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That whiff of Bengal in Delhi

MOUTH WATERING Try Eelish Mach Bhape at The Park's ongoing Bengali Food Festival

Bengalis are known for their sophistry, be it painting, literature or poetry. This time it is the turn of food. Fire, Park hotel's Indian restaurant is hosting a Bengali Food festival till February 12, offering to give us the best from the land of sandes. Bengali cuisine is not just about rice, fish and misti doi. It encompasses an entire range of textures and tastes - from crisp bhajas to grainy mustard sauce and poppy seeds, from the bitterness of the shukto to the sweetness of the Chanar Jilipi.

The starters

Start with the beguni (brinjal) bhaja or the keema ghugni both of which are traditional Bengali dishes served as starters of snacks. Light on the stomach they whet your appetite for the main course to come. The starters are immediately followed by rice with shukto a traditional gravy preparation that consists of the various gourds and is quite bitter. "The logic of serving shukto in the beginning is that it is so bitter that after that everything else tastes good," quips the chef.

There are various permutations and combinations to choose from for the main course. For the vegetarian, there is allor dum or potatoes in gravy accompanied by Radha bollobhi, a traditional Bengali stuffed puri. The bollobhi also makes an excellent accompaniment for the cholar dal. An interesting dish is the enchorer dalna which is raw jackfruit in a tomato gravy. This can be had with rice. There are also other choices such as aloo pushto and Bori diye palong shak.

For the non-vegetarians, Bengali cuisine is incomplete without fish. And there is delectable range of offerings in this section. They include the eelish mach bhape, which is steamed preparation marinated in mustard sauce, and rui macher kalia and chingri macher malai curry as well as dishes such as posto murgi for those looking for alternatives to fish. Most of these are accompanied by rice but the eelish mach bhape can be had solo.Bengalis are also known for their sweet tooth whether it is the rosugulla or the sandesh. Offered at Fire are misti doi, chanar jilipi, patishapata and other such specialities from Bengal.

From the starters through the main course, what amazes you is the freshness of the food, especially the fish. Neither is the food too spicy or too oily. In fact, it's just right.

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