Relishing choriz pao at Freny’s
The East Indians are one of the original inhabitants of Mumbai. They were kolis who were converted to Christianity by the Portuguese. One of the theories is that they apparently got their name because many were employed by the British East Indian Company. The East India bottle masala, which has an average of 30 to 35 components, is the cornerstone of their cooking. Unfortunately not much is known about them, or their food, by those outside the community. I am lucky to have East Indian friends who have fed me their food which I loved. There’s no other East Indian restaurant as far as I know.
With chef Freny Fernandes
Chef Freny Fernandes is on a mission to change this. She is a young East Indian who is a CIA (Culinary Institute of America) graduate with a background in pastry making. She opened a dessert bar called Moner after returning to Mumbai from the US but had to close it because of landlord issues. She opened Freny’s a year back. Freny’s has two storeys. The lower floor is cafe themed and takes on from the Moner heritage. She added continental dishes and a small East Indian food section and the upper section was designed like a restaurant. The East Indian dishes, whose recipes came from her grandmom, mom and her dad (we aren’t forgetting you and your mutton curry, Peter), became a big hit among East Indians and this gave her the confidence to widen the menu.
I dropped in the day before and had some excellent food. A welcome plate of fugias (an east Indian fried bread) which came with a very Trishna butter garlic crab-like, butter; juicy & fresh tiger prawns in a spicy East Indian masala based chinchoni sauce. There was a brinjal and potato curry where I was amazed by how perfect the texture of the brinjals were. I love the East Indian sorpotel more than the Goan one as it is thicker and is less tangy since they don’t use toddy vinegar & Freny’s was spot on. I finished my lunch with choriz pulao, which is possibly my favourite pulao & they aced it here.
potato & aubergine curry
Chef Freny dropped in towards the end of my meal & it was lovely talking to her. Earlier, their manager, John, & Pavan from the front of house, helped answer my questions. I can’t tell you how happy the meal made me as it was wonderful to see a new gen internationally trained chef display her traditional food to the world. We need more such examples.
sorpotel
Ps: I went back a week later with my guest in a food walk tour. They loved the food too. I ordered some of the dishes which I had ordered earlier too and the taste was consistent.
Choriz pulao
The Video that I shot at Freny’s
Freny Fernandes on Foodocracy For Her podcast
