Who Are the East Indians of Bombay?

I have spent hours reading books and interviews by historians to understand more about them, but here is a brief background for you. It is fascinating, and I have enjoyed this journey of discovering a community I was unfamiliar with, all the while learning to cook some very unique dishes. 

Long before Mumbai became the buzzing metropolis we know today—with its high-rises, traffic jams, and Bollywood film sets—it was something completely different. Picture a cluster of sleepy islands, mostly marshy and green, where toddy tappers, fishermen, and farmers went about their day.

Over 2000 years ago, one of Jesus’s apostles is believed to have made his way to this very region. He preached, converted, and laid the foundations for a community that would come to be known much later as the East Indians.

Fast-forward about 1500 years, and the Portuguese made their way to these shores. They too brought Christianity, converting many of the locals who had been living in the area for generations—people who were very much the original residents of Bombay.

In the 1600s, history took a royal twist. When Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza married England’s King Charles II, the islands of Bombay were handed over to the British as part of her dowry. Soon after, the British East India Company set up its headquarters here and began turning the sleepy islands into a hub of trade and activity.

At that time, the local Christian community found themselves caught between identities. On one hand, there were the Goan Christians, still loyal to Portugal. On the other hand, there was the growing influence of the British. Wanting to show their loyalty to their new rulers and to set themselves apart, they adopted a new name: the East Indians - Not because of geography, but in recognition of the East India Company that was now shaping their world.

Even though Mumbai has changed beyond recognition since then, you can still find pockets of the old world just outside the city. In certain East Indian villages, life continues at a gentler pace. Homes with sloping tiled roofs, narrow bylanes, vibrant traditions, and a warm sense of community still remain, like echoes of a Bombay that once was.

And of course, no story about a community is complete without talking about food. These villages were once surrounded by rice paddies, so it’s no surprise that rice was (and still is) at the heart of their cuisine. Wheat came later. Another key player in East Indian cooking? Cinnamon. It’s used generously, giving their dishes a beautifully warm, aromatic signature.

The new specials of ours are an attempt to bring some of their dishes to you. I hope you give them a try, and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. 

Nandana x