Was your son-in-law unable to make it on Jamai Sashthi as it was a working day? A restaurant named Babu Culture opened on the eve of the festival in CG Block and is inviting your family to their Jamai Sashthi festival, which will continue till Sunday.
“This is our fourth outlet in and around the city,” says Mridula Mazumdar, who started the chain with its flagship restaurant at Gariahat in 2022. “We aim to revive delicacies of the babu era, which are forgotten today as they are too elaborate to prepare.”
The restaurant itself is unmissable, what with its quintessential green louvered windows on the facade and a palki as selfie booth at the entrance. Inside are paintings and kantha stitch wall hangings on zamindari life, along with hand fans and chandeliers. “We will soon get old-fashioned black toggle electrical switches too, although they will be just for show,” smiles Mazumdar.
As for the food itself, they offer five non-vegetarian platters for the Jamai Sashthi festival. Priced between Rs 656 and 1,521, they mix and match various dishes. Aam Porar Shorbot, Luchi and Basmati rice are common to all.
Uncommon starters in the thali are Murgir Peyaaji, where the classic onion fritter gets a hearty twist with minced meat, and Kasundi Bhetki, that balances tangy, spicy, and herbal notes, given it is marinated in mint, coriander, and kasundi sauce.
“For Pora Lonka Mangsho, we use Kashmiri chilies, that are known more for their rich red colour than intense burn. The chilies are deseeded and dry-roasted without oil until crisp, and then they are added to mutton gravy,” says chef Dilip Jana.
There’s Ilish Paturi, Kalonji Tel Koi, Sorse Pabda and Chingri Malai Curry, that last of which has a tinge of gondhoraj lebu as well as the smoothness of coconut milk.
“Some guests eat vegetarian fare on Sashthi, so for them we are serving a veg thali at Rs 681 with items like Chhanar Motorshutir Chop, Narkel Corn Cutlet and Chhanaar Kofta Kalia,” says Mazumdar. And do save some appetite for Lichu Payesh among desserts.
In a bid to be inclusive, the restaurant has also been promoting the festival as Bouma Sashthi. “Why should families that do not have sons-in-law miss out? These days we see elderly ladies come to dine with their daughters-in law,” says Mazumdar. “This is especially so if the festival falls on a weekday and the men are at work.”
They are offering a promotional month-long buy-one-get-one-free thali at Rs 1,154. The star of this thali is Kosha Mangsho or chicken, though one can also opt for add-ons like Bhetki Paturi, Sorse Pabda, and Chingri Malai Curry.
“The zamindari era was influenced by the British and Mughals so we have some kebabs and Continental dishes on our menu too,” says Mazumdar. So expect items like Chicken Potli Bhapa Kebab, that is minced meat steamed in banana leaves, as well as au gratins and tetrazzinis.
But most of all, the restaurant says it wants to promote lost recipes like Komola Curry Pata Alur Dom, which uses orange pulp and juice, and Babu Moshai-er Sojne Mangsho, which is a light stew with gondhoraj flavours to be enjoyed, not with bread but, rice.
“We also want to promote Bengali traditions,” smiles Mazumdar. “So if guests come on their birthdays, instead of cake we offer payesh. On anniversaries, we offer garlands to be exchanged and even paan pata for the couple to recreate subho drishti,” smiles Mazumdar.