At This Brooklyn Restaurant, What's Yours Is Mine

COBBLE HILL— By 7 p.m. on a Wednesday in October, the sun had long since set, and much of the neighborhood was home for the evening, whether in their own living rooms, or at Tera Mera, a locally-owned restaurant in Cobble Hill.

The intimate space, on Court Street between Douglass and Butler Streets, buzzed with patrons, more reminiscent of a large family gathering than a ledger of individual reservations.

Some stretched on the couch in the middle of the room, overlooking a large dining table, while others tucked themselves comfortably into the corner tables, perched on the pillows lining the booths.

What began as a family connection in childhood has carried into a lifelong sisterhood for Shalani Vaswani and Kathleen Jeremie, who share a Cobble Hill brownstone— and a kitchen, where they cook side by side.

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Tera Mera, affectionately named after the Hindi phrase that roughly translates to "what's yours is mine, and what's mine is yours," opened in 2024.

"We wanted to show people what it's like to dine in an Indian person's home," Vaswani said. "And, have a party every night amongst our neighbors."

Gold marigolds and colorful miniature umbrellas line the posts outside, framing a spacious and lively backyard: a rare find in the City.

"When you're in Bombay, this is what a family's backyard looks like," Vaswani said.

Inside, Tera Mera wears its inspiration on its walls: where family photographs, including pictures of their mother, invite a look inside the life behind the food.

For Sindhi New Yorkers and visitors, it offers a place to return home.

One time, a customer recognized a family member from an old photograph displayed in the restaurant, Vaswani said.

They discovered they had grown up in the same apartment building in Bombay, decades earlier.

"I would have never met these people if I didn't have this restaurant," she said. "That's what makes me come home and cry. We've developed lifelong friendships here."

Their North Star dish, Sindhi Kadhi, marries seasonal vegetables, nutty fenugreek, mango powder, and potato chips on a bed of saffron rice to deliver a tangy, herbal sensation with a satisfactory crunch.

The bright curry receives thickening and warmth from roasted chickpea flour, not cream or heavy ghee, Vaswani said, adding the restaurant doesn't have a fryer in the kitchen.

Tera Mera also serves lunch, an expansion from the sisters' previous stint at Industry City where they brought their catering business into its food hall: an attempt to disprove Indian food as stodgy.

"We're a country of a billion people, and we eat lunch, and we're productive," Vaswani said. "We're not what you perceive. We're home cooking."

Vaswani's grandparents fled Sindh, in modern-day Pakistan, during the 1947 Partition of India, when India and Pakistan split. They moved to Saigon, and later Bombay.

"It's quite sad, fascinating," she said, mentioning Sindhis still don't have ancestral land. "But also, it made us what we are today."

Bringing Bombay to Brooklyn meant reclaiming the global diaspora by preserving Hindu cooking and sharing Sindhi culture, Vaswani said.

The reality of Sindhi cuisine shines through stellar refractions on the menu, radiating into an array of options for every preference and palate.

Sindhi Koki-Loli, crispy flatbread with the heartiness of chickpea patties develop heat then mellow with a tangy and tempered tadka yoghurt.

Wild cod defies convention when cooked in a hearty tomato and fenugreek broth, imparting a subtle smokiness.

The Keema Pav slider pairs ground lamb with a blend of rounded, warming spices, punctuated by pickled onions and tamarind.

Sindhi Goat Tevar, a showcase for the 24-hour-marinated goat leg, slow-braised until tender, pulled from the bone, and served over velvety white dal with the comforting consistency of Italian polenta.

Tera Mera will celebrate Diwali with a special à la carte Sindhi menu, available for dinner on November 6 and 7, following increased demand.

Diwali, often called the Festival of Lights, is one of the most widely celebrated holidays in India, symbolizing the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil.

The five-day celebration is marked by lighting oil lamps, decorating homes with flowers, gathering with family, sharing festive meals, and honoring Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity.

Located at 272 Court Street, Tera Mera is open Wednesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner.

Dinner is served until 9p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

For reservations and additional information, visit the website.