Bengali fine diner Saptapadi’s festive menu offers traditional Thakurbari recipes with a twist

Bengali fine diner Saptapadi’s festive menu offers traditional Thakurbari recipes with a twist
Saptapadi's Sharod Sundari Thali
Saptapadi's Sharod Sundari Thali

With the Pujas only three days away, all the city diners are ready for the culinary warfare that’ll blitzkrieg the gastronomes with a plethora of delectable options for the five festive days. And no matter how experimental you get, having a taste of some unique traditional Bengali dishes tops the list of almost all food-loving Bengalis during the Pujas.

<em>Bagane Masala Murgi</em>
Bagane Masala Murgi

Tapping that, popular Bengali diner Saptapadi has come up with a very special menu that borrows from the pages of Pragya Sundari Devi’s two voluminous books (published in 1908) containing an exhaustive list of recipes that she collected over the years. “Everybody looks for something new in the menu during the Pujas and fusion is something that needs to meld well. We have tried to present these traditional old dishes by Pragya Sundari Devi, who happens to be a niece of Rabindranath Tagore, in an innovative way. She has left a legacy of some of the finest Bengali recipes inspired by global cuisines in form of two books. Taking a cue from that, we have curated a very unique festive menu this time,” says chef Ranjan Biswas, who runs Saptapadi that now has three outlets in the city.

<em>Aamsotto Kancha Lanka Pulao</em>
Aamsotto Kancha Lanka Pulao

Biswas, who is always experimenting in the kitchen, has rolled out a fabulous fare of entrées that play high on flavour and low on oil. We started off with the very crispy veg and non-veg fritter platter consisting of Chingri Chirey Chyapta (prawn and bekti mashed and coated with flattened rice), Murgi Badam Peyazi (a crunchy fry with chicken and nuts), Bekti Salmi (fresh bekti marinated with celery and pudina) and Begun Moong Manohara (fried brinjal coated with roasted moong daal flour) and each item was distinctly flavourful.

<em>Jagurath Mutton Kalia</em>
Jagurath Mutton Kalia

In the mains, they have turned Pragya Sundari’s exotic Mango Pulao into Aam Sotto Kacha Lonka Pulao, a piquant rice preparation made with pieces of Aam Sotto (mango pulp candy) and rice cooked in green chilli stock. This exotic pilaf went very well with the spicy Jagurath Mutton Kalia and Bagane Masala Murgi (chicken dish made with secret garden spices). The Jagurath Mutton Kalia is slow-cooked, has strong notes of ginger, green chillies and onion blended with ghee roasted peanuts.

<em>Chire Chapta Chingri</em>
Chire Chapta Chingri

You can also try Vetki Moilu — boneless Kolkata bekti soaked in sweet and sour gravy of tamarind and tomato with this pilaf. But the crown goes to Sosha Sorshe Chingri made with prawns dripped in pickled cucumber and mustard paste — a mellower and sweeter version of the popular mustard prawn entrée. “Nowadays, the use of different chemicals often turns the gastronomic experience into a very mechanical one, so, we have attempted to permute and compute different ingredients and spices in such a way that the guest relishes every bit of the item,” says Ranjan, who has worked with Hyatt, Taj and ITC Sonar, before opening his own chain of restaurants.

<em>Jemon Temon(Rasogolla Pantua Custurd)</em>
Jemon Temon(Rasogolla Pantua Custurd)

If something sweet is mandatory for you, then try their Khejurer Payesh, a sweet pudding made with condensed milk, date pulp and nuts. Or, you might try Jemon Temon, a fusion number with rosogolla and pantua dunked in a kitchen-made custard.

In thali and a la carte format. On till October 17. 11.30 am to 11 pm at all three outlets. Thalis from
Rs 899.

sharmishtha.g@newindianexpress.com

Twitter: @sharmidas

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