(This venue is closed.) The coconut's not for eating, no more than the slices of potato here serving as incense-stick holders. In Hindu practice the shape of the coconut is thought to suggest that of the human head; it's considered symbolic of selflessness, devotion, and, when opened, of the breaking of the ego. Employed in this manner it's called a pooja coconut.
This one had been flung violently down on the blacktop outside the restaurant, where Mughlai had filled several long tables with food for a weekend street festival. Afterward the broken coconut pieces were simply scooted under the grill. A ceremonial delay of several minutes meant that my chicken ($6, with fixings) was blacker on the bottom than it might have been — in fact it was charred — but the meat was still juicy, and those crunchy bits mixed well with basmati rice.
Also shown: dhokla ($2 each), steamed savory cakes native to the Indian state of Gujarat. These, dressed with sliced chili peppers and mustard seeds, were made with "lentils," said the server, though in South Asia that term applies to a wide variety of leguminous crops. In this case, I'm thinking chick peas.
Mughlai
320 Columbus Ave. (at 75th St.), Manhattan
212-724-6363
