IT�S amazing to think that a small, clannish community like the Pathare Prabhus, Bombay�s first inhabitants, has contributed to the cuisine of this city of differing tastes and lifestyles with its coconut-based recipes of fish, fish and again fish.

We are at once modern and traditional in our tastes. But we are not business-minded and entrepreneurial in spirit. That�s why our food has been confined to the kitchens of our ancestral homes. It has not progressed much since the days before the Raj, when our tables used to groan under the weight of the choicest of meats and fish, and our women decorated themselves with priceless jewellery.

Pathare Prabhus belong to a Rajput community that came to Bombay and the northern Konkan coast from Kathiawar, Patan and Rajputana after Muslim invasion over 700 years ago. We always were expert administrators and political strategists and occupied powerful positions in the rule of the Portuguese.

When the British took Bombay as part of a dowry for the Portuguese Princess Catherine of Braganza who married the English Prince Charles II in 1662, we joined them and modernised ourselves suitably to lead the new society of Bombay.

We staunchly cherished and preserved our culture and individuality, and our fish and meat cuisine, our jewellery, our way of dressing, celebrating festivals, entertaining and our social institutions... so we are still traditional in thought and taste.

And this is best reflected in our cuisine, which is easy to prepare and, at best, could be described as a form of fast food. We are hearty fish eaters. All our food, even the vegetarian dishes, must contain fish. We are very bad at cooking vegetarian food. We don�t think. That�s why everything has to be fish oriented.

In many ways, Pathare Prabhu food is like the food of the Konkan region. Only our masalas are different. The spices are the same, of course, and we use everything that goes into the Indian garam masala... but, in different proportions. Our concoctions are different. And whereas the Konkan region cuisine employs a lot of ground coconut, we prefer grated coconut and even coconut milk. Our cuisine is rich.

It developed as an art in the houses of rich people over the years. It is very tasty, spicy and oily. We use a lot of groundnut oil in our cooking. Our desserts are extremely rich, too. Dried fruits, especially cashew nuts, almonds, pistachios, dates, are liberally used. The desserts are dry, like kaju poli and besan and churma ladoos. And we are fond of sweets. Just as we are of fish. Mutton and chicken... hmmm, perhaps on a Sunday. Like as if we were celebrating a feast!

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