Gravies without boundaries on a banana leaf: A Rama Nayak’s Udipi
‘In Bombay people call this a ‘South Indian’ meal. In Udipi they call this Bombay meal.’
The gentleman at the cash counter started laughing at his own joke in between handling a stream of customers, collecting money, giving them appropriate coupons and checking if the handbag of women diners fit the prescribed height.
‘They have to deposit their bag with us if it’s too big. The chairs don’t have much space in between and the bags might knock off bowls and glasses.’
I was talking to Satish Nayak, second gen Co-owner of A.Rama Nayak’s Udipi Sri Krishna boarding, estd 1942.
‘My father came to Bombay as a boy with no money. He worked his way up and then opened the restaurant. This was the first ‘Udipi’ restaurant of Mumbai. He was from south Karnataka and not Udipi and yet he called it ‘Udipi’ after the temple town as restaurants those days were named after the community they served…Hindu hotel, Irani Hotel,’ guffawed Mr Nayak. Behind his serious face lay the heart of an impish boy.
‘Rotis and puris were introduced keeping the Mumbai customer in mind. In the south, there would be only rice. Hence the name ‘Bombay meal’ explained Mr Nayak.
‘Feed what you would eat,’ is the lesson from his father that Satish has made his motto. The homelike quality of the food bore this out.
‘The banana leaf is like an artist’s palate,’ said his son Shashank. ‘You can have the dishes in whatever order you like. In whichever combination you like. The gravies blend into each other on the leaf and the result has your individual stamp.’
‘This is like our Bengali banana leaf meals,’ I replied. ‘The rasgulla at the end soaks up the remnants of dal, fish and mutton curries, tomato chutney on the leaf.’
I should have ended the video that we shot for #thalimumbai with a profound comment as to how this ‘gravies without boundaries’ represent Indian society and how we are all one.
Except that I was busy finishing the bowl of payasam that I ended my meal at A Rama Nayak.
Have you had meals on banana or Sal leaves? What’s your experience with them?
