At a Bengali home, Sunday afternoons are all about slow-cooked fish dishes, served in tiny bowls with hot rice, an assortment of chutneys, and finally concluding with repeated helpings of mishti doi before hitting the sack for that cherished siesta. It brings to my mind staples like Aloo Jhinge Posto (ridge gourd and potatoes, cooked with poppy seeds) and Dhokar Dalna (spiced lentil cakes cooked in a sweet gravy) from my hometown. And the Bengali Food Festival at Firdaus, Taj Krishna is all set to walk you through that delightful gastronomical journey promising to replicate that satisfying meal for Hyderabadis.
The dishes rustled up by Bengali specialty chef Santu Aditya, and executive chef Nitin Mathur, showcase authentic ingredients that they have procured directly from Bengal. “We have shipped the Gondhoraj limes, the mustard and the bhetki fish back from Kolkata,” says Chef Aditya. The flavourful welcome drinks on offer – Aam Porar Shorbot made from raw mango pulp and Beetnoon Gandharaj Lebu Jol, (a cooler with a squeeze of this aromatic lime) – are popular thirst quenchers from the eastern part of the country. First up for sampling from the elaborate thali are the streetside appetisers. They are brought in quick succession. Chingri Machher Chop (prawn cakes crumbed and deep fried), Masala Fish Fry, Postor Bora (a fried cake made out of ground poppy seed) and Murgir Chop (a cutlet variant with minced chicken) are served with an assortment of condiments, starting with the spicy mustard kasundi. The fish fry stands out. Do try some papaya chutney, fondly known as ‘plastic chutney’ back home because of its slippery texture.
The mains are rich in flavour and delicately spiced. Expect Golda Chingri Malai Curry (fresh jumbo prawns cooked in coconut cream), Bhetki Paturi (fish curry cooked in mustard sauce), Aloo Jhinge Posto, served with ghee rice. The Narkel Kancha Lonka Diye Murgir Mangsho (chicken cooked with coconut and green chillies) goes well with the luchi (Indian bread, akin to a puri). A Bengali meal is never complete without generous helpings of desserts. The beautifully plated sweet dishes comprising Nolen Nurer (sugarcane jaggery) ice cream from Pabrai, Nolen Gurer Rosogolla and assorted sondesh with sliced papaya, kiwi and dragon fruit on the side is the right way to end this fulfilling fiesta.
For lunch and dinner at Firdaus, Taj Krishna during this weekend. For lunch and dinner at Firdaus, Taj Krishna during this weekend. Meal for one:Non vegetarian thali priced at Rs 2,000 plus taxes
Vegetarian thali at Rs 1,600 plus taxes, Details: 66662323