Cloud kitchen Goppoburir Henshel offers recipes from grandma's cookbook

With the cloud kitchen space getting overcrowded, what makes Goppoburir Henshel stand out is their will to serve dishes with fascinating tales of origin. Founded by three friends – Arijit, Arnab and Sanhita – to combat the gloomy period of the pandemic, the 3-year-old cloud kitchen has carved a niche in the hearts of city gastronomes with its consistent quality and taste. Popping up with story-backed menus every Sunday, Goppoburir Henshel serves true nostalgia on a plate and Indulge decided to check out the same.

“All our recipes are inherently simple and there is an interesting tale behind each of them. Just like folklores, one can’t attribute them to any particular individual but they have been passed down for generations through household kitchens. That they have survived in their authentic forms through ages, is something which inspired us to choose them. We try to prepare them sticking to the traditional culinary rules and spices,” explains Arijit Mandal, co-founder of Goppoburir Henshel, who rustles up the lip-smacking preparations.

It must be mentioned that the dishes arrived well-packed on time and we were mightily impressed by the aroma of flavours wafting through the boxes of delicacies.  

Goppoburir Henshel’s curated recipes are truly an amalgamation of forgotten dishes from the cookbooks of Grandma, which are simple and have a unique comfort factor.

Be it Macher churchura from Odisha, Shorsher jhal from Barendra Bhoomi, Mutton Jungle Pulao from early 19^th British Bengal, Niramish bhoger mangsho of Kalighat, or the famed delicacies of  Jorasanko Thakurbari, the menu boasts of an array of recipes that you may settle for any of your special occasions be it wedding, birthday or rice ceremony.

We dug into Alu Tilottama, a dish made with boiled potatoes sauteed in tangy spices and served with a generous sprinkling of roasted sesame seeds. This plain vegetarian entrée has survived over 100 years as an evening snack in Bengali households. The subtly flavoured Morich Chingrir Pulao was fragrant and the soft prawns and peppercorns complemented the aromatic Basmati rice. Tempered with dry red chillies, the pilaf can be had with any non-veg or veg items. We had it with the ever-delectable Chingri malaikari. The very balanced coconut milk gravy of the prawn malaikari lent more flavour to the pulao.

With the season of hilsa beckoning, Arijit has added another popular dish to the menu – Ilish begun er madhumalati. This heavenly pairing of the queen of fish with the neutral aubergines has a place of significance in every Bengali household. Cooked with nigella seeds, mustard paste and green chillies, this dish goes best with plain rice. We also relished every bit of Katla Macher Kalia, the evergreen rohu cooked with onion garlic and ginger paste, and Kancha Lonka Murgi, a light chicken entree slow-cooked with curd and green chillies.

Arijit mentions that apart from the traditional Bengali dishes, they also have a few popular numbers from other states as well including Kerala’s Meen Mouli or boatman's fish curry. Tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves in rich coconut gravy, the Pomfret fish pairs best with white rice. You may also try their Kalojeere kanchalanka Manghso, a milder version of goat meat curry flavoured with aromatic nigella seeds and green chillies, suitable for Bengal’s tropical weather.

Mela for two: Rs 800+. Order on 9831065904