With the rains setting the perfect pitch for relishing the ilish, we set about to get a taste of Oh! Calcutta’s newly-launched Hilsa menu on a rain-washed mid-week afternoon. Curated by Anjan Chatterjee, along with his team of chefs, this delectable seasonal menu offers a few rare hilsa dishes inspired by his mother’s recipes.
As markets brim with fresh hilsa around this time each year, restaurants across the city compete to outdo one another with inventive fish preparations. Oh! Calcutta, however, chooses to avoid such gimmicks. “Hilsa has a distinctive flavour of its own and we avoid altering it too much. Subtlety is crucial to bringing out the best in hilsa, and that is the principle behind all our ilish dishes,” says Chef Kinkshuk Kundu.
From an array of a dozen delicacies, we sampled a few very interesting ones and have to say they scored a perfect ten on all accounts. As Chirey ilish ghonto arrived at our table, we were a little hesitant to try it, thinking how hilsa might taste with flattened rice. But once again, thankfully, we were proven wrong. The Chirey pulao wasn’t like our regular poha made at home for breakfast. It was soft, differently spiced, and went so well with the fried piece of ilish served on top. This traditionally well-guarded household recipe simply won our hearts and can be had at any time of the day.
Before we could catch our breath, another masterful preparation followed. Called Ilish panikhola, this delicately cooked entrée was as comforting as the timeless shukto (a traditionally cooked broth with seasonal veggies and local spices). Rustled up with a splattering of paanch foron, mustard paste and coconut milk, this went so well with steamed rice that we forgot to count our calories. What made it special was the tiny cubes of pumpkin submerged in the gravy, which lent the dish a hint of sweetness, perfectly balancing the spice notes.
Next came Kumro pata acharer ilish and we wished we had Goliath’s appetite. The smoky, aromatic ilish pickled with mango and steamed inside pumpkin leaf retained all its flavours perfectly. The sweet-tangy notes of mango went so well with the scent of ilish that it required no accompaniment.
We couldn’t call it a day before slurping up a very comforting bowl of Panta ilish comprising fried ilish, lightly fermented rice with a side of potato mash, bori fritters and a dollop of poppy seed paste. As Anjan rightly says, “Hilsa is not just another fish but an emotion”.
Meal for two: INR 3,000
Lunch:
Monday - Friday 1 pm to 3.30 pm
Saturday - Sunday 12.30 pm to 4 pm
Dinner: 7 pm to 11 pm (All days)
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