Mumbai Food: Kolkata home chef Iti Mishra cooks up Bengali home-style dishes

(Clockwise from left) Chittol macher kalia, Goalondo steamer chicken curry, lau ghonto, shona mooger dal, ban plastic chutney and papad served with rice, shukto and prawn bharta; (right) Pati shapta served with coconut ice cream, pics/Ashish Raje

The clamour of a half-busy, half-sleepy street drenched in sepia tones of nostalgia, intermittent with the metallic gurgling of a worn-out tram, the honking of a black-and-yellow Ambassador and the rattle of cha er bhar (clay pots of tea) is Kolkata. But, neither Kolkata nor a Bengali is complete without their food.

So, when we hear tittle-tattle about chef-partner Thomas Zacharias collaborating with Kolkata-based home chef Iti Mishra for a Bengali food pop-up at The Bombay Canteen, our eyes light up.

Chef Zacharias and Iti Mishra with Shannon Lawrence

We enter at a time when the place is rushing towards lunch service. The familiar sounds of cutlery on plates drown out casual banter. A table has been laid out for us, adorned with Bengal-inspired knick-knacks, like a napkin which resembles gamcha (a red cotton towel with white checks) or the big yellow-green gondhoraj lebu (kaffir lime) sitting atop the table, that are quintessential to Bengali homes. Mishra notices our grinning face and quips, "You can take the Bangali out of Kolkata but not Kolkata out of the Bangali." We laugh and get down to business.

"Iti aunty had opened up her home to me four years ago, during my travels across India. I learnt a few recipes then that are on the menu. Our journey has come full circle," shares Zacharias. A glance at the menu takes us back to a feast in a Bengali rajbari (colonial-era zamindar havelis). On offer are dishes intrinsic not just to Bengal but also, and more importantly, to Kolkata's homes. After working for hours and testing over 50 dishes in four days, Zacharias and Mishra arrived at this list. "The menu had to offer unique dishes and those that one would expect at a Bengali pop-up. So it was a bit of adventure and a bit of familiarity," Mishra reveals. "It was important that the dishes were seasonal because that's the basis of Bengali cooking," Zacharias adds.

Aam pora Margherita with Bael sour

We begin the elaborate meal with a mound of rice and shukto (a bittersweet mélange of Bengali summer vegetables such as bitter gourd and drumsticks), chingri maacher bhorta (a ball of mashed potatoes and prawns) and a generous spoonful of pure cow ghee. We delve into the simple serving as Mishra makes a formidable argument in favour of Bengali food. "Whether it's making use of all the parts of the banana plant, like mocha (the flower) for cutlets or thor (the bark) as veggies, or the minimal use of ingredients, the food is light and healthy," she reveals.

Mishra's expertise comes through in the perfect golden texture of the Bhaja ilish (salted and turmeric powder-smeared hilsa fried in mustard oil) and the delicate flavour of the lou ghonto (bottle gourd cooked in milk). Her prowess is also evident in the softness of the posto bora (pan-fried poppy seed cutlets) and the light yet flavourful shona moong er daal (roasted yellow moong dal cooked with peas), which most subtly captures its secret ingredient - mango ginger. But, that Mishra is a connoisseur is confirmed when we learn that she weaves her recipes not just with magic and masala, but also with astute storytelling. For example, we learn, the Goalondo steamer chicken curry gets its name from the port where West Bengal-bound erstwhile East Bengal natives would arrive. "The journey was long and passengers would hanker for food. Not having many ingredients at their disposal, the staff on the steamers would conjure a simple meal of chicken curried in onions, garlic and ginger. That's why steamer chicken," she chuckles.

Bhaja Ilish

Such is the afternoon spent, complete with great food, good conversations and a treasure trove of anecdotal references. That, to a Bangali, is the epitome of a good time. We finish the meal with a perfectly cooked helping of pati shapta (semolina crepes filled with coconut and jaggery) and wash it down with sour bael (a white rum drink containing bael and jaggery puree, apple juice, ginger ale and lime). Now, with a full stomach and lively adda, we leave feeling content after a short visit back home.
Till June 10, 12.30 pm to 2.30 pm; 7 pm to 11.30 pm AT Kamala Mills, Lower Parel. CALL 49666666
COST Rs 1,500 to Rs 1,800 (thaalis); Rs 1,300 to Rs 1,500 (a la carte)

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