With colourful flowers, fresh and hyperlocal ingredients, MasterChef India contestant Dyuti Banerjee created stories with a tapestry of flavours at ‘Basanta Alap’. The latest five-day pop-up at Annaja, the south Kolkata branch of Amar Khamar is celebrating the joys of spring, with their in-house chef Preetam Bhadra and team, joining hands with Dyuti. The menu was unique not just for its contents, but for the pun-filled course names.
My Kolkata took a cosy spot on one of the days and experienced the spring menu while engaging in a hearty adda with fellow diners.
Tettow (Noy)! and Soup Thak!
Tettow Uramaki
The 10-course culinary extravaganza began with bitters, a customary start to any Bengali meal. Inspired by sushi, the first course was named Tettow Uramaki. The sushi rice was perfectly substituted with Binni rice with a crispy roundel of bitter gourd with mildly sweet pumpkin mash inside, preventing the bitterness from getting to your palate. Pickled shakalu (yam bean) was served on the sides adding a dash of sharp freshness to the platter.
Panta Cold Soup
For the next course, Dyuti literally shut down all the chatter as guests savoured a flavourful Panta Cold Soup made with fermented Kanakchur rice. A goyna bori, a fish egg fritter and a roasted baby onion were added to the bowl creating a blend of textures in the mini meal in a bowl. It created moments of nostalgia for the guests as they recalled savouring panta bhaat on warm afternoons.
Tel Mere Labh Nei and Mukhor-Rochak
It was time for some bhaja with a Bengali version of arancini ball made with rice and red amaranthus. The surprise inside the ball was prawns, reminding us of the popular Bengali saying, shak diye machch dhaka. This was served with a tangy red lentil mousse that would remind you of comforting dal seddho. There was also a sweet-and-sour topa kuler chutney.
Phuchka filled with tok jhal misti chanachur
The menu had a fun break with phuchka filled with tok jhal misti chanachur and lebu batashar sharbat. The chanachur was Mukharochak’s sweet and sour mix — again a Bengali favourite.
Jaali Jinish, Bedana Bedona and Shobure Mangsho Fole
Pabda fish cooked in Marigold Coconut Cream and Purple Karpurkanti rice
The next course was a colourful platter of Pabda fish cooked in Marigold Coconut Cream and Purple Karpurkanti rice. The recipe reel of this dish has recently received much love on Dyuti’s social media. The fish was cooked in a gravy with petals of marigold flowers and coconut. The purple colour of the rice was obtained with blue pea flowers. It was literally spring on a plate. The marigold flower added a peppery, citrusy flavour to the dish.
To wash down the meal so far, was an in-house fermented pomegranate brew — a sweet, fizzy Bedana Bedona truly soothed all our bedona and left us feeling refreshed.
Mangsho Bhaat in Paan Paturi
All ready to relish the meat, we dug into the next dish, the star of the menu — Mangsho Bhaat in Paan Paturi. The rice was cooked with chopped coconut and flavoured with pandan leaves. The mutton wrapped in a betel leaf and infused with the flavour of paan reminded us of the wedding feast where the taste of kosha mangsho and mishti paan lingers in the mouth for a while! Sharmistha Mukherjee, a homemaker and Annaja’s neighbour called it a “unique dish with relatable flavours. While the taste was so known, it still surprised us!”
Jabo Ki Jabo Na… Jawa Toh Holo Na, and TanaPoren
Jamrul (wax apple) Granita
The pre-dessert and dessert was aptly named. Before the curtains came down on the elaborate menu with dessert, there was a palate cleanser. A Jamrul (wax apple) Granita with bits of green chillies that came topped with vanilla ice-cream and pickled mustard seeds. The symphony of flavours with the spicy kick of green chillies, sweet ice-cream and the pungent-sour mustard seeds was a party in the mouth, with every bite feeling different.
Payesh Tres Leches
For the final dessert, India met Spain in a Payesh Tres Leches. The payesh was made with Chinekamini rice in Kalimpong ghee from Amar Khamar’s stock. Hidden within the velvety payesh, was a bite-sized sponge cake with a cashew halwa. This sent everyone into a food coma leaving everyone satiated at the end of the meal!
Aam shotto (mango leather) dressed mouri lozens
No feast ends without a little mouth freshening tidbit. Concluding this Basanta adda and rekindling sweet and sour childhood memories, was a little square-shaped aam shotto (mango leather) that came dressed in colourful mouri lozens (sugar coated fennel seeds).
Pop picks
Kunal Mandal, a foodie and entrepreneur relished each course and picked his favourite. His final verdict: “Most of the dishes were a meal by itself. I loved how every dish was presented with so much thought behind it. I had a great time!”
Happy diners at the pop-up
A popular face at Annaja’s tables, Dr Sananda Mukerjee tries to “attend every table at Amar Khamar as we get to taste fresh produce and seasonal ingredients. Today it was an elaborate menu and a lot of the regular flavours were presented differently. It was well spaced out so we could enjoy every dish.”
Truly a ‘whimsy’ menu
The wordplay with the names of the courses caught the attention of the diners. Explaining the idea behind the spring pop-up, Dyuti said, “We wanted to celebrate the essence of Bangali’s basanta season through food and banter. Thus the menu had a fun word play introducing the dishes. The base of the ten-course menu was obviously Bengali but the dishes were recreated with inspirations from various cuisines. Thanks to team Amar Khamar who were always on their toes to assist me. I couldn't have pulled this off without them!”
‘We wanted to celebrate the essence of Bangali’s basanta season through food and banter,’ said Dyuti about the meal
The rice, spices and many other ingredients were used from Amar Khamar’s usual stock. Working hand-in-hand with the MasterChef returnee, chef Preetam Bhadra said, “It was great interacting with Dyuti. Her playful menu tried to marry the essence of seasonality and Amar Khamar’s ingredients, with a certain je ne sais quoi that makes her food quite popular and accessible.”
Speaking about the quirky menu, Sujoy Chatterjee, founder of Amar Khamar said, “We are delighted to work with Dyuti for this series of tables at Annaja. She has named the series with an allusion to a Bengali classic, which is so apt as her menu presents a culinary sequel to it with a brilliant mix of humour, flavour, wit, taste and the colours of the spring. Last but not least she has poured so much passion into the creation of this experience, I am sure that it will dazzle our guests who are joining us these weekends.”
The Basanta Alap pop-up is ongoing and one can book tables for March 23 (dinner) and March 24 (lunch).
