IIn latest weeks, I’ve heard even probably the most educated and educated individuals say that if I’m Bangal (which means my ancestors are from East Bengal) then I should be Bangladeshi. This origin story led me down a rabbit gap. It wasn’t about nationalism, it was about celebrating the variations between East Bengali and West Bengali delicacies. My paternal grandmother and my mom’s whole household have been from Bengal, so I used to be conversant in each cuisines rising up. Bengalis don’t hate one another or think about individuals from throughout the border to be ‘others’. The principle level of disagreement is the meals..
The individuals of West Bengal, referred to as Ghotis, say that the Bangalis of East Bengal spoil their meals by soaking it in spices and oil, and infrequently eat undercooked fish. East Bengalis, however, will say that West Bengalis throw sugar in a bowl (not fully fallacious) and fry it till it does not style like fish, which ruins every little thing. And Bangalis desire to eat chapatis as an alternative of rice, which, as everyone knows, is sacrilegious.
In case you dig deeper and speak to Hindus in West Bengal and Muslims in East Bengal, they’ll let you know that whereas Bengali Hindus assume that seasoning meat curry merely means including cumin, Bengali Hindus will let you know that Bengali Muslims can’t cook dinner with out onions and garlic.
I will simply contact on a number of staple gadgets from epaar (on this facet of the border) and opaar (on that facet of the border). The worth and ability of Bengali household cooking is clear within the style of fish curry, Please give me a jowl. of jowl (a lightweight and skinny curry) is a mainstay of Bengali delicacies for lunch and is ready all 12 months spherical. In North India, there is no such thing as a idea of not consuming fish in months with out an ‘r’.
However right here too, we see a giant distinction in the best way fish is ready in Ghoti and Bhangal households. In Ghoti households, fish fillets marinated with turmeric and salt are all the time fried (if not fried) earlier than being added to the gravy. Bhangal prefers to cook dinner fish on an empty abdomen moderately than frying it earlier than cooking. As a result of I imagine that frying spoils each the feel and style of the fish. I veer in the direction of the latter and at most frivolously saute them earlier than cooking them Bengali fashion.
Bengalis love spinach. We eat about 14 several types of it. (Freepik)
The one factor that unites East Bengal and West Bengal is that probably the most scrumptious fish in undivided Bengal is the king of fish, ilish or hilsa. A hymn has been written to the boatmen who spend the evening fishing for hilsa on the Padma River in Bangladesh. Ilish is so beloved that the early drops of rain, that are extra like mist than rain, are referred to as Ilishe Guri. Irshe refers to ilish and guri refers to grain or flour. Even the Ghotis of West Bengal agree that Padma Ilish is among the best, however most of my lowest-priced connoisseurs wouldn’t be capable to inform the distinction between Ganges hilsa and Padma hilsa.
In West Bengal, Ilish is cooked in steamed banana leaves with mustard or in a skinny gravy that enhances the flavour of the fish. In fact, it’s merely fried and served with fried mustard oil. Eat with rice. Bhangal is extra adventurous and inventive, cooking ilish utilizing coconut milk or onions and ghee.
East Bengal’s meat and poultry preparations are legendary. However Ghotis’ criticism is that Bangalores deal with greens the identical means they deal with meat: cooked with onions and inexperienced chillies, and loaded with spices.
Bengalis love spinach. We eat about 14 several types of it. However there’s a sort of spinach referred to as denki saag. This can be a small fern-like leafy vegetable that doesn’t develop simply in West Bengal. Primarily present in modern-day Bangladesh, this spinach is ready with small diced potatoes, shrimp, freshly floor mustard, freshly floor coconut, inexperienced chili, turmeric, and salt.
Bangalis additionally like to cook dinner duck, and I’ve to say that the recipe for duck bhuna I discovered in a tattered outdated Bengali cookbook and the recipe for handi kabab with pulao or porosa, ideally made with thinly sliced beef (I substituted mutton), are actually to die for.
Sadly, I’ve by no means been to Bangladesh, the place my grandmother’s household is from, however I might like to journey there sometime simply to pattern the meals. However till that point comes, I’ll benefit from the recipes and flavors I see being cooked at house. It is truly a lesson in the right way to stay peacefully by taking the most effective of each worlds and including them to your plate.
Subsequent week, I will write about Satu, the chickpea flour that Bihar and its new well being brigade swear by.
