Relish the taste of Bengali zamindari cuisine

Other than the Durga Puja holidays, if there is one festival that brings gleam in the eyes of my spouse, it's the Jamai Shashti. He starts reminding me about the feast days before. I am told that Ma Shashti is a goddess, venerated as the benefactor of children; the symbolism of which is that the son-in-law is also a son of the family.

Earlier, the womenfolk of the households would start preparations for the festival days beforehand, to overwhelm the son-in-law. Nowadays, one can order a full spread at the click of a button. Despite various choices, I zeroed in on '6 Ballygunge Place'.

Reflecting the old zamindari tastes of Bengal, the '6 Ballygunge Place' chain of restaurants serve world-class authentic Bengali cuisine.

The Order

Jamai Adar Celebration Pack - Price: Rs 1155

Murshidabadi Chicken Cutlet (1 piece), Basunti Pulao, Karaishutir Kachuri (2 pieces), Narkel Diye Cholar Dal, Bhaja Masala Aloo Dum, Bhetki Paturi (1 piece), Bagda Chingri Malai Curry (2 pieces), Kasha Mangsho (2 pieces), Chutney, Papad, Aam Bhapa Doi and Raj Bhog (1 piece).

First Impression

The huge and heavy colourful box was so beautiful that it looked like a gift in itself. Inside, numerous aluminum foil containers were neatly packed. What I predominantly liked at the first glance was that the food was hot, chicken cutlet was crispy and everything looked artisanal.

After Taste

After getting over the joyful feeling of opening the gorgeous box, I started with the Karaishutir Kachuri with Bhaja Masala Aloo Dum and Narkel Diye Cholar Dal.

The Karaishutir Kachuris with well-seasoned peas stuffing instantly melted in the mouth. The dish is a hybrid of Poori and Kachori, and is soft-flaky filled with mashed peas.

The Narkel Diye Cholar Dal was rich in cashews, raisins and cardamom but didn't have much coconut as suggested in its name. I have had much better variants cooked by the bungalow chefs during the field postings of my husband in rural Bengal. Ideally, this dish must have a coconut punch which was evidently absent.

The Bhaja Masala Aloo Dum contained whole baby potatoes in a tangy gravy with coriander seeds. It had undertones of a Tamil dish with potatoes that people normally have in breakfast in South India.

What followed was the Murshidabadi Chicken Cutlet – a big piece of chicken breast marinated in a spicy ginger-garlic paste and fried in egg-washed bread crumbs. What was really noticeable was that the flavours were well infused into the chicken making it flavourful and juicy. Honestly, it was far better than the ubiquitous fast-food fried chicken.

The Basunti Pulao (a dry fruit rice preparation) was rich with raisins, cashew nuts and its sweetness perfectly complimented the spicy Kasha Mangsho (well-simmered mutton curry) like a match made in heaven. The big mutton pieces slowly cooked in thick iconic gravy were quite tender, with the meat falling off the bones.

The Bhetki Paturi (steamed fish wrapped in banana leaf) had a distinct pungent flavour of crushed mustard seeds and the fire of green chillies. Bagda Chingri Malai Curry (coconut prawn curry) had tiger prawns with shells cooked in coconut milk and light spices. It was a marvelous dish, balancing the flavour palate.

The dates and raisin laden sweet tomato chutney and fried rice papad gave a well-deserved closure to the royal banquet.

For desserts, there was Aam Bhapa Doi, mild sweet mango flavoured curd garnished with mango marmalade and one large Raj Bhog stuffed with khoya, dry fruits and saffron.

What I loved

All the non-vegetarian items were remarkable. It is rare for a movie to have four actors, each winning the best actor award. '6 Ballygunge Place' beautifully managed to do that. The chicken, prawns, mutton and fish, all were just the way they should be - perfect! I wish the meal had more variety of desserts.

Verdict

Jamai Shashti or not, the celebration box was full value for money. You get to taste one of the best cooked Bengali delicacies with finest ingredients well suited to all tastebuds. If you have missed it this year, do not forget to book your meal for Jamai Shasti 2022!

(The columnist is a food connoisseur who loves experimenting with culinary delights and a career bureaucrat in the IRS Income Tax)