By traveldine
In Kolkata, Ilisher morshum means a string of Hilsa festivals across restaurants in the city.
People eagerly wait to relish the king of fish, never mind the bones.
A hilsa food festival at the Eden Pavilion, ITC Sonar, Kolkata, brought alive recipes from Purnima Tagore’s cookbook, Thakurbabrir Ranna.
It catered the prized, buttery Ilish —smoked, stewed and steamed—a la carte at a festival ‘Poetry in Cuisine’.
Pic -Experiences of agastonomad
What makes these dishes special is that they are gleaned from the illustrious kitchen of the Tagores of Jorasanko…
…And are likely to have appeared on the table of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, whose love for Ilish is well known.
Thakurbarir Ranna is a cherished possession in many Bengali homes, especially during Hilsa season.
The Tagores loved using yoghurt in their dishes and doi ilish (with mishti doi) is a classic from the household.
The kitchen of the Tagore household was cuisine-agnostic. They absorbed diverse culinary influences in their food and dining culture.
One dish that marries the East with the West is perhaps the Ilish roast.
On the menu at ITC Sonar, the East Bengali influence is more pronounced in dishes like ilish bhaape or ilish shorshe.
The narkel dudh diye ilish, on the other hand, is more aligned with West Bengali proclivities.
Tagore’s culinary legacy with Hilsa at its heart is a worthy testimonial for every Hilsa lover.