Kolkata nostalgia & gastronomy

delhiwala

Are you talking about Chowringee at IP Extension.....

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Let there be light.

Nattusbs

Khak

Nice write-up. I am glad that you provided the link since it is probably copyright material.

I am lucky - Jyotida, do you hear me - at IIT KGP I found a Bengali "Dhaba" for lack of a better word - within 100m of my house - on campus - they serve good food with at least 2-3 fish dishes everyday. I go there every night and get carry out - somedays, Ilish, somedays Bekhti in Mustard jhol, had Katla in posto jhol last night. Since it is often difficult to guess how many pieces I will have on any given night, I tend to err on the higher side - this provides me with lunch the next day. One of the huge advantages of being an IIT Prof- come home for lunch - I clean and soak the rice in the morning, at noon I come back and put it in the electric rice cooker! While the rice is cooking, many times, I wash, clean, cut and cook a simple vegetable dish like Okra or Baigan or Shimla mirch. I am done by 1:30 pm, take a 20 min power nap and back in the office or lab before 2pm !!! Boy, I am almost a complete Bong.

Cheers

Nattusbs

restlessoul

Katla posto jhol mentioned by Nattusbs brings back some nostalgic memories. This cuisine is very much from W. Bengal, from Burdwan to be precise. For a very short period, as a part of my training, I was at an outlet opposite Beadon Square (Company Bagan) at the intersection of Beadon Street and Chitpur. I was still a ‘green horn’ from England with scant knowledge about life in general. It was amazing to watch through out the day, the dead pass by in procession towards Nimtolla. Colours changed as dusk approached, the place got populated by alcoholic males on the search for inexpensive female companions.

A number of ‘Jatra Company’ offices were located there. I had become friendly to one of their young owners who hailed from Hoogly/Burdwan border and learned that many of the owners were from that part of Bengal. Due to certain tax concessions and exemption from entertainment taxes, Jatras were flourishing at that period. It had then managed to lure some performers from the Bengali silver screen.

There was a food joint that catered to this ‘Jatra crowd’ run by an elderly person from his old North Calcutta ancestral home opposite the square. It was a typically Bengali affair that included ‘sak, bhaja, chorchori, ghanto, dal, jhol/jhal/kalia et. Al. cooked with care using correct ‘phoron (not just panch phoron in everything), ‘bata masala’ and mustard oil. It was a food that we ate at home every day. It was not ‘meal or thali’ but ala carte affair, certainly not cheap but not extravagantly priced. The owner was courteous but snooty and refused serving to individual not to his taste! The wife managed the kitchen with helpers. All food was served on large brass (‘Pital & Kansa-a brass alloy) plates, bowls (bati) and glass (gelas).

Traditional Bengali families never used stainless steel utensils and not even a spoon. Food was mixed with clean fingers and transported to the mouth with them. Even here the serving of rice was served on the metal plates like an upturned bowl. Metal bowls surrounded your plate for each item you ordered. One of the helpers continuously cleaned the dirty utensil with Sal leaves, ashes and clay! You had to squat on the floor on a fabric mat (asan) to eat.

As you entered, you could see the owner perched on a chair in front of a desk. After welcoming (Bosun, Ki khaben bolun), ‘please sit, what would you like to eat’ and then rattle away the days menu like a parrot ‘biulir dal ache, munger daler muro ghonta, beguner pat bhaja, lal sakh, shukto, lauer ghonto bori die, pui saker chorchori, bata macher jhol, pona macher posto jhol, pona macher doi mach, gurjwali/bhetki macher jhal (they served small sized bhetki or sometimes pieces from a large genuine bhetki and not a sea mallet!), pabda macher sarse bata, golda chingrir malai curry’, ‘karamchar ambol macher dim thiye’, ‘anaraser chutney’. Sizes of the fish were liberal. You paid marginally more for ‘peti’ (fish from the belly portion, containing more fat but less bones) than ‘gada’ (piece from the back portion, lean but more bony, always preferable to me as it contained more fish by weight). For the first time in my life I tasted ‘macher posto jhol’.

You could get addicted to that place even for a short duration. Most clients were regular and more than healthy. Prosperity in West Bengal is measured by your girth!

indracal

Finally been there last evening! It's a non-descript location that way, no jazzy lights and stuff like that, and as expected, the fare was awesome.

It's actually closer to Sovabazar metro station. Although from Beadon Street - Central Avenue crossing also, it is walkable distance. From Sovabazar metro station, you need to walk down for about 3-5 minutes along Central Avenue towards Girish Park on the left flank. Keep looking for a small signboard, which reads "Allen's Kitchen Restaurant" in english.

The address is 40/1, Jatindra Mohan Avenue, Kolkata - 700 006, and the menu card is here:

1) Bengali menu card
2) English menu card

We, as always, missed the prawn cutlet - the star attraction! We reached at 6:55 PM and the last prawn cutlets were delivered to some other customer. We tasted Fish cutlet in shared mode (fish fillet - most probably Bhola bhetki, a Sea fish which is close to Becti in taste - covered with Egg) + a chichen cutlet for each. My mom-in-law, being a veggie, took a Vegetable chop.

All of them were good - though the Chicken cutlet was awesome!

The shop was opened in 1958, and was frequented by many celebrities like Uttam Kumar, Chhabi Biswas etc.

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restlessoul

Appreciate your investigation indracal and sharing it with all. Quite impressed about the menu card you posted. It now strikes my mind, the place is not very far from Radha Cinema next to Hati Bagan (famous for its Sunday ‘hut’ where you could buy class pigeons and aquarium fishes).

Not very far from there is ‘Amrita’ sweet shop, worth trying. There ‘Misti Doi’ was the best you could get in Calcutta (of course Jolojog stopped producing ‘Poyodhi’ long time back).

For ‘Prawn Cutlet’ you could still try New Cathay under the Grand Hotel Arcade. I would not venture touching fish product in Calcutta or its surrounding area any more. My wife suffered from severe food poisoning after eating a ‘bhetki fry’ when in Calcutta last time. I think, even a sea mallet (bhola bhetki) is quite expensive there now!

jyotirmoy

In those days there used to be these Pice Hotels. Very cheap food but great in taste, Moori Ghonto(a delicacy using fish heads), Chancra(a mish mash of vegetables with fish bones & entrails), Chitol macher muithya(fish balls made from Chitol fish)... droool...
Yes dear Nattusbs that power nap is the cherry on top...

Nattusbs

Where is the cherry Jyoti-da? On top? I like it anywhere!! Although, I find cherry too sweet for my liking - prefer strawberry or blueberry. Had some great Guava this morning.

Cheers

Nattusbs

kamalaprosad

Great

restlessoul

Pice hotels were located around Sealdah station and generally unhealthy. I cannot recollect the name of the owner but this eating joint was next to the Bata Shoe Store opposite Beadon Square at the Beadon Street and Chitpur Road intersection. I had the opportunity to revisit it around 1983, still maintaining the standard although food was more expensive.

More nostalgia when jyotirmoy mentioned Chitol macher muithya(fish balls made from Chitol fish). This is a typical East Bengali (Bangal)/North Bengal (Padmar opar) dish. Found in rivers (Ganga/Padma/Hoogly etc. You got fabulous Chitol at Bhagalpur & Benaras/Kasi), this fish is flat and broad and extremely agile with snake like movement and very tough to net. Extremely frustrating for pond/hatchery owners, if it found its way into one, as it devours young fishes (charas & ponas). ‘Pholui’ another fish from the same family is smaller in size and only a Bengali will dare to eat it (filled with innumerable thin bones). The belly(‘peti’ almost no bones) portion of the Chitol is a delicacy for its fat and smooth taste, especially if garnished with ‘radhuni’ paste/powder. The back portion is bony (like ‘pholui’) and almost uneatable. Meat from the back portion is grated without the bones (it was an art), mixed with ginger, chilly, turmeric paste, onion paste or thin slices (Baisnavs never ate onions), salt (and coriander leaves) to taste. The paste if dropped into boiling water or hot oil solidifies (freezes) like eggs and was known as ‘muithya’ or ‘dhoka’. Then cooked as a heavenly kalia etc.

jyotirmoy

Yes those pice hotels near Sealdah station were unhealthy but there were some in other parts where lots of working people who lived in shared accomodations other than "mess bari" ate. One was in college street and another right out side Sova bazar market. My Sibram kaku had introduced me to these pice hotels. During the monsoon days they served Kumro phooler pakora(pumpkin flower fritters) & Chaltar ambol(a chutney made from Elephant apple)

Nattusbs

Last night my Bengali dhabba had "Baigan Bharta" - absolutely delicious. It was not spicy at all, just from the green chillies. It had the wonderful roasted taste - very hard to describe (the aubergine or eggplant is roasted on a fire such that the skin can be peeled away - I am not sure if this takes away the nutrition though) - the "meaty or flesh" of the eggplant is then mashed with chopped onions, garlic and ginger - ofcourse with the green chillies too and then lightly fried in a kadahi or wok I believe.

Funny after I brought a plate full home and tasted it, I ran back to my car and was back there for more - alas it was all gone ! he has promised to make more for tonight - if not I shall experiment here - I found that I have a "fish grill" - from the US and I can improvise using aluminum foil and the grill basked over a simmer stove.

One of my favorite dishes that I used to make in the US was "catfish & eggplant in garlic sauce" - they complemented each other and I believe that I had a similar dish in a Thai restaurant one time.

I have planted cauliflower and beans in my garden and will plant some eggplant seedlings this week. The beans were from seeds that I soaked in water overnight - all of them germinated. My garner is actually doing the work Also planted a bunch of marigold seedlings. I should get papaya and sapota in my garden in the spring.

Cheers

Nattusbs

brishti

there was a couple of pice hotels near lansdowne market and lake market!
the fish there was like nothing you'd get to eat anywhere else... baaps re - the helping of rice, uuffff could feed a whole locality!
suruchi - i think, is still numero uno - in their service, simplicity and quality of food.

memories -
gemini circus in park circus maidan it was the annual winter pilgrimage that was the sole responsibility of baba
dover road music conference with mom - bhanr'er chaa and kochuri at the roadside stalls once it was over round 4am.

flury's - adda, adda, adda - bunking and/or after college - with the one cuppa coffee sent to be heated, reheated, re reheated.
[the present flury's should be burnt down - its sacrilege what they've done to it ]
2am - the dhaba on ballygunge circular road [next to AAEI]... it was always open. sit under the banyan tree [?] daal taarka and roti served with green chillies and blocks of raw onions
nimbu chaa at 6am - at the lakes [southern avenue] - never had that kind of chaa anywhere till now.
last but not the least - 77A... the bus that i travelled by

what i regret missing out on is, the chinatown breakfast... at 5am [?] an array of dumplings and soups.
i believe its no more now.
oh well...




:brishti
its called begoon pora, nattusbs. baigan bharta is the north indian preparation shotti baba !!!!

Nattusbs

Thanks Brishti, I did not know the Bangla name

Cheers

Nattusbs

PS: I am having posto Fish (forgot the name) cooked with okra for lunch today - life as an IIT Prof is rough !!!!.

Priyanka Chanda

when you talk about rice hotels, you just cant miss Panna Hotel in raja bazaar...next to Jagat Cinema Hall

Panna babu, an old gentleman still runs the show with few others....despite their four legged narrow benches and slightly discolored damp walls..their hospitality is unmatched to this day!! i am the third generation to visit them from the house!

Machchh bhaat is what they are known for, even though you'd get poultry,meat n other stuff...when you order for the fish, they bring to you the raw fish pcs. available with them, in many different sizes...once you take your pick, they cook it for you rite away!! their Betki priced at 140/- is served to you in a big thaali wth its head and tail stiking out from either side!its a delicacy one must try!

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Cheers,

Priyanka

brishti

pice hotel [actually paisa hotel] - akin to lady kinny [actually lady canning].
rice hotel kee priyanka ?

arre nattusbs - enjoy enjoy ask them to make you posto bora - thakur jaane how you translate that into english - its a lil flat round bhajaa



:brishti