Food Review: Esplanade brings Bengali vegetarian food festival 'Thakurbarir Ranna' to Bengaluru

Several dishes on the menu are renditions of recipes from the famous Tagore family of Calcutta, who were known for their 'khaddo bilashita' (gustatory indulgences)
Dishes from the menu 'Thakurbarir Ranna' at Esplanade in Bengaluru
Dishes from the menu 'Thakurbarir Ranna' at Esplanade in Bengaluru

Think of the first dish you think of when someone mentions Bengali food. Kosha Mangsho? Shorshe Ilish? Or Chicken Kabiraji? No matter what comes to your mind, there is a big chance you’re thinking about a non-veg dish. Not that non-veg dishes are not a big part of Bengal’s culinary culture, but that idea often seems to eclipse the wealth of vegetarian dishes the cuisine boasts. Consequently, vegetarians of other ethnicities often shy away from trying Bengali food, especially in Bengaluru.

Taking cues, specialty Bengali restaurant Esplanade has opened doors to their first-ever ever Niramish (vegetarian) food festival, Thakurbarir Ranna, which started on March 8. As the name suggests, several dishes on the menu are renditions of recipes from the famous Tagore family of Calcutta, who were known for their khaddo bilashita (gustatory indulgences). Being a Bengali herself, this author could not miss a chance to revisit age-old Bengali dishes and explore the lesser-known ones, and share the experiences with you, the readers of Indulge. So, we dropped by the city-based restaurant on a weekday evening. 

From the bright yellow walls of the indoor sitting area to the frames of Ray film posters, the quaint restaurant reeked of old Calcutta from the moment we entered. As we seated ourselves at the relatively open sitting area that seemed like the verandah of some old North Calcutta house, we were greeted with a glass of chilled Aam Panar Shorbot. We perused through the special menu to quench our curiosity but left it to our hosts to bring us their recommendations.

<strong>Interiors of <em>Esplanade</em></strong>
Interiors of Esplanade
<strong>Seating area</strong>
Seating area

The menu has five categories: bread, rice, dal (lentil soup), bhaja (fritters), and vegetables (main course dishes). We started with plain rice, Lau Diye Moonger Dal (yellow split gram soup with bottle gourd), and Mulor Bora (batter-fried red radish spirals). With an overpowering aroma of gawa ghee and generously sprinkled-over green peas, the dal was simple and comforting. Paired with rice, it made for a wholesome meal in itself. And if you are someone who flinches at the sight of radishes – then Mulor Bora is a must-try. With the rice flour coating making it crunchy, it made for one of those finger foods that you can not stop eating once you start. 

<strong><em>Lau Diye Moonger Dal</em> ​</strong>
Lau Diye Moonger Dal
<em><strong> Mulor Bora </strong></em>
 Mulor Bora 

We jumped on to the main course right after, with Chhanar Pulao (cottage cheese balls with pilaf), Karaishutir Dalpuri (flatbread stuffed with green peas, roasted on tawa), Aloo Karaishutir Nimano (baby potatoes cooked in green peas paste, tempered with asafoetida), Potoler Tel Jhal (wax gourd cooked in mustard and green chilli paste), Echorer Dalna (tender jackfruit cooked with potato in tangy gravy), Beguner Jhal Posto (aubergine cooked in poppy seed paste), Chhanar Malai Curry (cottage cheese balls cooked in coconut cream), and Mochar Dhokar Dalna (banana-Florette dumplings cooked in gravy). 

<strong><em>Karaishutir Dalpuri </em></strong>
Karaishutir Dalpuri
<strong><em>Aloo Karaishutir Nimano</em></strong>
Aloo Karaishutir Nimano
<em><strong>Potoler Tel Jhal </strong></em>
Potoler Tel Jhal 

We started with the Karaishutir Dalpuri, which went well with Aloo Karaishutir Nimano, Potoler Tel Jhal, and Beguner Jhal Posto. While Potoler Tel Jhal was savoury and Beguner Jhal Posto was the perfect marriage between creamy aubergine and dry poppy seed paste, our best pick was Aloo Karaishutir Nimano. If you have always been curious about why potato is the favourite staple in Bengali cuisine, Aloo Karaishutir Nimano might help you find the answer! The mushy baby potatoes, and the smooth green pea gravy — with the inconspicuous bitterness of asafoetida — made for a very delectable affair.  
 

<strong><em>Chhanar Pulao</em> ​</strong>
Chhanar Pulao
<strong><em>Echorer Dalna</em></strong>
Echorer Dalna
<strong><em>Chhanar Malai </em>Curry</strong>
Chhanar Malai Curry
<strong><em>Mochar Dhokar Dalna</em></strong>
Mochar Dhokar Dalna

Chhanar Pulao was, again, a wholesome meal in itself – the aroma of ghee lured us in while the deep-fried cottage cheese balls made us stay. We paired it with Echorer Dalna, Chhanar Malai Curry, and Mochar Dhokar Dalna. There's a saying in Bengali households that if cooked well, Echorer Dalna can become something you choose over meat curries. Its rendition at the restaurant definitely justified that. Chhanar Malai Curry presented a vegetarian take on the usual prawn malai curry and was served in a tender coconut shell. The creamy and spicy coconut cream curry complemented the chewy, fried cheese balls very well and we reached out for more of it. But the biggest surprise of all was the Mochar Dhokar Dalna. The meaty, outer layer of lentil paste opened to the sweet banana-Florette stuffing, and presented a mouthful of flavour burst! 

<strong>Ice-cream <em>Sandesh</em>, a dessert from the regular menu</strong>
Ice-cream Sandesh, a dessert from the regular menu

Our hosts, just like in Bengali households, would not let us go without having a mishti. So, we ended our dinner with a sandesh from its regular menu. But we would not tell you about it here, because the special menu is definitely not worth diverging from. Instead, let us tell you what made the craft of making these dishes stand out from the Bengali food you taste elsewhere in the city. Each dish had around two primary ingredients that contributed majorly to its flavour profile – like the asafoetida in Aloo Karaishutir Nimano; it seemed like the person who cooked it was not in a hurry to impress, just like how it used to be in the slow-cooking culture of the bygone era. This resulted in each dish having a distinct essence that you would remember long after you have tasted it. The fact that none of these was cooked with meat but only vegetables, only helps you understand and appreciate the taste better. 

Esplanade prides itself on having guests who keep coming back. With this festival, it is sure to attract more such diners, especially vegetarians from other ethnicities. So here's team Indulge giving it a must-try recommendation and hoping that Thakurbarir Ranna not only stays till the end of this month but becomes a part of the restaurant’s regular menu!

INR 295 onwards. March 8-31. At Indiranagar. Details: 8040927878

Email: prattusa@newindianexpress.com
Twitter: @MallikPrattusa

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