Durga Puja is surely the season to feast for Bengalis. Want to know what a typical Bengali feast can look like? And are you thinking fish? You could be right to some extent. But there’s much more than fish to Bengali cuisine, and that’s just what the ‘Just too Mach’ Bengali food fest at Once upon a time in Green Park is out to showcase This includes veg and non-veg and a good balance.
To start the fest there is a variety of veg starters, with Alu chop or the Alu cutlet being good options. Stuffed with minced veggies, this Alu chop goes well with the Kasundi — a typical Bengali mustard dip. But that is not the only dip on the spread; there is tomato ambal or tok , the amrah sweet and sour dip, papaya tok and a few others. To cater to the local palate, a few pachadis and chutneys have been included as a part of the buffet.
‘Just Too Maach’ is Green Park’s annual affair with Bengali cuisine and is something every Bengali food lover looks forward to. And yes, it’s special for those who love fish. A Bengali food fest is a no fest without Hilsa, so this favourite juicy fish is on the a-la-carte menu and not on the buffet. Reason: It is cost effective and everyone likes their hilsa piece intact and not broken on a buffet spread.
If you’re lucky, your part of the fish might even come with the fish egg, something no hilsa lover can resist. A lot of other things that cannot be refused might be on the menu, but a wise thing to do would be to pick and choose and not overdo it simply because it is a buffet. Beginning with cholar dal, jhingha poshto with luchi sounds and tastes fabulous. Add to it a spoonful of tomato tok. It could be on a roll with this combination, but remember there are kosha mutton, murgir jhol , muri ghanto, macher jhaal and fish fry as well. So ration what you take on your plate, because the aim to is to enjoy the food and the festival.
The macher jhol has a very homely touch to it and is best eaten with steamed rice. Along with this, take a bite of the potol fry .
Bengali cuisine involves eating many things in one meal, so it is designed course-wise. Ideally the cholar dal should be accompanied by the ubiquitous begun bhaja and potol fry. Then one moves on to curries made with vegetables followed by the non-veg dishes.
The menu is very skilfully crafted to keep the elaborate affair in place. Instead of misthi pulao , try the nut-filled ghee rice which also goes well with the mutton.
In all this, if Mishthi is playing in your mind, keep the main course small and pile on the desserts on your plate. The traditional Bengali sweets can never let you down, especially when there Raj bhog , chanar jalebi , mishti doi and rasamalai are on offer.
The fest, open for dinner, ends on October 25.
