests to take away from this experience?
Hopes are that Pathare Prabhu should reach on the world food map as one of the best ancient local foods of Mumbai. I would like the guest to take good fond memories of relishing the taste of the ancient 700-year-old Pathare Prabhu food of Mumbai.
Subhabrata Roy, General Manager of Courtyard by Marriott Navi Mumbai, expressed excitement about curating this festival.
Excerpts of interview with Subhabrata Roy, General Manager, Courtyard by Marriott Navi Mumbai.
What motivated Courtyard by Marriott Navi Mumbai to host a Pathare Prabhu Food Festival?
From the time we read about Pathare Prabhu, we were excited to share this 700-year-old legacy with the world. Give the guest a peek into a story of the original inhabitants of Mumbai that migrated from Gujarat and Rajasthan. We reached out to the chef and the history of this cuisine motivated us to showcase it to the guests at the hotel.
What has been the guest response to heritage food festivals like this in the past?
We do regular food promotions and take pride in presenting various Indian and hyperlocal cuisines, like Agri-Kohli, Bengali, South Indian, Punjabi and more. These kinds of traditional food festivals have been very well received by the guests. Pathare Prabhu cuisine is as unique as its chef and since there are no restaurants, it gave us the opportunity to present this rare gem to Navi Mumbai for the very first time and give them a slice of the heritage and traditions that have been handed down from generations to generations.
How do you see regional Indian cuisines like Pathare Prabhu gaining traction in luxury hospitality?
Luxury hospitality is looking to provide unique culinary experiences for its guests. We have all drawn inspiration from other international cuisines like French, Italian, Spanish and more. India is a land of history, culture, traditions and stories. Since Childhood our memories of food are associated with some stories while relishing our home-cooked food. The essence of passion, creativity, and heirloom recipes that have been passed on from generations. Hence it is woven in a tapestry of native Indian ingredients and spices, bringing out the simple, delicious and healthy benefits. Regional Indian food is sacred and worshipped and is bound with traditional techniques, giving it a unique twist. It is widely appreciated all over the globe, in luxurious and redefined settings.
Will elements of Pathare Prabhu cuisine be incorporated into Courtyard by Marriott’s menu beyond the festival?
Yes, depending on the response the guest gives to the cuisine, we would love to incorporate some of the dishes beyond just the festival. Like some of the signature dishes of the food festivals done in the past have made it as a part of our weekly dinning variation.
What future culinary events can guests look forward to at Courtyard by Marriott Navi Mumbai?
At Courtyard by Marriott Navi Mumbai, our endeavour is to bring an excellent blend of various cuisines globally and regional ones from India as well. Food that will not only satiate your palette but also create memories; be a part of our exquisite experience and your journey.
Must Try Dishes Of The Pathare Prabhu Food:
Crabs Khadkhadle
- 3 crabs cleaned and cut into 2s
- Oil 3 tbl
- Garlic paste 2 tbls
- Salt 1 TSP or to taste
- Chilli powder 3 TSP
- Sambhar powder 3 TSP
- Haldi 1/2 TSP
- Hing 1/2 TSP
Method:
- Heat oil, add hing and garlic and sauté
- Add crabs and all dry ingredients and salt
- Add about 2 glasses of water and cook till it is done.
Prawns Bhanavle
- Cabbage 1
- Onions 250 GM’s finely chopped
- Besan 1 cup
- Coconut milk, 1 cup
- Salt to taste
- Haldi 1/2 TSP
- Chilli powder 2 TSP
- Cinnamon powder, 1/2 teaspoon
- Oil 1/4 th cup
- Coriander 1/2 cup
- Garlic 1 tsp
- Green chillies, 2 chopped
- Prawns, 1/2 cup chopped
Method:
- Hand crush all the vegetables by handadd the dry masalas along with prawns besan, and coconut milk
- All little water to make it a semi thick batter
- Oil a baking pan and pour the batter into it and bake at 170 degrees for 50 minutes till the skewer comes out clean
Sagoo
Ingredients:
- 2 ltr Milk
- 100gms Sagoo
- 3/4cup Sugar
Method:
- Cook Sagoo along with the milk until fully cooked; reduce milk to 1 1/2 ltr, then add sugar and cook again till it becomes light pinkish.
- You can serve it hot or cold .
