CHENNAI: Attempting to replicate the flavours of West Bengal, more than 1,000 km away, in Chennai to a curious crowd seems like an attempt worth trying. Quashing the stereotypical notions of Bengali food around the procession of dishes — from fritters to fishes — was Beverly Hotel, Kilpauk. Through their two-day Bengali food festival during the weekend, they brought to table a variety from Bengali cuisine. “We have been conducting food festivals every month for the past two years and we dedicate each month to a particular state and their special dishes. This time we have brought chefs from West Bengal to get the authentic taste,” shared D Venkat Rao, general manager, Beverly Hotel.
What’s on the plate?
On a hot afternoon, the aam pora shorbot — a raw mango pulpy drink — offered a spicy kickstart to my palate. When tomato cookda shorba was served on the table almost instantly after the shorbot, it was a leap from a summer drink to a winter soup. Even though the dish was a blast of warmth in the bowl, the deep-flavoured broth dominated the sourness from tomatoes.
Letting our insides heal with this comfort, we slowly eye the spread of salads, vegetarian and non-vegetarian delicaices, and desserts. But the heart seeks the tanginess of chaat offerings. Salivating, we opt for a plate of pani puri, only to be disappointed by the extra doses of salt infused into this flavoured water. But, the Bengali-style bhel puri — jhal muri — comes to our rescue. Loaded with mixed puffed rice, peanuts, onions, and even a thin slice of coconut, the texture of jhal muri seems like a reliable option to cleanse our palate from the salt assault.
Greeting us with wide smiles were executive chef Elangovan and his co-chefs Aptauddin and Roy. Elangovan said, “We have curated more than 35 dishes to portray the variety of the Bengali cuisine. Aptauddin and Roy are from West Bengal and they approve every dish before they are served on the table,” encouraging us to graduate to the main course.
One must have a large appetite if you want to do justice to the dishes served on the table. But small bites would be a better option if you are up for tasting everything from the menu. The moglii paratha was tender and pliable. Both alur dum baby potato — which was a balanced mix of flavours — and dhokar dalna, a hard crust dipped in a no-onion and no-garlic gravy reminded us of the comfort of a home-cooked meal. The Kolkata mutton biryani wasn’t an explosion of spiciness and aroma but moist and subtly flavoured, ensuring our senses were restored and engaged to the present moment.
Honestly, it’s no easy task to befriend calories when tasting Bengali cuisine. Thanks to the richness in every bite that hugs our palate and tummies, firm enough to not entertain the idea of taking a break. But who’s complaining! March on, we must, as we respond to the succulent call of the kebabs, kachoris and cutlets. The soft and crunchy chunks of broccoli malai ka kebab is generous in its deliciousness, followed by the rashmi murghi kebab, which became an instant favourite. And of course, the crispy cottage cheese corn cutlet with its crumbly texture reminded us that what should not be lost is soul. Our rendezvous with these usual suspects was only interrupted by the koralshutir kachori — a variation of vegetable kachori — with the tamarind chutney. Our vote, however, goes to the starters.
To bid the diverse cuisine a goodbye, we moved on to some sweet ambitions. Patisha pista roll, chanar jalebi and lobongo lotika — enriched with the goodness of ghee, it was a moment of truth — that not all Bengali sweets need to return to mishti doi, gulab jamun and rasogulla. And it is perhaps with this emotion that Beverly Hotel will be hosting the Andhra-Telangana food festival in March, with regional delicacies that offer a refreshing experience.