SALT
Where: P 495/1, Keyatala Road (opposite Nazrul Mancha), off Golpark
On the menu: Bohri and Mughlai cuisine
Meal for two: Around Rs 600
The Dawoodi Bohra community is an essentially close-knit group but when it comes to food, the aroma of their culinary
delights reaches far and wide. And it is this that lured t2 to check out Salt, known for its Bohri food as well as Mughlai dishes with a twist.
Conceptualised and run by four womenpreneurs — Prerna Waiba Ukani, Talat Kadiri, Lamiya Firdausi and Ushoshi Bose — Salt on Keyatala Road is an amalgamation of their individual expertise.
Pocket pinch: Special Chicken Biryani Rs 260 and Special Mutton Biryani Rs 280.
“The name Salt is actually a reflection of the importance of ‘tasting salt’ before and after a meal in Bohri culture. It is said that tasting a pinch of salt before and after a meal enhances flavour as well as digestion. Keeping the tradition intact we begin our meals at Salt this way. Each of the tables here has a tiny salt container,” said Prerna, who brings her managerial skills to the table after quitting a 24-year-long corporate career.
The speciality at Salt is the Thaal of Togetherness, commonly known as the Bohri Thaal. Food is served in a massive plate and people are expected to eat out of the same.
“A Bohri Thaal has varied elements — from kharaas, which stands for savoury, to meethas, which means sweetness. Bohri cuisine is incomplete without meat as well as rice and almost no meal has plain rice,” explained Talat, well-known for her cooking classes for over nine years. She now brings her culinary expertise to Salt’s menu.
Before we indulged in the community meal, our hands were washed using the Chillumchee — a traditional metallic washbasin.
Text: Zeba Akhtar
Pictures: Rashbehari Das
