CHENNAI: For Nargis Miyajiwala, the Jumjo community started with food she already knew and loved. A brand designer who has worked with restaurants, she has always been interested in food. While working with clients, she asked if they had tried Bohri food. When they said no, she invited them home and cooked a traditional meal.
“They found it very different from the regular flavours they were used to. That made me realise that not many people know about these flavours and I wanted to introduce more people to Bohri food,” says Nargis.
The Dawoodi Bohra community traces its foundational religious and historical roots to Yemen. Its food, too, carries influences from different places the community has travelled to. “There are influences from the places we have been to. You have Mediterranean flavours along with Indian spices.”
At the heart of Jumjo is the traditional thaal, where a meal is shared by everyone seated around it. “The essence of the thaal is sitting together and sharing food. Usually, six or eight people sit around a thaal (a large plate). It is about eating together, having conversations and building connections,” says Nargis.
At the recently held pop-up, guests were served a traditional Bohri food across eight courses, bringing the experience of a communal thaal to the city. Among the dishes was Dal Chawal Palida, a vegetarian staple in Bohra households. “It is a flavourful and wholesome dish and is completely vegetarian. We add minced lamb on top, which brings in a Mediterranean influence. It is usually something you make for a celebration.”
The samosas came in two versions. “We have a lamb samosa made with smoked lamb and spring onion. The vegetarian one is a dal samosa with smoked dal and spring onion.”
Then there is the raan, which was among the most popular dishes at the pop-up. “We take the lamb leg, marinate it with spices, slow cook it and serve it with a thick sauce. It is also something we usually make for celebrations or festivals.”
The raan was such a hit that some guests even asked if they could take it home later. Nargis is now planning to take limited orders through Jumjo’s Instagram. For Nargis, the thaal is also closely tied to the way Bohri food is prepared. “Bohri food is best when it is made in large quantities. That is why the thaal works so well. At least six or eight people eat together. It is about sharing the food rather than serving everything individually," concludes Nargis.