Most people imagine Bengalis as ardent lovers of fish and sweets. But unlike a typical Bengali, when at home, I didn’t salivate at the prospect of maacher-jholand alu-postor torkari. Moving to Bangalore, I though I had escaped the usual home made food and could experiment my taste buds with unusual dishes of my choice. Chinese, Continental, Mexican, South Indian….the choices were plenty and I had a blast trying out new restaurants and cuisines.
But few months down the line and I found myself in Ejipura market staring nostalgically at silvery fish. But typical Bengali favourite fish like Pabda, Hilsa, Bhetki, Puthi, Tangra are hard to find in Bangalore and I wistfully began to think of the food my mother must be making at home.
Finally, in desperation, I started asking around for a place which serves Bengali cuisine. My prayers were answered when a friend told us that he had seen a Bengali restaurant in 7th Block Koramangala. So one Sunday evening, we left home with the aim of having dinner at this place.
We walked the lanes of 7th Block looking left and right tying to locate the place but two rounds of the area and we still couldn’t trace it. In anxiety, I looked skyward with a silent prayer on my lips and suddenly my eyes caught sight of a board “Bangaliana”on the second floor of a building. My spirits soared at the sight and my feet seemed to have caught wings as I climbed to the second floor.
The place was not as I had expected – It was a mid-sized room very plainly furnished with just enough seating place for 20-25 people at a time. It looked more like a mess than a swanky restaurant. But the place was full of people and I could see that they were enjoying their meal.
As we entered we were welcomed by a man who looked like the owner. The day’s specials were written on a white board and we had the choice of Illish meal(Hilsa / Illish is a native of the Hoogly and is a terribly bony fish but its distinctive flavor makes is a favorite with fish connoisseurs), Kalia meal(Pieces of Rohu or Koi in rich spicy sauce made with yogurt) and Luchi Mangsho (Bengal’s signature fried bread — puffy, light - similar to puri, with a rich mutton gravy).
We decided to try the Illish Mealand Luchi Mangsho. The meal consisted of unlimited white rice with Daal (lentils with Bengali seasoning) and Alu posto (Diced potatoes in grinded poppy seeds and green chilies cooked in mustard oil). The fish was cooked to perfection in a zesty ground mustard sauce. I must say that I greatly enjoyed the meal and it reminded me of food cooked at home with love and care.
The Luchi Mangshowas equally satisfying – five large hot luchis served with a steaming hot bowl of mouth-watering mutton gravy. You can ask for additional luchis without paying extra. The luchis were a little oily but we didn’t really care for the taste made up for the calories.
For dessert there was the option of soft fluffy Rasgullas and Langchas (a longish looking deep fried sweet in syrup) priced at Rs. 6 a piece. But we decide to skip dessert as we were already full and couldn’t eat another morsel.
Although they have a menu card, most of the items are not available on a daily basis and most customers prefer to eat the day’s specials. Some Bengali delicacies that can be found on the specials list are Tangrar Jhal (Tangra fish in fragrant gravy of onion, hot pepper and ginger), Chingri Macher Malai Curry (prawns slowly cooked in creamy gravy made of coconut milk) and Kasha Mangsho(Spicy sautéed mutton chunks).
The service is not as professional as in up market eateries but the staff is helpful and cheery. You might have to give a few loud calls before the waiter can hear you over the din. The interior is minimalist with no fancy items on display but I think it really doesn’t matter to the regulars who come here for a meal which is both scrumptious and home-like.
Don’t go there expecting well-dressed attendants and leather sofas and you won’t be disappointed. It is not a place you could go to for a date or an official lunch but if you have simple Bengali cuisine on your mind then it is definitely worth a visit.
Bon Appetit!!
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