With Love from Lisbon

Assunta, in flowery frock and cheery golden hoops, is laying out the spread at her home in Sahar Village, one of Mumbai8217;s East Indian bastions.

There8217;s chicken roast, stuffed mackerel, handbread a flat bread made of rice and Bombay Duck curry, the last of which features a very important character in the East Indian culinary cast8212;the bottle masala.

8220;You8217;ll find it in nearly every East Indian home. Made from over 30 different ingredients and prepared to last the year, it8217;s stored in dark glass bottles,8221; says Assunta, drenching your rice with the curry.

It is mild in taste but very distinctive; not Maharashtrian and definitely not Goan. Which is what every food-loving East Indian will tell you. 8220;Goans mostly use fresh masalas, while coconut often features in Mangalorean cooking. There could be a bit of fusion here and there, but we still do it differently,8221; says Helen.

Their classification as a community could well be among history8217;s biggest misnomers8212;the East Indians, an indigenous community in and around Mumbai, adopted the name to cosy up to the Brits and to impress upon the Empire their status as the earliest Christians. But there8217;s no doubting the influences that go into the making of their food. It8217;s got the Arabian Sea and the western coast in it. Plus a lot of Lisbon.

8220;You should come for drinks sometime; then we have sheep8217;s tongue roast,8221; says Assunta8217;s husband Edwin, smiling at the mere thought of the accompaniment.

According to Michael Fernandes, a Cordon Bleu chef and author of Enduring Flavours, East Indian cooking is predominantly Portuguese, with Koli influences. 8220;But don8217;t ever make the mistake of comparing it to Goan cuisine unless you want a skirmish of tongues,8221; says Fernandes, an East Indian himself.

He doesn8217;t know why there are no East Indian restaurants in Mumbai, but suggests a trip to a wedding or a church festival. 8220;Church bazaars and special festivals serve up pickles and homemade sweets. Sweet making is also considered a fine art.8221; There8217;s the wedding cake, Borose Sponge Cake and Bole de Portugal, all of which are supposed to be made when 8220;one is in a relaxed frame of mind.8221;

When the Portuguese ceded Bombay to the British, East Indian cooking seems to have found favour with the new rulers. Probably because the cuisine with its chops, meat loafs and puddings, is also, in a way, European, says Fernandes.

Mary Pereira, 45, and another East Indian food caterer in the city, remembers her in-laws telling tales of the sahibs visiting their house. 8220;They used to love the baked piglings, stuffed with liver, peas, masala, mint leaves and tomatoes. In any case, we were always known as lovers and makers of great food,8221; says Pereira, who, like other caterers, supplies mostly to small parties.

For the record, her bottle masala contains 32 ingredients, was passed down to her by her ma-in-law, and is a secret to be handed over only to the next generation. 8220;I could give you recipes of most dishes, but don8217;t ask me for the bottle masala recipe,8221; says Pereira.

At the Menezes8217;, the last of the fleshy mackerel, stuffed with a paste of onion, tomatoes and garlic, has passed down our grateful gullets, but the Chicken Frithad remains to be dealt with.

Meanwhile, we leave you with a recipe for the Mutton Country Captain, a dish that probably shared table space with Maria8217;s very fat hen.