Soumi Goswami
Bengali food is a palate of surprises. Nothing goes to waste in a Bengali kitchen. You will find Bengalis relishing bit by bit of everything that comes as a harvest. starting with mochar ghonto (Banana Flower fry) to kolar chokla bata (Chutney of banana skin). Potoler Dorma (Parwal aka Pointed Gourd Curry) to Potoler Khosha Bata (Pointed Gourd Skin). And many more such incredible recipes and inventive dishes. All of them healthy, nutritious, and cost-effective! (Shoshta, Pushtikor).
Shukto is one such star recipe that makes it to a routine meal in a household as well as in the menu of a wedding party. It is the most random yet unpredictable element in a menu, that you may enjoy in any biyebari aka wedding party. Be it summers, shukto comes in handy with all summer vegetables. When it’s winter, the winter vegetables dominate the ingredients. You can put anything and everything in its preparation. But, bitter gourd or Ucche is the must. A bit of Radhuni in Mustard oil and a quarter portion of milk to add a creamy texture. That’s it!
“আমার মা এর মাসীমা, এমন ভীষন ডাকতো নাক;
পাশে সুলে, চোখ খুলে, ঘুম হতো চিচীংফাঁক;
কিন্তু যতই করো রাগ, দুপুরে মাফ সাত খুন;
যখন পাতে, গরম ভাতে, শুক্তো দিতো নতুন দিদুন…”
Now, chorchori is a versatile player. It could be an assortment of many vegetables cooked in mustard oil. Or, just aloo in kalo jeere phoron. It could be even fancier to come dancing with drumsticks and potatoes or can be adorned with fulkopir data, and so on.
An outsider in Bengal for the first time would think that Bengalis must be very rich to eat fish every day. On the contrary, it’s the cheapest meal. The first time I told my driver that a meal of maach bhat costs only 25 Rs. With unlimited rice, dal, aloo bhaja, and curry, he gave me a skeptical look. Later on, he rejoiced, that’s a different story!
If you go to any market in the morning, you will notice an abundance of fresh green vegetables, fresh catch of small, big, expensive, inexpensive fishes, and an incredibly cheap array of goods.
Therefore, when in Bengal, enjoy food and hospitality without blasting your pockets.
