The base ingredient for making tandalachi bhakri is rice flour, which is made from a special variety of rice. The ladies prepare the flour at home and carry it in containers to the stall where they make the dough fresh.
Urmila, who works at the stall, thoroughly kneads the dough to ensure that the rice flour is evenly mixed with water. Kneading helps to develop the gluten in the rice flour, which gives the bhakri its texture and makes the dough supple and soft, which allows it to stretch.
Once the dough is kneaded, it is divided into small, round portions. Each portion will be used to make an individual bhakri. Next, the dough is shaped into flat discs by turning it in a circular motion. Simultaneously, Urmila removes excess dough by pressing down on it with the palms of her hands.
The dough is prepared by adding boiling water to the flour and mixing it thoroughly. The dough should be firm and pliable. Salt may be added to enhance the flavour, although this is optional.
Located along the western coastline of Mumbai’s northern suburbs, Madh Island is bound by the Arabian Sea to the west and Malad Creek to the east, which separates it from Versova. Commuters travelling between Madh and Versova use ferry services operating across Malad Creek. The first ferry starts at 5 am. Ferries run every 15 minutes, and the journey takes about five minutes. The ride fare is ₹3.00.
Koli women are actively involved in various economic activities related to fishing and maritime livelihoods and play a central role in maintaining the household in the absence of male family members who are away at sea. In addition to taking care of their household affairs, they run small businesses that add to the family income.
The Versova-Madh ferry service is used by a wide range of commuters, some even plying two-wheelers stacked on the flat decks. Daily commuters include students going to school, daily wage labourers, working professionals, and fisherwomen with their daily catch headed for the markets.
In the local Marathi dialect, tandula means rice, and bhakri means roti, resulting in the tandalachi bhakri, or rice roti. While the basic preparation method remains the same, there are variations of bhakri made with different flours. These include jowar (sorghum), bajra (pearl millet), and nachni (finger millet), which are common in different regions of India.
In the final steps, the bottle is sealed with a cap, tightly wrapped in cloth and tied with a string. East Indian families recall a time not so long ago when they collected empty beer bottles to be repurposed for storing masala. Over time, glass bottles have been phased out and replaced with airtight containers, which can store larger quantities and are easy to stack. Bottles are still used, although sparingly.
In addition to their signature bottle masala, Veera and Natasha Almeida make fish masala, puri masala, and indyal (vindaloo) masala. Though various factory-made spice blends exist in the market, bottle masala remains uniquely East Indian and holds a special place in the East Indian community as a symbol of their culinary tradition and heritage.