The Dawoodi Bohra community brings in the New Year in a unique way. The night of the New Year is celebrated with lots of traditional Bohra home cooked food with high importance given to an elaborate, sumptuous dining experience. Something to look forward to every year.
Most families start planning for the New Year dinner some days in advance. The reasons are two -
1. To cook as many dishes as possible; generally anything above 11 and sometimes even upto 52
2. To cook and share their food with neighbors and family.
Most traditional Bohra families eat their meals sitting together around a huge steel plate, also known as "thaal".The thaal is necessary to facilitate a New Year dinner, and the food dishes if high in number, will be seen piled up.
Thaals accommodate atleast 8 people, and those sitting around the thaal eat the food served to them from a single plate put in the center of the thaal. This is very unique experience and was introduced by the ancestors to build brotherhood and closeness amongst those eating together.
This tradition however, is slowing losing ground in modern families, but still encouraged during community meals, festivals or celebrations such as marriages.
The thaal feast does not begin until everyone is seated. This tradition is then followed by offering of salt to everyone in the thaal. Eating a pinch of salt is supposed to stimulate the tastebuds, and set the pace for the rest of the meal. Salt is followed by a small saucer of "sodanna" which is dish consisting of steamed white rice, a little warm pure ghee, some sugar or sweet mava. Sodanna is supposed to signify a happy moment and is auspitious to have in a thaal.
After the preliminaries, any sweet dish can be introduced. A sweet dish is also called "mithaas" by the Bohras. A sweet dish is always followed by a savoury dish, also called "kharas". The process of eating a sweet dish....followed by a savoury dish....continues till all food is finished.
There are some customary dishes that always finds it's way on a New Year thaal.
The first is a sweet dish called "lachka". Lachka is similar to halwa. Crushed boiled wheat, ghee, jaggery and sugar are cooked till blended and soft and then mixed with dry fruits such as almonds and pistachio, finally topped with charoli and dessicated coconut.
Another must item on the thaal is fried fish. The fish is marinated with ginger garlic paste, red chiili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and lime.
The raw fish cannot be purchased from the market, but only from specific fishermen who have chanted a prayer at the time of getting the fish out of the bait. Also the fish needs to be a lake bred fish and not a sea fish.
The Dawoodi Bohra community give immense significance to food and love celebrating every moment of their life with tasty and innovative dishes. For those who haven't, should try getting their hands into a Bohri meal for an unforgettable experience!
Most families start planning for the New Year dinner some days in advance. The reasons are two -
1. To cook as many dishes as possible; generally anything above 11 and sometimes even upto 52
2. To cook and share their food with neighbors and family.
Most traditional Bohra families eat their meals sitting together around a huge steel plate, also known as "thaal".The thaal is necessary to facilitate a New Year dinner, and the food dishes if high in number, will be seen piled up.
Thaals accommodate atleast 8 people, and those sitting around the thaal eat the food served to them from a single plate put in the center of the thaal. This is very unique experience and was introduced by the ancestors to build brotherhood and closeness amongst those eating together.
This tradition however, is slowing losing ground in modern families, but still encouraged during community meals, festivals or celebrations such as marriages.
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| A New Year Thaal |
After the preliminaries, any sweet dish can be introduced. A sweet dish is also called "mithaas" by the Bohras. A sweet dish is always followed by a savoury dish, also called "kharas". The process of eating a sweet dish....followed by a savoury dish....continues till all food is finished.
 |
| Fruits form an important part of the New Year Thaal. They are light to eat and add to the dish count. |
There are some customary dishes that always finds it's way on a New Year thaal.
The first is a sweet dish called "lachka". Lachka is similar to halwa. Crushed boiled wheat, ghee, jaggery and sugar are cooked till blended and soft and then mixed with dry fruits such as almonds and pistachio, finally topped with charoli and dessicated coconut.
Another must item on the thaal is fried fish. The fish is marinated with ginger garlic paste, red chiili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and lime.
The raw fish cannot be purchased from the market, but only from specific fishermen who have chanted a prayer at the time of getting the fish out of the bait. Also the fish needs to be a lake bred fish and not a sea fish.
The Dawoodi Bohra community give immense significance to food and love celebrating every moment of their life with tasty and innovative dishes. For those who haven't, should try getting their hands into a Bohri meal for an unforgettable experience!
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