Palak paneer, chana masala and the egregiously treif-sounding butter chicken may not scream “Jewish” and were highly unlikely to grace your grandmother’s holiday table. But Jews have a rich history in India and an even richer cuisine to match.
For centuries, India has been home to Jews, primarily from three distinct groups: the Cochin Jews, the Bene Israel and the Baghdadi Jews. The Jews of Cochin, a port city on India’s southwestern coast, in the state of Kerala, have lived in India for at least a millennium. According to their tradition, they settled there after the destruction of the second temple and have been “augmented by waves of immigration from Yemen, from Turkey, from Egypt, from Syria, and even from Italy,” says Nathan Katz, professor of religious studies at Florida International University. They were an educated, prosperous bunch—some were involved in international trade, which often revolved around spices. “Kerala was always where spices were grown, so they had the freshest, most wonderful, pungent spicing in their food,” says Katz. Coconut and coconut oil were abundant and made their way into the Jewish dishes. A snack called bonda, a fritter coated with chickpea flour and then fried, comes in both savory and sweet varieties; in Cochin, a version made with coconut and raisins took the place of potato latkes during Hanukkah.
The Baghdadi Jews settled in Bombay and Calcutta when British rule began in the 19th century, coming from Iraq but also from Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East. Lured by economic opportunities—and by alarming anti-Semitism in some of their home countries—some found tremendous wealth as industrialists, real estate developers and manufacturers, an affluence reflected in their food. “Baghdadis had the greatest cuisine,” says Katz, describing it as “a wonderful combination of Middle Eastern food using local spices and ingredients. They love pulaus and biryanis—rice dishes that are very elaborate.” Aloo makalla—a potato dish that Gil Marks, author of Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, describes as “the most famous Jewish dish in India”—is the product of a combination of Arabic and Indian cooking practices common among Baghdadi Jews. Long-simmered in hot oil, whole potatoes form a hard exterior but stay soft inside, leading the flesh of the potato to “jump” out when cut into—the root of the dish’s nickname, “Jumping Potatoes.” A classic Friday night dish, the potatoes are often served with fenugreek chutney, murgi (spicy chicken), bhaji (curried potatoes and vegetables) and other vegetable and rice dishes. The generous use of sesame and nuts in Baghdadi cuisine also reflects Middle Eastern lineage, notes Shalva Weil, senior researcher at Hebrew University and editor of the book India’s Jewish Heritage.
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