Bonding over Bihari fare

Chandana Nandkeolyar frying fritters

Bihar mein aapka swagat hai," Vijay Varma's dialogue in the web series Mirzapur comes to our mind when we receive an invitation for an afternoon meal at chef Chandana Nandkeolyar's Bihari food pop-up at her 100-year-old heritage home on Kitridge Road in Colaba. Nandkeolyar is hosting the luncheon for an intimate group, along with Harish Advani, her Sindhi husband who, over shikhanji, entertains us with tales of their three boisterous cats and a timid dog. Their balcony is home to 70 plants, a rescued squirrel and a parrot.

Champaran meat

Nandkeolyar grew up in Patna, and over time has mastered 70-80 dishes that span Bihari cuisine. "My father was from Gaya, while my mother hailed from Dhanbad. My mother is from a royal family, where she learnt to cook Mughlai food from their khansama, Maqbool," recalls the 50-year-old as she breaks litti into two and pours warm ghee over it. She has served this with chokha (mashed brinjal, potato and tomato) cooked in mustard oil as well as ghughuni that is made from black Bengal gram. While we dig into this, she tells us the dish is Bihar's staple; it was made for armies who would carry sattu (gram flour) on them. "Brinjal and tomatoes could be sourced on the go and the dish was cooked on cow dung-fuelled fire.

Tash kebab

It is strengthening, and keeps the stomach filled for long." The cuisine of the state differs from the north to the south. In the north, preparations are more elaborate while southern cooks prefer the one-pot cooking style of combining spices, vegetables and meat.

Litti (ball), chokha (brinjal-potato mash) and ghughuni (gravy)

It's fried snacks' time; these are easy to prepare, and are offered to guests. The Goolar kebab is made with minced mutton, sattu, chana dal and ginger-garlic paste, stuffed with onions and coriander. Soft and flavourful, we team this with three chutneys - pudina chutney, spicy green chilli chutney and the standout, yam (suran) chutney. The pungent spike, thanks to the mustard, and tartness of lime in the latter is finger-licking good.

Goolar kebab

Crispy pakoras are up next, made with coarse chana-dal kachri and barra (urad dal pakora) that reminds us of medu vada. The unique one is a flat besan and peas fritter, which is seasoned with salt. The sweetness of the peas is fresh, and the simple flavours pair well with the trio of chutneys.

After we recovered from the starters, we moved on to the mains, for which she had cooked Champaran meat. The dish is prepared in a handi, and derives its name from the region where the meat is sourced from. "We don't stir the pot after it is placed on the gas; we prefer to allow the meat to cook in its own juices," Nandkeolyar adds. The curry is gamey and dense on the palate and when we bit into it, the meat melts off the bone. We also sample the taash kebab, a dry chicken preparation is garnished with raw onions.

Nandkeolyar plans to visit her hometown for a deep-dive into her native cuisine. She mentions a special mutton kebab that is similar to a version from Pakistan. This, she shares, is made with mutton strips. "I make it only for my pop-up at hotels, or at home as it needs a certain nuance."
Starting today, Nandkeolyar will be at the FBAI Foodtruck in Juhu outpost of Bar Bank. "Here, I am doing a more inspired version to go with the vibe."

At Bar Bank, Juhu
Till February 21
Call 9920024266