Oh! Calcutta hosted a special buffet serving Thakurbarir delicacies on Tagore’s 163rd birth anniversary

The Tagore family was not only one of the foremost families in Bengal known for their contribution towards art and culture, Thakurbarir ranna — the food of the Tagore household — has also become a part of our rich culinary heritage. Not just the women in his family, Rabindranath Tagore himself loved cooking and experimented a lot with food. To commemorate the birth anniversary of Tagore, Oh! Calcutta hosted a special lunch buffet for two consecutive days — May 11 and 12 — at their Silver Spring and Forum Mall locations.

Going by Thakurbarir history, Pragyasundari Devi, daughter of Hemendranath Tagore (Rabindranath’s brother), is known to have documented the recipes of many Thakurbari members in her book, Aamish and Niramish Aahar. She was a skilled cook herself, who not only collected old recipes from Thakurbari but also conducted numerous culinary experiments. These dishes were often served to her husband, famous Assamese writer Lakshminath Bezbaroa, and their outcomes were carefully noted in a diary. With her husband’s encouragement, the first edition of her book, Aamish and Niramish Aahar, was published in the Bengali year 1309.

Another popular work is Thakurbarir Ranna, compiled by Purnima Thakur, daughter of Nalini Devi, which also features many recipes of Thakurbari. Nalini was the daughter of Dipendranath Tagore (Rabindranath’s elder brother). Purnima’s book also has recipes from the collection of Indira Devi (the daughter of Rabindranath’s elder brother and sister-in-law, Satyendranath Tagore and Jyanadanandini Devi), giving us an insight into the culinary traditions of the Tagore household.

Keeping Thakurbarir heritage in mind, Oh! Calcutta, a popular restaurant chain serving Bengali dishes, offered its guests an exclusive culinary experience — carefully curated by expert chefs. The menu featured a wide selection of traditional Bengali dishes.

Among the highlights were the Bhutta Koraishutir Tikka, which are small round shallow-fried patties, quite like the classic Bengali chops. Another item was the Aamada Bhapa Murgi, where chicken is marinated with aamada (mango ginger, an aromatic herb) and then steamed in a banana leaf. Motor Daaler Muithya offered a taste similar to our dhoka, but in muithya shape, simmered in a tasty gravy. The menu also included Aloor dum, a popular potato dish, and Chhanar Pulao, a sweet pulao that had small pieces of fried paneer, adding a unique texture to the dish.

For those seeking a salad option, there was Gondhoraj Salad. The Kancha Aam Makha, too, was a unique tangy-spicy dish of shredded mango marinated in various masalas.

Another unique dish was Borir Jhuri. To make it crunchy, boris, fried and crushed, were mixed with onions, coriander leaves and several masalas.

For a sweet conclusion to the meal, guests were served Sita Bhog, a traditional Bengali sweet dish and the Paka Aamer Pudding — a creamy and rich dessert with flavours of ripe mangoes. The Bel Panna Tart, too, added a unique and refreshing twist to the dessert servings, offering the guests a truly authentic and memorable dining experience.

“We have curated the menu keeping in mind the weather conditions in Kolkata now. We have always given prime importance to the ingredients. We have used ingredients that are fresh and are readily available in the market,” informed chef Kingshuk Kundu.

To enrich the experience further, guests were treated to live performances of Rabindrasangeet by talented singers like Sudip Bera, Arghya and Devlina. Speaking about it, Sudip Bera, said, “I have been associated with the restaurant chain for four years now. The experience has been wonderful. You get a niche crowd here and it’s always a privilege to perform in front of them. I had selected a few popular Rabindrasangeet and I’m glad they enjoyed it.”