Seasonal produce and fresh catches — hilsa and pomfret — undoubtedly make for a scrumptious Bengali meal. With the perfect choice of ingredients and a small but specialised menu, Oakleaf, Oakwood Residence Kapil Hyderabad, unveiled the festival, Flavours of Bengal. The festival is curated by executive chef Reagan Fernandes and sous chef Subash Chandra.
The starters replicated the street grub of Bengal. We started with the Mochar Chop — a deep-fried cutlet of banana flowers and spices coated with bread crumbs. We recommend that you dip it in kasundi (mustard sauce) to elevate the taste. The Vegetable Chop, a fritter made with seasonal vegetables, is worth a shot but we suggest you don’t miss out on their Chingri Chop. This prawn cutlet, fried to perfection, had the right hint of spice that hits the spot. However, what reminded us of the winter picnics on sunny mornings was the beguni — slices of eggplant dipped in gram flour and fried. “We spent about a month planning this,” says sous chef Subash Chandra. If the starters reminded us of the streetside delicacies, the main course served dishes were a nod to Bengali homestyle cooking. We tried spoonfuls of steamed rice with Aloo Posto and Jhinge Fulkopi Shorshe Bata, which were made exactly as one finds in old Kolkata homes.
The posto — poppy seeds soaked win gravy with potato and diced onions — made for a delicious side dish. We suggest that you try the luchi (a fluffy variant of puri), with the Choto Aloo Murgir Jhol (chicken curry with baby potatoes) or Chingrir Malai Curry.
The luchi soaks up the spices of the Murgir Jhol and the hint of sweetness of the malai curry, which makes it an apt pairing. The Ilish Macher Paturi — hilsa steamed with a generous dose of mustard does not disappoint. For desserts, we skipped the usual suspect Rosogolla and tried Mishti Doi, served in an earthen cup and sprinkled with chopped pista. We certainly didn’t regret our choice!
Price for two: 1,500 ++.
Till February 13.
Photos: S Senbagapandiyan