Ahead of Rabindra Jayanti, Bengali home chefs share their traditional recipes

Rabindranath Tagore. Picture Courtesy/Wikimedia Commons

While Bengalis sing his songs and recite his poems throughout the year, the bard's birthday calls for special celebrations. Rabindra Jayanti - a day to cherish the life and works of Rabindranath Tagore, is observed on the 25th day of the Bengali month of Baisakh. And could any merrymaking - of a community that delights in the symphony of flavours - exclude food?

The Jorasanko Thakurbari in North Kolkata witnessed the confluence of diverse culinary traditions - all of which were borne by artistes who visited the household back in the day or supplemented by the inter-regional and global travels by members of the Tagore family. The cultural sways come together in Purnima Thakur's book, Thakurbarir Ranna.

Inspired by the odd combinations, rare relishes and nuanced cooking techniques of the family, three Mumbai-based home chefs talk about their interpretations of some of the dishes.

Here comes the twist

Debomita Banerjee, co-founder, @thebonghneshel
I feel the food habits of the family encourage us to see some of the most ordinary ingredients and vegetables in new light. For instance, Muri ghonto is a common classic among Bengalis, but the Thakurbari take on the dish can be enjoyed by vegetarians, too. It comprises cabbage, rice and everyday spices. The dish, chaal diye bandhakopi (above), also uses a fine garam masala paste - ground on a traditional sil batta - that uplifts its taste. I have started using garam masala paste in other curries since. It packs in that extra punch. In this summer heat, I also fall back upon their kancha aam diye mangsho for that piquant cooling effect of raw
mangoes.

Mix and match

Somma Ghosh, founder, @kitchentalesbysommaghosh
More than a specific ingredient or cooking technique, Tagorean traditions teach me to come up with unconventional pairings. When I research their relationship with food, I travel back in time - during my growing up years, my father and I would nudge my mother to make dishes that borrow unlikely components from other recipes. The Tagore family could brilliantly balance sweet with sour. I make a strawberry aamsottwo (aam papad) chutney that when garnished with roasted cumin and red chili powder, smells heavenly. It amazes me to think that back then, the Tagores used baking, roasting and stewing in their daily kitchen activities.

Taste trumps the rest

Madhumita Pyne, home chef, @insomniaccook
I reckon that food in the Tagore household was characteristic of a penchant for local translation. Global plates absorbed local aromas. They were constantly pushing the envelope with preparations that are unheard of even in this age.

Keema'r doi bora

Serves | 4

Ingredients
For the meatballs
. 250 g mutton keema
. 1 medium-sized onion; finely chopped
. 4 green chilies; finely chopped
. 1 tsp shahi garam masala powder
. Salt to taste
. 1 medium-sized potato; boiled
. 1 egg
. Vegetable oil
For the topping
. 150 g curd
. 15 mint leaves
. ¼ tsp dry roasted bhaja masala - 1 tbsp each of cumin, coriander and fennel seeds and 2 dry red roasted chilies, all ground to a fine powder
. Salt to taste
. Sugar to taste
. ½ tsp ghee . 1 tbsp tamarind sauce

Method
Take curd in a bowl. Add the chopped mint leaves, bhaja masala, salt and sugar to it. Fold in the ingredients until they blend in. Cover the mix and leave it in the refrigerator to chill. Set up a pan on medium heat and add a tablespoon of oil to it. Once the oil begins to sizzle, add two-thirds of the chopped onions. Fry until they turn golden. Add half of the chopped chilies and fry them for another minute. Next, add the minced meat. Remember to stir the mince to break up lumps. Add salt and shahi garam masala powder. Let the mince cook in a covered pan until it turns soft. Scoop out the excess oil - if any - till the keema appears dry. Transfer the cooked mince to a grinder jar and make a smooth paste. Once the mince is perfectly ground, move it to a mixing bowl. Add the boiled potato pieces and mash them in. Pour in half a beaten egg and rest of the onions and chilies. Combine the elements well to achieve a dough-like texture. Measure out the mixture into 12 smooth, crack-free balls. Heat some vegetable oil - about 4 cm-deep, in a frying pan. Fry the balls till they are brown. Strain the excess oil and set them aside. Lay out the mutton koftas in a serving bowl. Drizzle some melted ghee over them. Top the koftas with the curd mix and a few dollops of tamarind sauce. Garnish with chopped mint leaves and enjoy. Since this is a hot and cold dish, the koftas or boras should be served hot while the curd, cold.

Gobble up

Bite into scrumptious snacks such as machher singara; mouth-watering mains like potoler roast, chhanar polao, kacha aam diye mangsho and murgi korma; and decadent desserts like kumror chatni and akher payesh from this 11-day menu.

ON May 10 to 21
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