KOLKATA: This Eid, the traditional rice-and-fish meal of Bengalis is now going to be available to people outside Bengal too.
Riding on the occasion of Eid and Jamai Shasthi, State Fisheries Development Corporation (SFDC) is hosting a food festival at Janpath in central Delhi from June 16 till June 24.
Experimental fish dishes will be available at the festival. SFDC has also decided to open permanent outlets in three States, from where would be served a variety of fish dishes.
On June 19, the day of Jamai Shasthi, special thalis would be available based on traditional Jamai Shasthi food. There would be two separate thali varieties based on 'Bangal' (those traditionally from eastern Bengal, now Bangladesh) and 'Ghoti' (those traditionally from western Bengal) fare.
Jamai Shasthi is the day when Bengali mothers-in-law welcome their sons-in-law to their homes.
The prime attraction of the day is the spread of delicious food and fruits laid out by the mother-in-law for her son(s)-in-law. The eating is generally preceded by the chanting of incantations (mantra).
The thalis have been priced between Rs 299 and Rs 599, depending on the combination of dishes.
The "Bangal" thali would contain rice, yam leaf curry (kochu shak), steamed ilish, mustard ilish, banana leaf-wrapped steamed ilish (ilisher paturi), etc.
The Ghoti thali will contain "kalai dal" (black lentil soup), alu posto (potato cooked with poppy seeds), posto dumpling (postor bora), chingrir malaikari (prawn cooked in coconut milk) and other delicious dishes.
On the occasion of Eid, the special items would include fish porota, fish biriyani, lachcha porota, simai, fish finger and other assortments. Along with these would be varieties of "mishti doi" (Sweet curd) and fruit platters containing mango, blackberry, litchi, jackfruit, etc.
Last year, at the international food festival in Delhi, the SFDC had participated and made huge sales. Not only that, it had forged a lot of agreements with foreign agencies, and other States. This time too SFDC expects good sales.