Every kitchen in a household has one special corner where all the precious items are stored. For me, it’s the corner where my ghee is stored. Different varieties of this clarified butter have found their way here. Ghee is an integral part of my daily diet and even my experimental cooking. Having a food fetish (blame it on my Bengali genes) I relentlessly pursue the art of creative cooking and my insatiable taste buds cannot do without the ghee.
Since childhood I have seen Anik ghee, Amul ghee, Sri ghee and other kinds laid out on the table, but the pride of place was always given to Jharna Ghee. Now this is one ghee that has no replacement. It’s one of a kind. Of course, there are many variations in the market, but no one has been able to touch the original.
In the many nuances of Bengali cooking, ghee plays a vital role. I remember my mother always adding a dash of ghee at the end of her cooking, be it a doi maachh or a prawn malai curry. She always believed that a few drops highlighted the taste. Have you ever tasted the difference in luchis fried in ghee and those fried in oil?! Luchis or kachoris fried in ghee, or gulab jamuns fried in ghee… they are lip-smackingly heavenly!
When young, we always looked forward to the rainy season. Not for the reason that we could play in puddles and get wet, but because we could eat khichri. A rainy day meant khichri cooked in ghee, onto which we drizzled some more ghee accompanied with begun bhaja and fish fry. In a traditional Bengali household, every meal begins with hot rice, a drizzle of ghee and a dash of salt. In fact, my best comfort food is hot Gobindobhog rice with mashed potatoes and a spoonful of ghee.
While travelling abroad after experimenting with all kinds of cuisine, I always want to revert to my comfort food. It becomes extremely difficult trying to explain to room service to send me rice with boiled potato and eggs mashed in butter. Of course, I always carry my own special ghee. In fact, I have managed to convert a close Rajasthani friend to having this. And now he swears by this meal and has started to carry his own ghee!
While in school, during my summer holidays I recall having gone to the Sunderban Dairy & Farm Works, the Mecca and the birthplace of the creation of this 100-year-old Jharna Ghee. I was fortunate enough to actually witness how this ghee was made at the dairy since my father had a friend who used to work here. From that very moment everything that I relished had a touch of ghee. Today, almost all the vegetarian dishes on the Oh! Calcutta menu has a touch of the ghee.
I recall an incident that occurred during one of my trips to London. I had done a pop-up for our forthcoming outlet, Chourangi. We were ready with everything and were about to hit the floor. While going through the checklist, to my utter horror I found there was no Jharna Ghee on the table.
With me was the celebrated chef Surjan Singh ‘Jolly’, who is now our culinary director for international operations, and my team of brand chefs. They all looked blank! I remember, Chef Jolly telling me, “Arrey sir, abhi London mein Jharna Ghee kahan se milega?”. I only looked up at him and said that we would not have a pop-up if there is no Jharna Ghee and left the venue.
I started calling some of my Bengali friends in London, even started to scan online stores that could possibly deliver us the same. I was slowly sensing that I may have to go without it, until my friend Suman (a resident of London), sent me addresses in places called Shadwell and Brick Lane. The clock was ticking and while I usually avoid the tube and take the taxi around in London, the chef insisted on taking the tube. Next, I found myself in a place that looked like a lost part of Calcutta.
After scanning every possible shop, we finally stopped in front of a fishery store where there were only two bottles of ghee left! I think luck was on our side. The pop-up was a grand success. I still remember Lord Bhattacharyya, former mayor of London, coming up to me, picking up the ghee bottle and telling me, “Mr Anjan, can I take a piece of this home”. And, I replied, “Sorry Sir, that’s my only love, which I cannot share!” However, I abided by his request and specially sent him several bottles once I returned to Mumbai.
Later that evening after the pop-up was over, I decided to cook some special dishes for my team amongst which was the famous Moong Dal Khichuri, with Ilish Bhaja and a few other items. While eating, Chef Jolly took a deep breath, inhaled the flavours of the khichuri and asked me, “Waah sir, kya khushboo hai, kya taste hai... Humey bhi toh recipe bataiye na.” (Wow, sir, what a fragrance, what taste. Please share this recipe with me!) …. And I laughed and said, it’s a secret. And it will remain one as I looked at the extra bottle of that special ghee. It brought to mind a cheesy quote, but so true: ‘Ghee answers all your questions because it’s ‘clarified butter’!’
Anjan Chatterjee is the chief of Speciality Restaurants, which owns Mainland China, Oh! Calcutta, Cafe Mezzuna, Sigree Global Grill, Hoppipola, Asia Kitchen and more. And yes, he is a foodie! He can be reached at acgenx@gmail.com
