Tag Archives: Aftab Husain Kola – Food & Travel Writer

Hadhramis present a slice of Yemen in India’s Hyderabad

Hyderabad, TELANGANA:

Hadhramis of Yemen have migrated for centuries in large numbers. (Supplied)
Hadhramis of Yemen have migrated for centuries in large numbers. (Supplied)

Can you believe that there is a large settlement of Yemeni descent people in India’s Hyderabad? Barkas, about 4 kms from the iconic Charminar, presents a slice of Yemen.

Here, a large number of Arabs from Yemen, called Hadhramis, have settled down having migrated from their country of origin for many generations.

Most of them were employed in the Nizam government. Barkas was home to the former employees of Nizams, the sovereigns of the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad. The colony originally used to serve as the Military Barracks of the former ruler of Hyderabad – the Nizam.

Men with Arabian facial features clad in Yemeni lungis (wraparound kilt) or Futah ambling around the colony’s narrow lanes is a regular sight that intrigue outsiders.

History records that Hadhramis of Yemen have migrated for centuries in large numbers, establishing a diaspora that extends around the Indian Ocean, Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states.

The Hadhramaut region, one of the southern governorates of Yemen, today has around 1.5 million inhabitants. Though migration began during the 3rd Hijri century (eighth century in the Gregorian calendar) but Hyderabad connection is of not that old. A good number of Hadramis had already migrated on India’s West Coast in the ninth century AD.

a typical mandi restaurant owned by Hadrami in Barkaas, Hyderabad. (Supplied)
a typical mandi restaurant owned by Hadrami in Barkaas, Hyderabad. (Supplied)

World War II

According to Salam Bin Juman Bamraan, of Yemeni origin, who lives in Barkas, “My father Juman Saleh Bamraan took the ship to Mumbai in 1942 during the World War II since the situation in Yemen was not conducive for living.

“When my father came to Hyderabad the Nizam of Hyderabad was kind enough to give him a job. My father married a local Muslim woman and thus we integrated into the Hyderabadi community. Our language at home was Arabic until recently but after my father died we converse in Deccani Urdu.” Though Salam did go to Kuwait for work but did not return to Yemen.

Yemen served as a trans-shipment center for luxury goods — particularly spices — originating in India and points farther east and also as a Haj route for pilgrims coming from India.

So, migration was happening to and fro. There were thousands of traders from India doing business in Yemen, mainly Aden and Sana.

Dhirubhai Ambani, the founder of the now famous Reliance Group, also started his career as a trader in Aden and his famous son Mukesh Ambani, Reliance Industries Limited chairman, was also born in Aden.

Hadhramis of Yemen have migrated for centuries in large numbers. (Supplied)
Hadhramis of Yemen have migrated for centuries in large numbers. (Supplied)

300,000 strong Diaspora

These age-old ties between India and Yemen are reflected now by the presence of nearly 300,000 strong Yemeni-origin Diaspora in India and a vibrant Indian-origin Diaspora in Yemen.

Besides India, almost all Arabs in Southeast Asia and India trace their ancestry to Hadhramaut.

Five and six generations after their forefathers made Hyderabad their homes, many have retained their culture and traits. The members of this well-knit community are now integrated in Hyderabad. Homecomings had already begun dropping off in the 1970s as Yemen became more politically disturbed.

A documentary by Adam Sawab, a Yemeni student who did journalism from Osmania University titled ‘Barkas – A Small Yemen in India’ as part of his course shed light on Hadhramis living in Hyderabad’s Barkas.

The documentary reported that Barkas is a habitat for mainly members of the Chaush community, who are direct descendants of the Hadhrami – military men in the Hadhramaut region in Yemen, there are 52 Yemeni tribes in Hyderabad.

According to Salam Bin Bamraan says his father Juman Saleh Bamraan took the ship to Mumbai in 1942. (Supplied)
According to Salam Bin Bamraan says his father Juman Saleh Bamraan took the ship to Mumbai in 1942. (Supplied)

Settled tribesmen

Some of the Yemeni tribes settled here are those of al-Saadi, al-Nahdi, al-Yamani, Barabaa, al-Amoodi, al-Saqqaf, Bamraan, al-Aidroos, al-Saadi among others.

“During the time of the Nizam’s rule, the Arab population here increased and slowly settled mainly in the Army barracks, now Barkas, on the outskirts of the city,” Adam stated in his documentary.

Sheikh Mohammed Azzan Jabari, whose grandfather came from Yemen in 1940 and was employed in Nizam’s army, says that their culture is of mixed origin with strands from Arabs and local.

Having his own textiles business in Barkas, he says, “We are into third generation. Our weddings still encompass elements of Arabic traditions like nikah is performed in Barkas’ jame masjid and we play the duff which is a Yemeni custom. We still relish Yemeni traditional breakfasts items like mandi, fuul (a dish made of cooked fava beans), hareesa (savory porridge), etc and mandi, kabsa as meals. I think Barkas is home to more than 60,000 Yemeni descent people.”

So, if you want to experience Yemeni culture with a plateful of mandi (as the area is teeming with restaurants selling delectable mandi) head to Hyderabad’s Barkas locality.

Yemenis in their traditional attire in the Barkas community of Hyderabad. (Supplied)
Yemenis in their traditional attire in the Barkas community of Hyderabad. (Supplied)

source: http://www.english.alarabiya. net / AlArabiya News / Home> Features / by Aftab Husain Kola / December 13th, 2018

Bhatkal: A food story

Bhatkal, KARNATAKA / Bengaluru, KARNATAKA  :

This sleepy and now maligned town on the Karnataka coast boasts of a unique cuisine embracing Konkan and Middle-Eastern influences

Bhatkali biryani is topped with fried onions, curry or mint leaves.
Bhatkali biryani is topped with fried onions, curry or mint leaves.

Bhatkal is a small port town on the Arabian Sea, near Mangaluru. Between the 8th and 15th centuries, it was one of the chief ports on the western coast, specializing in the trade of rice, sugar, spices and horses. Yemeni horses would be brought from the port of Hormuz in Iran to Bhatkal, and traded across the country. Over the centuries, traders from Iraq, Iran and Yemen settled in Bhatkal and formed the Navayath (newcomers) community. Some of them intermarried with the locals, many of whom belonged to the Jain community, and were influenced by their customs, languages and culture. This, in turn, led to a unique and multicultural food practice.

In recent times, however, whenever Bhatkal shows up in the news, it is with reference to radical Islamist elements and polarization between religious communities. As a result, the spotlight is rarely turned on this unique cuisine. Other than the Bhatkali biryani, little else is known and even less represented in mainstream restaurants, even in its home state of Karnataka.

The Alibaba Cafe and Restaurant on Bengaluru’s busy MM Road in Fraser Town is one of the few places that is changing this trend. The décor seems straight out of an Arabian Nights tale. Coloured glass lanterns hang from the ceiling and the mud-plastered walls are reminiscent of a Yemeni village home. There are Indian references too. The restaurant’s heavy wooden door has a lotus motif and large copper cooking pots in the corner look curiously Mangalurean. Shaad Hassan Damudi, the owner, greets visitors while taking orders on the phone in rapid-fire Konkani.

Damudi is from the Navayath community and his restaurant’s menu reflects his heritage. “What you see on the menu here is centuries of cultural amalgamation between the various communities, resulting in a very unique cuisine,” Damudi explains. The meat-heaviness is also reflected in the star dish on the menu—the Shaiyyo biryani, made from vermicelli (shaiyyo) instead of rice. The vermicelli adds a uniquely Konkani touch to the distinctly Middle-Eastern flavours of the dish, featuring layers of delicately spiced meat and a generous helping of browned onions. Shaiyyo is sun-dried in vast quantities in early summer, so it can be prepared and enjoyed throughout the long west-coast monsoon. “Navayath cuisine tends to have milder flavours than traditional south Indian coastal cuisine,” says Damudi. “We use local Byadagi red chillies, known for their bright red colour and slightly sweeter taste.”

Any conversation about Bhatkali food always turns to Bhatkali biryani, made with basmati rice flavoured with saffron and whole garam masala. Tender pieces of mutton, chicken, fish or prawns are cooked separately with spices. Some even describe it as a korma and rice dish which is assembled in layers and finally topped with fried onions, curry or mint leaves.

Seafood is a staple of Bhatkali cuisine. Fish, prawns, mussels, clams, oysters and squid, available in plenty along the Konkan coast, are combined with local spices to create preparations like the laun miriya mhaure, where sliced fish (typically seer) are cooked in a traditional salt and red chilli paste, or shinonya nevri, steamed mussels stuffed with a spicy rice and coconut mixture.

Aftab Husain Kola, a Bhatkal native and a food and travel writer, says that although modern influences have crept into traditional Navayath cuisine, many of the old traditions of seasonal food have been preserved. He also throws light on some of the other Navayath home specialities like haldi pana nevri, rice pancakes steamed in turmeric leaves, and mudkuley, tiny steamed rice-flour balls in a delicately spiced curry. The community also gets together during weddings and festivals, for dawats or feasts which celebrate Navayath fare.

The wide range of Bhatkali desserts reflects the cultural intermingling of communities. Shaufa pana (dill leaves) feature in a variety of desserts, from poli (bread) to appo (pancakes), even puddings. Saat padra navariyo, a baked, layered dessert, reminiscent of Goa’s bebinca, and tariye khawras, a semolina, coconut and cashew pudding, are unique to the region. Some of the desserts have interestingly Middle-Eastern hybrid names too. Al basra poliand aflatoon poli are two such delicious concoctions—baked pancakes made with combinations of milk, coconut, egg and sugar. The Bhatkal version of kheer is godan—it has various manifestations, but the base always comprises coconut milk and jaggery.

The culinary diversity of this little coastal town is quite mind-boggling and more conversations about this and other aspects of Bhatkal’s rich culture could present an alternative narrative to those of terror and violence.

Aflatoon poli

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tbsp refined flour

2 cups milk

4 eggs, beaten

1-2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp broken cashews

1 cup coconut milk

K cup condensed milk

2 tbsp ‘ghee’

Method

Add the refined flour to the milk and stir over a low flame until it thickens. Leave aside to cool. Add in eggs, sugar, nuts, coconut milk and condensed milk, and mix thoroughly.

Grease a baking tin with ‘ghee’ and pour the mixture into it. Bake at 160 degrees Celsius for about 20 minutes. Check if it is done by inserting a toothpick into the pancake; it should come out clean. Remove from the baking tin and serve warm.

source: http://www.livemint.com / LiveMint / Home> Leisure / by Sriram Aravamudan / September 02nd, 2018