This weekend we once again found ourselves at this restaurant that specializes in Bengali cuisine. The first order was of course for Fried Fish. In fact, if you look closely, every waiter that comes through the kitchen doors has a plate containing this dish amongst the others balanced on his hands.
The other most popular item seems to be the luchis - giant puris that can be eaten with a gravy dish or a sabji. We had tried them last time but decided to give them a miss. We also decided not to for the Chingari Malai Curry - the gravy was too thin for our taste.This time I hunted around for a mutton dish - though I don't like mutton at all. There aren't many mutton entries (or chicken entries for that matter!) so it was a simple choice - Kosha Mangsho (described as 'pot roasted mutton with traditional spices') and the Classical Railway Mutton Curry. I remember watching this dish being prepared in some cookery show on TV and I suspect I have its recipe tucked away in one of the numerous recipe notes I have taken through years. Needless to say, I was keen on trying it out. But the description accompanying it mentioned coconut milk. And the server confirmed it when I asked which of the two dishes would have a thick gravy. He said that would be the Kosha Mangsho. So Kosha Mangsho it was.
The Fried Fish was every bit as I remembered from out last visit here. I especially love the strong-flavored mustard-based chutney that accompanies it. At the risk of sounding repetitive I would say that if you visit this place, you have to try this dish unless you don't like or are allergic to sea-food.
But the real surprise of the day was Kosha Mangsho. For the record, I hate mutton - hate its taste, hate its sight and hate its texture. So I had set my mind on going only for the gravy. But as I picked up a spoonful of it, I realized that the meat was so tender that it was impossible to separate it from the gravy. Reluctantly, I ladled it on to my plate and reluctantly took the first mouthful. The thick rich tasty gravy did full justice to its description of 'pot roasted with traditional spices'. I have never, ever, eaten a mutton dish with so much of gusto and enthusiasm. This surely has to find its place among my most favorite dishes of all times.
I still can't believe I ate mutton. Oh! Calcutta :-)
The other most popular item seems to be the luchis - giant puris that can be eaten with a gravy dish or a sabji. We had tried them last time but decided to give them a miss. We also decided not to for the Chingari Malai Curry - the gravy was too thin for our taste.This time I hunted around for a mutton dish - though I don't like mutton at all. There aren't many mutton entries (or chicken entries for that matter!) so it was a simple choice - Kosha Mangsho (described as 'pot roasted mutton with traditional spices') and the Classical Railway Mutton Curry. I remember watching this dish being prepared in some cookery show on TV and I suspect I have its recipe tucked away in one of the numerous recipe notes I have taken through years. Needless to say, I was keen on trying it out. But the description accompanying it mentioned coconut milk. And the server confirmed it when I asked which of the two dishes would have a thick gravy. He said that would be the Kosha Mangsho. So Kosha Mangsho it was.
The Fried Fish was every bit as I remembered from out last visit here. I especially love the strong-flavored mustard-based chutney that accompanies it. At the risk of sounding repetitive I would say that if you visit this place, you have to try this dish unless you don't like or are allergic to sea-food.
But the real surprise of the day was Kosha Mangsho. For the record, I hate mutton - hate its taste, hate its sight and hate its texture. So I had set my mind on going only for the gravy. But as I picked up a spoonful of it, I realized that the meat was so tender that it was impossible to separate it from the gravy. Reluctantly, I ladled it on to my plate and reluctantly took the first mouthful. The thick rich tasty gravy did full justice to its description of 'pot roasted with traditional spices'. I have never, ever, eaten a mutton dish with so much of gusto and enthusiasm. This surely has to find its place among my most favorite dishes of all times.
I still can't believe I ate mutton. Oh! Calcutta :-)
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