Hidden culinary from Mumbai arrives in Colombo

Shangri La Colombo invites guests to discover culinary treasure as renowned Indian chef and culinary educator Bimba Nayak along with Chef Gauri Nayak presents an exclusive Pathare Prabhudining experience at Central from June 4-7.

For many, the words Bombil, Kolambi and Khadkhadle may sound unfamiliar. Yet within the Pathare Prabhu community one of Mumbai’s oldest and most historically significant communities these dishes represent a culinary legacy shaped over more than seven centuries.

Believed to be among the earliest settlers of Mumbai, the Pathare Prabhus are custodians of a distinctive food culture that reflects the journeys of their ancestors across western India. Their cuisine is richly layered, drawing influences from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa and coastal trade routes, while celebrating ingredients such as coconut, kokum, tamarind, jaggery and some of the finest seafood from the Arabian Sea.

Few have done more to preserve this heritage than Chef Bimba Nayak. Widely regarded as one of the foremost ambassadors of Pathare Prabhu cuisine, Chef Bimba has spent decades documenting, teaching and sharing recipes that might otherwise have been lost to time. Inspired as a young girl by her maternal grandmother’s cooking, she has dedicated more than six decades to safeguarding the culinary traditions of her community, teaching thousands of students and curatingacclaimed food festivals across India.

“I don’t believe food should be made and served from the heart,” says Chef Bimba.” It should be made with every fibre of one’s being.”

That philosophy will come to life in Colombo as Chef Bimba collaborates with Patrick Buttgereit and Indranil Banerjee to create a menu that honours both heritage and locality. In the lead up to the event, the chefs will visit Colombo’s bustling fish market to hand select the freshest seafood an expression of Shangri La Colombo’s Rooted in Nature philosophy, which celebrates ingredients at their source and the stories theycarry from sea to plate.

Guests can expect a vibrant and deeply personal menufeaturing treasured family recipes and signature dishes such as Kolambi Khadkhadle, Chicken Gode, Bhanavle and other traditional specialities rarely experienced outside the Pathare Prabhu community.

At a time when many regional food traditions risk fading into obscurity, this collaboration offers a rare opportunity to experience a cuisine that has remained largely hidden, even in its hometown of Mumbai.

Source: Daily News