Bene Israel Cuisine

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Sweet Malida: Memories of a Bene Israel Woman

By Zilka Joseph

A collection of poems and prose about the history and cuisine of the Bene Israel Jews of India, childhood memories and personal journeys. 
Who are the Bene Israel Jews of India? Where did they come from? How did they survive in India? A moving, multi-layered, richly sensory and informative collection of poems and short prose inspired by this ancient community which the poet herself belongs to.  Using various poetic forms, the poet launches on an imaginative journey, delving into the history, especially the food and culinary customs of this small community of Indian Jews, explores its special connection to the Prophet Elijah, while seamlessly weaving in memories, bringing to life the past and lost loved ones as well.​

Artist: Raina (Ezekiel) Imig

Resources on Bene Israel cuisine and recipes follow the sample poems.

Sample poems from Sweet Malida: 

Eliyahoo Hanabi
--the Malida ceremony of the Bene Israel 

Give thanks to the Prophet Elijah!
Eliyahoo hanabi! 
Eliyahoo hanabi!

Let us heap the sugar-sprinkled poha 
tall as a pyramid, mixed with shredded 
coconut, precious dried fruit and nuts,
scented with the most fragrant
of spices. O Elijah, can you taste

the nutmeg, the cardamom, the freshly
sliced mangoes, guava, chikoo, apples and
bananas arranged like garlands? Can you see
the pomegranate seeds dotting the top
of the rice, bursting sweet juice 
and tartness? Can you smell 

the red rose petals
scattered everywhere,
the cups of cloves? 
Accept our thanks!

Let us say barakha over 
each item, ha’etz, ha’adama.
The fruits that grow on trees of hard
wood, the fruits that grow on soft
trunks of fiber. Phool-chi barakha, 
praise the flowers that give us so much
pleasure. Join us! Descend in your fiery 

chariot, where ascended once, as it left 
a cleft in the rock in Sagav village, where 
pilgrims come to Alibagh, the soil 
our wandering ancestors’ were
blown onto by the storm. They reached 
land, survived. Feast 

with us, we humbly ask, O granter 
of wishes, as we chant 
our gratitude, our prayer—
words of Malida-chi barakha 
circle our offerings, rise up

to meet you in the clouds,
touch your flaming chariot
your horses of fire. 

Eliyahoo hanabi! 
Eliyahoo hanabi!

Sweet Malida

Sweet malida,
a mix of water-softened
flattened rice, sugar,
dried fruits and nuts,
was a dish made

for Shabbath, or for breaking
our fasts. Cooling, light
on the palate, and
to the body and the spirit,
it was welcome in the heat

of day or night. We had many foods
in common with our Muslim,
Christian and Hindu neighbors,
and we often celebrated together
their festivals or ours. I relished

particularly fresh coconut,
the regional staple, its milk
or its flesh added to almost
every dish. But this was to me
the best way to eat it;
finely grated
by my mother’s hands,

left unsweetened
and sprinkled haphazardly
on the malida, juicy threads
with a fleck of stubborn
brown kernel here and there
that sometimes crunched
in your teeth like sand,
and you winced and swallowed it,

knowing that there was no
simpler or purer
or truer form than that.

A Chirota for My Thoughts

this fine flaky treat was often made
from left over chironji dough

rolled out in flat circles
ghee-smothered with fingers

piled on each other folded and rolled
folded and rolled again

full of hidden “puthers”—feathers
which fluffed up miraculously

as it rose up singing
out of hot oil

a crisp golden disc
delicate as eggshells

dusted with sugar or drizzled with a glaze
then studded with pistas and charoli

eaten so fast the fine sprays of crumbs
settled everywhere like dust

I pressed my little index finger
into it and sucked

or licked off the old dining table
with my tongue

some days paralyzed with lost-ness
and weak limbs I pretend

unhealed wounds and home fallen
to ruin are made whole

broken slivers I salvage
from inside those stainless steel tins

the indestructible dubbas we owned
etched with our names

Information/Resources on Bene Israel Cuisine and Recipes

Zimra Israel shares her culinary knowledge, stories, and recipes:
https://www.indiafoodnetwork.in/food-stories/bene-israel-lunch-zimra-israel/

Esther David's invaluable book Bene Appetit, a compilation of recipes of Indian Jewish communities:
https://www.amazon.com/Bene-Appetit-Cuisine-Indian-Jews/dp/9353579570

Jewish Book Council's article on Esther David's prize-winning book:
https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/book/bene-appetit-the-cuisine-of-indian-jews

An article on Bene Israel food and a family's curry recipe:
https://www.jewishfoodsociety.org/stories/a-shabbat-curry-by-way-of-mumbai

Some interesting takes on food and traditional recipes:

https://thejewsofindia.com/category/recipes/​

A survey of the vibrant foods of Indian Jewish communities including the Bene Israel:
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220424-the-surprising-landscape-of-indian-jewish-food

Some Festival Foods:
https://www.architecturaldigest.in/story/for-the-jewish-holy-month-a-feast-of-food-and-design-from-their-mumbai-outposts/

Traditional Cuisine of the Bene Israel:

https://www.goya.in/blog/the-fascinating-cuisine-traditions-of-the-bene-israelis-of-india-book-of-rachel

A Gourmet interpretation of a Bene Israel Dish:

A deconstructed version of Fish Alberas (adapted from Zimra Israel's recipe) by food blogger Rohini Hannah Joseph: https://thefusspot.in/fish-alberas/

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Copyright Zilka Joseph, Poetry and Creative Writing. All rights reserved.