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A GROUP of foodies in Bahrain are celebrating six years of nourishing their stomachs and souls through monthly meet-ups over breakfast, writes Melissa Nazareth.
Masala Dosa Meetup, a one-of-its-kind clan in the kingdom, marks its sixth anniversary this month, with plans to host a fun gathering to commemorate the occasion at the end of June.
Masala dosa is a South-Indian breakfast dish resembling a crepe stuffed with a flavourful potato preparation, typically served with lentil and vegetable curry and coconut chutney as sides.
While the love for the dish is what keeps these breakfast champions glued together, it’s also a love for face-to-face gatherings, a fast disappearing phenomenon in this day and age of text messaging.
“The meet-ups are a stress buster at the end of the month,” radiologist and food enthusiast Dr Asha Pradeep, who has been a member for a year, told GulfWeekly. The non-stop banter interspaced with peals of laughter throughout the Eid breakfast session (and even after) were the proverbial proof of the pudding.
Asha even got everyone her homemade kheer, a milk-based dessert with raisins and vermicelli, which was relished and appreciated by all – a testament to the close-knit, encouraging vibe of the tribe.
The club’s motto is ‘Meet, greet and eat’, and members uphold it by gathering on the last Saturday of every month, for a morning of fun and flavour. They also catch up to celebrate festivals – any excuse to hang out and tuck into delicious masala dosa is welcome! A different location is selected each month, which has led them to discover a host of restaurants in Bahrain, serving interesting versions of the humble dish.
The group’s co-ordinator Keyem Thomas, along with Sushma Anil and Neil Desai, founded the club in 2018. Since then, they have met each month, barring during the Covid-19 pandemic, when in-person socialisation had stopped.
Neil left the island for his hometown in Mumbai, India, in November 2019 as did some other members. However, new ones have joined and at present there are around 40 active members across nationalities including Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, German and English.
Diversity is a common feature not just in nationality but also work-wise, with members from the teaching profession, corporate sector, and athletes, to name a few.
“Everyone works in different fields but at the table we’re the same,” member Ravi added.
The club also offers a platform for members to exchange knowledge and share experiences with each other. Cooking tips, biking adventures, health advice, photography ideas…
Keyem said the club intends to continue its meet-ups and do something special for the sixth anniversary.
“We’re yet to finalise the plans but one thing is for sure, it’s going to be a gala time for all of us,” he added.
For more details or to join, follow @masaladosameetup on Instagram.
