Thathai Bhatias & A Desert Cuisine Rooted in Migration

Thathai Bhatias & A Desert Cuisine Rooted in Migration

The Thathai Bhatias, a community originally from Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, have a cuisine that has stayed true to its roots despite emigration. Working to document this unique cuisine is cookbook author Bharat Chachara.

There are a few unspoken rules for eating a Thathai Bhatia kadi. The diner must suck the juices from the singhi (drumsticks), chew on the cubes of potato, yam and banana, and leave out the curry leaves, kokum phool (wild mangosteen) and kelay jo chilko (banana peels). Made with roasted chickpea flour and lentil stock, the spicier the kadi vaghar (tempering), the more one sneezes — in other words, the tastier it will be. “When we temper the kadi with dried red chillies, slivers of ginger, a pinch of asafoetida and cumin, not only does it fill our home with its incredible aroma, but the entire locality carries a hint of its spicy flavours,” says Bharat Chachara, co-author of cookbooks on Thathai Bhatia cuisine, and a keen advocate of curating the community’s cultural recipes.

Kadi, a staple in Thathai Bhatia homes, is prepared in myriads ways — with variable ingredients to suit each family’s palate. “Eaten at lunch, the kadi, poured over daal and bhaat (lentil and rice), with papad and aloo tuk (deep fried potatoes) on the side, is the surest way to induce deep slumber,” laughs Bharat.

A former hotelier, Bharat, who is the CEO of the India Club in Dubai, explains that the majority of Thathai Bhatias are originally from Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, and trace their origin to the Bhatti warrior clan. In the 14th century, the community moved to the province of Thatta in Sindh, in West Pakistan, and came to be called as Thathai Bhatias. Traders of spices, they travelled to various parts of the globe after Partition, migrating especially to countries in the Middle East.

Bharat’s own grandfather moved to Dubai in the 1950s. Living away from the homeland, over many years, their cuisine and customs became potent reminders of their roots. Together with his wife Deepa, Bharat has been working to keep the community’s legacy and traditions alive. His book, Panja Khada (Our Food), published in 2002, contains over 130 dishes replete with illustrations of traditional cooking utensils. This was followed by Panja Reeti Rivaj in 2012, offering a glimpse into the community’s customs and rituals. They also run a Facebook page call Bhatia Buzz.

As both Jaisalmer and Thatta are desert regions, the Thathai Bhatia cuisine evolved to adapt to a hot and humid climate. In the 18th century, the community embraced Vaishnavism and became vegetarian, refraining from even onion and garlic. “I feel our forefathers did a lot of research, creating a very wholesome cuisine. We use fresh vegetables and lentils, not too many spices. Tempering is usually done with only cumin and asafoetida, both of which aid in digestion. And most dishes are garnished with finely chopped coriander leaves and lime juice to bring freshness,” says Bharat.

Unlike other north Indian communities, the Thathai Bhatias  begin lunch with rice, and follow it up with the roti, phulka and poori. The pungent flavours of onion and garlic are absent, so meals cook much faster. Influenced by Gujarati and Rajasthani kitchens, a dash of sugar is present in several recipes, and dried vegetables such as gwar (cluster beans) and bhey (lotus stem) are stored and used as fried snacks or in pickles, as accompaniments, referred to as loarn. “There is science behind these traditional culinary recipes. Take for instance, mogray jo sherbat, sugar syrup infused with jasmine flowers. Visitors are offered this refreshing, fragrant drink after a long day in the sun, to cool the body,” explains Bharat.

Besides mogray, chandan (sandalwood) and gulab (rose) sherbets are also popular in the summer months. Yet another unique and delectable dish is the turanj jo murabba, a sweet preserve made from the dried pulp of citron, dunked in sugar syrup and sprinkled with nuts and saffron.

Adapting to the climate of the regions they emigrated to, making use of what ingredients were available, the Thathai Bhatia cuisine incorporated a variety of produce, and cooked in a variety of ways. Bitter gourd, brinjal and courgettes are, to this day, extensively used. There are both sweet and spicy versions of the same dish. A ridge gourd preparation (turain jo saag) is made as metho (sweet) and tikho (spicy). And so is farayun, a dish made with brinjal. “Even the poori has several variations. The usual one, made with whole wheat flour; the gari poori, made from rice flour; jeera poori, sprinkled with cumin; methi poori, where the dough kneaded with dried fenugreek leaves; and karayle ji kuttar ji poori,  a whole-wheat flour poori made with grated bitter gourd,” explains Bharat.

For Bharat, the decision to compile his community’s recipes happened quite by chance. As part of his hotel management education in Mumbai in 1989, he had to present a thesis. “I struggled to find a topic, and it struck me that nobody had tried to trace the flavours of Thathai Bhatia cuisine,” he recalls. “I spoke to my parents, many relatives, and finally completed my thesis about my community’s food.” His thesis was well received, and was in demand within the community as a reference for recipes, especially with the younger generation travelling abroad to study. He later converted his thesis into a small book and called it Trupti. Within five months, all 500 copies of Trupti were sold out. Later, together with his wife Deepa, who is equally passionate about their culinary culture, he wrote Panja Khada, in 2002.

The book comprises a detailed recipe list of breakfast, lunch, snacks, desserts and accompaniments. The couple have also released a music album of traditional Bhatia folk songs called Hallo Dhol Vajayun. Their Facebook group Bhatia Buzz is popular with 5900 global members. Posts on deaths, birth announcements, recipes and festivals are always met with enthusiastic responses.

Deeply religious, the Thatia Bhatias worship Srinathji, a child-manifestation of lord Krishna. The community observes several religious culinary rituals; food is first offered to the deity as a token of gratitude, called Bhog Dharanu; and the eleventh day of the Hindu month Ekadashi or Igyas, is observed as a month of fasting, by eating simple meals consisting of fruits and nuts. For Ankoot, observed a day after Diwali, a feast of 56 dishes is prepared as a lavish offering to the gods.

In Bharat’s home, a typical breakfast is a meal of poori, papad, fried aloo, chillies, fried brinjal, and pickle, savoured with hot masala chai. “Or we eat a variety of koki — thick paranthas, sometimes made with besan and filled with bitter gourd. It goes well with vangan batata jo athanu (brinjal potato pickle).”

A close-knit community, the Thathai Bhatias value hospitality, and revel in eating meals together. They still follow the custom of eating nashta, an evening snack, usually one with a sweet and savoury combination. “Among the many nashta options, the popular ones include sweet boondi and besan (boondi with spicy namkeen) or saagbiri (chana dal filled samosas) eaten with baat (wheat crust dunked in sugar syrup) or fafda (crispy snack) and jalebi.” Dinner is usually phulkas with sabzi, followed by dessert. The phulkas, made with red rice flour, are called garay chokay ji chapri.

Thathai Bhatias are a small community, whose numbers are slowly dwindling, which makes Bharat and Deepa’s efforts to compile their recipes more significant than ever. A third book is in the works — Panja Khada (Our Community), to complete the trilogy.


Banner image credit: Panja Khada

Tessy Koshy is an independent journalist based in Dubai. She writes art, culture and human interest stories.

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