India is a country with a diverse population. We are one of the very few countries who have multiple cultures and spoken languages, each unique to a state. When we talk about diversity in culture, what better example than cuisine – that differs according to caste, community and region, with each one having something unique to offer. Have you ever tasted Kayastha cuisine? An assortment of dishes, they consist of several mouth watering dishes. Despite the fact that there are numerous books on the eating customs of the Kayastha people, Mrs Alice’s Table stands out among them. Author Anukthi Vishal has spoken beautifully about every meal that the Kayastha kitchen prepares and serves on their dining tables. The Kayasthas typically appropriated some foods from the Mughals, the British, and the local cuisines; they also evolved and innovated some, giving them unique touches and tastes.
Despite having a history that extends back to the first and second centuries, the Kayasthas were unable to find their rightful position in history throughout the early ages, even though they ruled numerous republics or princely states from Kashmir. The arrival of the Mughals in India is largely responsible for the Kayastha community’s rise to prominence. Subsequently, new techniques for Persian reading, writing, consolidation, and court work were introduced. After gaining proficiency in Persian, Kayasthas went on to work as officers and employees in the Mughal emperors’ courts, finance divisions, and administration.
In his book, Kayasthon Ki Samajik Prishthbhumi, author Ashok Kumar Varma says that when the Mughals came to India, the Kayasthas started living like Muslims. Their eating habits also became like those of Muslims although they abstained from beef or alcohol.
The sole acceptable criterion for food among the Kayasthas was perfection, as it was considered a sacred craft. Some of the highlights of the cuisine are the large meat dishes like Badam Pasande (flat pieces of meat, topped with badam and pista, rolled and curried), Yakhni Pulao (rice and lighter spices cooked in stock), the melt-in-your-mouth Shami Kebab (minced meat patty stuffed with mint, onions, and green chillies), and Kachche Keeme ke kofte (minced meat poached in gravy).
A feast cannot exist in a Kayastha home without bakre ka gosht (mutton). The Kayasthas prepared mutton into a variety of dishes, just like the Mughals. Fish was not often used in the cuisine, and chicken was not given significant prominence. A separate kitchen for vegetarian cuisine and a somewhat outside kitchen for non-vegetarian food were seen in the majority of Kayastha homes.
Because of the cultural similarities between the Kayasths and Muslims, according to Chef Sugandha Saxena, they were frequently referred to as “Muslims of Hindus.” Gayatri Saxena, her grandmother, was an Agra-born Kayasth. The use of essence in her cooking was heavily influenced by Islam. She remembers that several curries, koftas, and kebabs frequently had rose and kevada essence. She would serve Gurde kapure, or goat’s kidneys and testicles, with Scotch at Holi. Mutton chaaps and khade masala ghosht, which is mutton cooked with entire spices, were also well appreciated. A further example of Mughal influence was the Sultani Daal, or urad ki daal, which has saffron and milk as flavours. It was “rich, creamy, and fragrant, a true delight,” she remembers.
Kayasthas cooked it in their own way. They stuffed bitter gourd, brinjal and parwal with a mixture of spices like fennel, cloves, cardamom, celery, cumin and coriander and onions. Till a few decades ago, spices may or may not be whole in any other house, but in the houses of Kayasthas, they were present in separate jars or small boxes.
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