As Ramzan draws to a close and Eid celebrations begin, we find ourselves daydreaming about succulent kebabs, fragrant biryani and creamy sheer khurma. Most Mumbaikars have already missed the annual food pilgrimage to Mohammad Ali Toad and Bohri Mohalla for Iftar this year. But home chefs have stepped up and aren’t allowing hungry Mumbaikars to be deprived of a feast on Eid al-Fitr. So this Eid weekend, fulfil all your kebab and biryani cravings by ordering in from these home chefs.
1. Shagufta's Kitchen
Shagufta Khan, a homemaker from Chembur, started her home catering business, Shagufta’s Kitchen, in 2017 to give Mumbaikars, mainly those in and around her area, a taste of Konkani Muslim cuisine. Initially, she used to only cook for parties and get-togethers but since the lockdown began in 2020, she has opted for a weekly menu that can be delivered across Mumbai. Over the Eid weekend, she is doling out mutton biryani (one of her specialties), mutton tawa kebab, chicken korma, sheer khurma and a couple of other mouthwatering delicacies.
Call: 9820242744 (Place your orders a day in advance)
2. Namak by Jasleen
Home chef Jasleen Marwah takes pride in cooking home-style Kashmiri Pandit and Kashmiri Muslim delicacies. Her festive Eid weekend menu includes a combination of savoury and sweet dishes, such as dhaniwaal korma (mutton cooked in curd), Dogri-style khatta chicken, chokh charvan (mutton liver cooked with tamarind and onions) and sheer khurma. Jasleen will be cooking limited portions and the proceeds from the sale of sheer khurma will be going to the Hemkunt Foundation, a Gurgaon-based charity organization supplying oxygen cylinders to COVID-19.
Call: 9820453001
3. Ammeez Kitchen, Mumbai
Started by Shabana Salauddin Gajjar, Ammeez Kitchen is known for serving little-known Konkani Muslim fare that she learned from her mother. This includes minced meat-stuffed bitter gourd, coconut khichdi and fish biryani. For Eid, she will be delivering across Mumbai an assortment of meal boxes packed with popular offerings, such as chicken biryani with raita, Konkani gosht korma, a variety of kebab with chutney, and sheer khurma.
Call: 9820009857
4. The Bohri Kitchen
For the past six years, entrepreneur and author Munaf Kapadia and his mother Nafisa, have been serving traditional Bohri dishes to food lovers across Mumbai. Their USP before the pandemic was hosting dinners at their home in Colaba and treating guests to a seven-course traditional Bohra Thaal. Their Eid menu features TBK’s famous smoked kheema samosa, nalli nihari, Bohri haleem, dum biryani (mutton and chicken), kaju chicken and sheer khurma. You can also call for their famous dry fruit and dates chutney with your order too.
Call: 9819447438
5. The Big Spread
The Big Spread is a home catering business run by Farida Kutianawala and her daughter Fatema Soni since 2015, and they are known for whipping up delicious naan chaap with a twist and smoked mutton haleem. Highlights of The Big Spread’s festive menu include chicken fried farcha, yakhni pulao, haleem and mutton khichda with naan, among other things.
Call: 9821535884
6. Hungry Cat Kitchen
Another home catering venture that opened in 2015, Hungry Cat Kitchen is helmed by ex-media professional Subashree Basu aka Bonny, based in Mahim. A self-taught cook, Subashree whips up limited, weekly menus that include slow-cooked curries and stews and innovative salads. Her menu for this weekend is inspired by Deccan flavours and features bharwan murg, kheema kaleji, chicken pakodi kadhi, mutton korma pulao and a sumptuous shahi tukda.
Call: 9820928658
7. Masala-esque
Cuffe Parade-based Nasreen Navani started her delivery kitchen Masalaesque around 2018. It specialises in contemporary Indian food made using Navani’s secret masala mixes, the recipes of which have been passed down from generation to generation in her family. Her menu for Eid is limited to just four dishes – mutton biryani, Mughlai korma, sevaiyaan and galouti kebab – but each of them is going to be worth it, she promises.
Call: 9892900777
8. Culinary Garage
Culinary Garage is a cloud kitchen operated by chef Vishay Vijan, who has previously worked with some of Mumbai’s top restaurants, Masala Library and Pa Pa Ya. It has been serving an array of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes from across India to its customers since August 2020. This Eid, chef Vishay will be making tandoori raan biryani, biryani (chicken and mutton), kheema samosa, korma (mutton and chicken) and seekh parathas. So, if you’re looking at a home-style meal but with a professional touch, Culinary Garage has got your back.
Call: 9820636168
9. The Kaka Kaki
Another home cooking venture giving food lovers a taste of authentic Bohri food is Duraiya and Hozef Darukhanwala’s The Kaka Kaki. You can choose from a range of sweet and savoury delicacies, including malida, mutton raan biryani, Bohri chana pateta, chicken cream tikka, chicken cutlet and smoked kheema samosa. Each order from The Kaka Kaki will be accompanied by a portion of dates for Eid. If you’re planning to order from them, we’d recommend ‘Kaki’s caramel custard’ for dessert.
Call: 9920144362
10. Mumtaz’s Kitchen
Ready-to-fry starters and customised Iftari boxes from Mumtaz’s Kitchen were a popular choice this Ramzan among people in and around Andheri. Helmed by home chef Mumtaz Kazi, a Konkani Muslim from Ratnagiri district settled in Andheri, the delivery service will be offering delicacies, such as mutton biryani, raan mussallam, fried chop, gurda kaleji fry and meat kebab for Eid. Their spread will also feature some Konkani Muslim Eid specials such as alli palli (chicken soup) with sandhan and yakhni gosht.
Call: 9833308960