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| Parsi poro, Tarapori patio and Bengali khichuri |
Today’s blog post is based on 3 Instagram posts on meals which symbolise my identity as that of a Bengali from Kolkata for whom Mumbai has been home for more than two decades now. There is a bit of Bengali nostalgia in each and influences of what I have learnt during my stint in Mumbai so far.
My lazy little contribution to #foodocracykitchens. The series where I talk of the food stories of people from across India who have settled in India.
Here goes.
Monday dinner
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| Ruti, shukto and Malvani sukha chicken |
‘I call this my ‘A Bengali in Mumbai’ thali and you can sing it to the tune of ‘An Englishman in New York,’ by Sting.
What’s on it?
Bengali shukto given by our friend Shaswati on Saturday night. Malvani chicken sukha given by our friend Pallavi on Sunday morning. Rotis made by our cook, Banu, this afternoon. Onion sliced by me before dinner.
Fabulous fare which makes you #loveyourleftovers’
There was some outrage from fellow Bengalis about my having shukto, a dish meant to be had with rice, with ruti (as we call roti). Well it was meant to be a chicken and roti meal with shukto on the side. Making 3 spoons of rice just for it would be rather silly!
Tuesday dinner
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| Bhaat bhaaja moong dal, lau posto and Parsi garab nu achar |
‘I was sent to Mumbai on a training assignment from Kolkata when I started off as a market researcher 23 years back.
I would write letters in English to my mother and in Bangla to my Didu back then, and call my mother once a week after 11pm from the local STD booth (to avail of discounted rates). They were both tickled by the fact that I’d spend money (Rs 70 I think in ‘97) to have the maacher thaala (fish plate) at the mess on the terrace of Hotel New Bengal with shukto, a bony rui piece, runny dal and rice, after turning my nose at the Bengali food served at home while I was growing up. Especially the shukto!
I didn’t know then that Mumbai would become home one day. That I’d marry a local, a Parsi, who’d fall in love with Bangla food.
That I’d have a house and kitchen of our own here and teach myself to cook Bangla food. That I’d teach our house help to cook it too later.
It’s raining in Mumbai tonight which set the mood for a bout of nostalgia. Fuelled by a dinner of Bengali bhaaja moonger dal with narkol kuchi, lau posto, a portion of Jasmine rice leftover from a Thai lunch, Jharna ghee and Parsi garab nu achar, hilsa fish roe pickle.
That’s my #BengaliinMumbai thala tonight. ‘
Lau posto is not that common a posto (crushed poppy seed) dish but we make it at home to make lau (bottle gourd) more palatable to us fussy kids.
Wednesday lunch
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| Khichuri in the rains. Does not get more Bengali that this |
‘I stopped having lunch at my desk once I left the corporate world and became a freelance writer who worked from home. Mindful eating is my mantra now and I leave my desk and head to our two seater dining cum bistro table when it’s time for lunch.
I stopped by the desk first today with my lunch of Bengali khichuri and Jharna ghee, Parsi tarapori bhoomla patio and poro first, as that was the only spot with good natural light given the heavy rains outside. Then I went back to the dining table.
That’s my Bengali in Mumbai thali story for today. The reason for the Parsi influence on my plate is obvious (I am married to one). Khichdi saas patio is a typical Parsi combination though their khichdi is very different from the Bengali one.
Bhoomla is Bombay Duck. Loita in Bengali. Parsis love it as do the Bangals from east Bengal. While I am Bangal, Bombay Ducks was never cooked at our home in Kolkata so my love affair with it began only after I had the bombil fry at Bandra, Saybaa Gomantak Hotel. That is where I first saw people have fish with bhaakri (Marathi for roti). I found that rather strange. Nothing surprises me now, 20 years after that evening.
I have taught our cook Banu to make khichuri, my mom in law has taught her how to make the poro (Parsi omelette) and khichuri mamlet is a classic Bengali combination. The patio is by Zinobia Schroff.’
