Bong Spicery

Mood swings have not been uncommon for me, often stuck in conundrums. My sister told me it is supposed to be a post menopausal syndrome and women of our mother's age have it. For women of my age(early 20s), some of us who happen to be emotional eaters, the reason should be the craving for our acquaintance with the right food at the right time. The right aroma of the right spice at the right time is a royal feeling, that could enchant food lovers like me,  transforming the mood entirely.

Frankly, I don't know where to begin from. You must have heard of the terms ' well travelled' or ' well read'. I am ' well-fed' !! And the tale of my love affair with food begins from mum's kitchen. A bong ma's kitchen

shelves are lined up with jars of 'panch-foron', ' shukno lonka', 'tej pata', 'holud' , 'kalo jeera', cumin seeds, 'hing' etc. No 'Bhajohari Ranna'(one of Bengal's oldest n most popular restaurants) could stand in competition with mom's 'macher-jhol' (fish curry with very little spice) specially done with the intoxicating essence of 'panch foron' in the pungent smelling mustard oil, whose predominance makes the dish so elating. I have been trying to decode the real recipe behind this, having failed several times even using the same ingredients used by her(she is a swift cook and uses some secret anecdotes, I believe!!). Since, I am still waiting to begin my life as a professional, I have loads of time and don't mind failing few more attempts in my free time, as long as the rattlings of 'panch foron' and 'sukno lonka' in the hot mustard oil continue to please my eardrums and the strong essence, seduce my olfactory system.

One of the radio channels was playing Manna Dey. 'Na na Jeo Naa' . It was the evening of Shankranti. The big bowl of off whitish earthy 'pithe-payesh' boiled lazily, in rhythm with the 70s song. Mum lowered the flame and left it to boil in its own speed, while she sang to the radio in a soothing soft voice of the black n

white era. It was perfect like her recipes. 'Pithe's  stuffed with lot of grated coconut in jaggery dipped in the 'payesh' ...sheer heaven for me!

There was a time when I hated the taste or smell of  chilli in any dish. It was only after I came in college and several riots with our cook(who hardly knew how to cook) I learnt the importance of hotness. Ok, I don't mind relating 'hotness' and 'college' for sometime . But seriously, no girl could show the hotness in 1st year of engineering. It was ragging session for the first 6 months or so, when every women had to come decent in Salwar-kameez and necessarily with 'dupattas', with all this leaving me a little frustrated after college. And back home, not wanting to eat the tasteless food cooked by 'mashi' made my mum introduce me to a simple combo of rice,few drops of mustard oil, a green chilli and a pinch of salt, all mashed together. It was an illuminating moment for me and I could finish my full plate with that. I loved the flavour of green chilli and now I can't do without 1 every meal. In hands of a cook like mum, even hotness can become pretty palatable, and help me get over my negative emotions, with the chilli perhaps chilling down my anger.


Having come in touch with our Malayam tenant, in the last few years, who also happened to be a teacher in my school, there has been an exchange of culture and food. Coincidentally, my mother has been a fan of South Indian dishes. I still pack dosa's back home for mum whenever I visit a South Indian restaurant. The 2 men in their family happen to be traditional experts in cooking their stuff. Bengali men could hardly imagine themselves in kitchen, every morning, making 20-25 chapattis, for the entire family before leaving for work! Yes, they are em-ee-en=men! An unusual "South Indian Chicken Curry" as they call it, the sweet and sour aroma with the slightness of curry leaves, coming from their kitchen aroused my voracious inner devil called ''Greed'' so much that I went down to ask them what they were cooking and it smelt so nice. In sometime, they came up to give us a bowl of the chicken curry! Later on, I used this trick(rather shamelessness) a couple of times to get few more bowls. Though I have stopped acting shameless recently, the very smell of the curry on weekends boils down my stress quickly. Call it magic, maya, or just Damn Good Curry; it has certainly put a spell on me!!

The Eccentricity of Chaitra Sale

Phew... I am home, with all my body organs in their own place. The annual stock clearance sale, better pronounced as "Chaitro Sale" hit the market hard enough to have had record footfalls. I should say it is the people who disport unprecedented eccentricity woo-ed by the word "SALE". Ok, I admit it. I too get wooed when I see shops offering huge discounts. I am a woman. But less eccentric than those who have that mad enthusiasm for shopping-till-your-hamstrings-sprain. Shopkeepers keep screaming in your ears, "eksho taka... ja neben eksho taka", you sweat like hell because roads are packed like sardines, you dont know where to place your foot next(on the road or on someone's feet), you have to push others to make way or else get pushed away, and then if you have still managed to sustain your shopping spree, you enter a shop where the shopkeeper is no more on the floor. He stands on his pulpit(usually a small bench), calling out prices, inviting you to his shopping arena. It is hard to say if the discounts are genuine, because the quality genuinely suffers. However, it is a "steal" you know, and to purchase the best stuff from a huge mountain of faulty  junks is a victory for every "mashima" and "kakima" who exude their bargaining skills, under the scorching mid day sun or sultry summer evenings.

I was amazed to see a very renowned cloth brand outlet selling off some expensive dresses at less than half price. I am a regular buyer at their place. And I had been there a couple of days before, when they were already offering a lot of discount, but no one came in thinking it was a big brand, and discounts would be on selected items, and yes, there was no one shouting out their offers, so no one knew much about it. After two days when I passed by the same shop, I was not able to recognize it. The whole sphere underwent a transition. The shopkeepers brought out all their discounted items, hung them outside the shop and there were there to four men who were wailing out, "Buy 1 at 50% discount, and get another free...free...free!!" I asked the man if it was the same shop which is selling all this. He uttered, "ha didi, egulo sob sale ache..nie jaan".


This is the only time when Bengalis can get the best things at the least price, for everyone at home. The enticing charm of the Sale hauls every "dada", "boudi","pishima", "kaku","kakima" and even the kids from their homes. There was this woman in a red tant, with a 4-5 yr old child in hand and her husband who came to accompany her straight from office; his gloomy appearance, his attire and the bag behind him made it evident. "Duto sari 300taka!!!..sale sale sale!!" . It was magnetic. The woman also joined the crowd of buyers of "duto sari 300taka". They were selling cotton saris, and these days maids cannot be satisfied with synthetic ones. She too went with the same motive, I believe. Her negotiation skills were put to test now. The husband seemed to be okay with 300, but she would not give more than 240. It was ultimately settled at 250!

I was kept waiting outside a trial room for more than half an hour, because there was just one trial room in that floor and that one was occupied by a fat lady who carried more than 10dresses inside, and I believe she was not fitting into any of it. She became insane when she saw "Kurtis for 150/- only"!! So she had to fit into at least one of them. When I got a chance to enter, a middle aged woman asked if I would share the trial room with her!!!!!! No one ever asked me for such a thing. Then she insisted that it was the latest trend to share the trial room, if there is a long queue! I was even more shocked, I said a big NO and slammed the door on her face.

Despite all the commotion and pandemonium, Bengalis love to indulge in such improvised shopping. And finally the most awaited Nabo Barsho arrives when we flaunt our purchase!

The Quintessential Bengali............

From the East Bengal – Mohun Bagan lineups to the rising petrol-Anarkado-boost to the tatka rui, ilish fresh from the 7a.m bazaar tothe Koel Mullick -marriage buzz or Bengal's world famous icon of “change” and promoter of noise pollution, 'DIDI', Bose babu has a voice on everything. The quintessential Bose babu! The bourgeoisie Central Kolkata banker, was waiting for his 9.45 RT-28(the bus that plighs between BBD Bag and Chittaranjan Park).“Bose babu, jaan dekhe asun boudi k nie, bhalo lagbe”, Bosebabu's, neighbour, who was in his early 30s handed over 2 passes of an Exhibition-cum-sale inauguration, at the Hyatt Regency. He had aclose look at the passes. “Apni?” , “Meeting pore gelo dada,jawa hobe na. Apni chole jaan. Sob celebrity ra asche. Keep guessing the guest of honor!”.

Sunday morning, 9.30am. Bose babu was rushing homeward with a 3-3.5Kg Rui hanging down his one hand, and a bulky thholi inthe other, when Chatterjee-da peeked from his 1^stfloor(dotola) veranda. “Bari te bhuri-bhoj mone hochhe!” “Boudir order ache... she plans to cook ruimacher kalia or muri ghonto may be.. Asben naki?” “Nah.. onnokono din.. But eto tara kiser?” “Goto kal paser barir Dinesh duto pass dilo..Hyatt has an inauguration of an exhibition today. Ami r apnar boudi jachhi...All the celebrity guests must be on their way already...”

In a green ikkat, boudi was all set with dada for the gala event, after a bhuri-bhoj lunch. A yellow cab dropped Bose babu amidst several Honda city-s, Pajero-s,Ford-s and a handful of BMWs(only a few Tolly celebs have BMWs you see). “Oidekho,Mercedes Benz!!”, Bose boudi wastoo excited. “Haath ta namao..Dont point like that.. ekhane eram onek dekhte pabe.”Bose babu hauled boudi towards the main entrance.

“Models lined up in knee length dresses, posing with their tailors. Pretentious jotosob! We thought there was a sale going on. And a few stars would be there to inaugurate it. Arey t2 te pray dekha jai.. dekhen ni dada! But it was a complete star studded gathering. There are a few common faces who always make it to such events, like Swostika, Locket Chokroborty, June Malia ar oi je... ki jano nam ta...the one whose name resembles “alur-dom”...besh chaapa rong ta...o yes! Paoli.. Paoli Dam, she was there as well, going on striking different poses with the same piece of necklace she was given. And what she was wearing was a little under-sized for her, actually besh under sized, must say. Shostika looks prettier in photos it seemed. Ognimitro was the modest of them all. Actually Dinesh, I ve noticed most Bangali tailors dress up modest, but the attires they gestate appear purely anomalous on the wearers. Cant help saying... but very disapproving!

Tomar boudi ektu rege giechilo. We did not know that they were serving lunch over there. She had to cook Mochar ghonto and Rui macher kalia for lunch and come. It was appalling to see how people were paying thousands to buy these under sized dresses. I hate this anomaly- 'smaller the dress, bigger the amount' .

Two Sundays back I took your Boudi to City Center 1, and that is where I saw women make liable use of these misfit outfits! Jano Dinesh, ekta model chilo, not a very renowned one but she was having a suit on, which was like a babysuit. The pants continued to be a part of her top... the whole thing made out of a single piece of cloth” “O! Acha! Jump suit.. theycall it jump suit”

“Hmm...but I would find quite uneasy to jump in them.. jai bolo. Hahaha! Itook your boudi to choose from among a few Abhisek-Dutta-sarees. Your boudi was like- Egulo pora jai naki? Leather er sari!!? Undoubtedly, she was true. Of course, a few wanna-be Sreelekha Mitro-s(she was draped in one of those leather pieces), who were somehow forgetful about their 65 year old wrinkles, and, their silver hair which became orange due to excessive dyeing, were buying those extra-glossy-textured saris.

'Tube top ki go?', your boudi asked me once, as if I knew!! 'Okhane sob camera-r samne tube top tube top korche!' Frankly, I was getting worried about something else. Most of the models there were taller than me. I am 5'7”. But these skinny ladies were not less than 5'9”!! Specially those in shorts, their legs were unendingly long. I was feeling low on self esteem. So, I made up an excuse. “Arey hna... bhalo kotha mone koriecho... tube paltate hobe. Ma-er ghorer tube ta aj ee paltabo. Cholo.” And I rushed her out before she had anymore queries and I had to make up another story of cleaning the water tank may be(tank tops are not much I know of you see... ;-) )ha!!ha!!”