Food. Conversations. Art. They say that the sign of any true-blue Bengali is the love for these three. If you travel back in history, you will find the rise of a unique culinary tradition in the ‘City of Joy’, unknown to many outside Bengal, that blends these three seamlessly. Colonial Calcutta saw the emergence of these quaint, cozy diners called ‘cabins’. They served as the meeting spots for countless leisurely rendezvous, polemical koreros and secret dates and would bustle mostly in the afternoons and evenings. The food catered to these guests took shape accordingly. They consisted of dishes that were entire meals in themselves. Snacky yet wholesome — think cutlets, rolls and stews.
With an intent to introduce this lesser-known cuisine to Bengalureans, fine dining restaurant Esplanade is hosting a month-long pop-up called Cabin Culture Food Festival, featuring dishes popular in ‘cabin culture’. We dropped by on a weekday afternoon to sample the treats.
We began with three fritters — Vegetable Chop (minced vegetable cutlet), Prawn Kobiraji (crumbfried prawn cutlet) and Cabin-style Fish Roll (barramundi wrapped on mashed fish stuffing, crumbfried) — all served with kasundi (mustard sauce) and salad. The absolutely crunchy exterior in the chop gave way to a smooth, sweet filling and we gave up on our prior plan of controlling portions with the very first bite. The Kobiraji came fried in an egg white batter and the resultant diaphanous coating looked enticing! The crispy coating gave way to succulent meat and we kept eating despite the humongous serving. However, after these, the roll disappointed us a bit as the two textures of the fish — plain and mashed — did not blend well together.
What arrived at our table next were Mangsher Ghugni (peas curry with mutton chunks) and Chicken Stew — both served with two slices of the classic Kolkata milk bread toast. The former came with several condiments — black salt, tamarind water, minced onions, coriander and chillies. Mix these up and the resulting treat — especially for someone who has never tasted this — is a sour-and-savoury burst of flavours! The stew on the other hand was the polar opposite. With diced carrots, papaya and potato, the bland and watery stew was the textbook definition of ‘simple yet wholesome’. It can remind you of the Malayali stews and become your comforting go-to dish for light lunches. In fact, this course made us realise that the menu can be an excellent entry point for any epicurean to Bengali cuisine because it has something for each palate — from people who prefer food rich in spices to the ones who prefer the lack of it.
For the last course, we chose Dalpuri (fried flatbread stuffed with lentils) and Fish Kochuri (fried flatbread stuffed with fish) — both served with Aloor Torkari (potato curry) — and the Mutton Afghani Cutlet. For those expecting the Dalpuri to taste like its North Indian counterpart — you are in for a surprise. This rendition was made completely out of refined wheat flour, which made it a bit sweet but in a non-obvious way. The fish stuffing version tasted even better. And the Mutton Afghani, cooked in a spicy gravy, was delectable. If you like experimental fare, this one will never disappoint you. Whether you are a Bengali cuisine enthusiast or just a sucker for good food, we highly recommend this food festival with a tinge of hope that the slowly-withering cabin culture of Kolkata will find its rebirth in Namma Bengaluru.
Meal for two: INR 250 onwards. At Indiranagar.
Also read: Here is our review of The Den Bengaluru, a luxury business hotel in the midst of the IT hub of the city
Email: prattusa@newindianexpress.com
Twitter: @MallikPrattusa