February  7

After a very few tepid winter months, we finally are getting some cold days that too when we are now into February already. Days still don't feel cold but nights and early morning are sort of nippy. It feels lovely to wrap your palms around a steaming cuppa of chai in the morning.

Saraswati Puja  or Basant Panchami is just around the corner. When I think of it, as a kid I do remember my mom forcing me to wear warm clothes on top of the saree or suit which I would have meticulously chosen for this day. My vehement protests would fall on deaf ears, and eventually I would end up walking down the street with a pretty saree and a not so matching sweater on top. We weren't allowed to take shawls, because they weren't warm enough for children unlike it was for adults! I could never fathom why back then. And the simple standard reply to all our doubts would be - " when you grow up and have a kid of your own then you will know (jokhon nije boro hobi ar nijer baccha hobe tokhon bujhbi). Which essentially meant, that to understand the rationale behind this we had to wait for like 10-15 years. It didn't sound too promising, hence giving up protest was the only option. And thus, it means, we did have cold days even during the time of Saraswati Pujas. So when the days feel chilly now, it shouldn't be much of a surprise. But still I am surprised, because staying away from Kolkata for a very long period sometimes makes these memories.  

Today I am going to talk about Bhorta. Bengalis pronounce it bhorta, but for the non-Bengali population, it’s called as bharta. Bhorta or Bharta as it is known across many Indian states is just a mishmash of vegetables, herbs, pulses, seafood, meats or eggs or even a combination of these. Baigan Bharta is possibly the most famous of Bhartas which is equally popular in both India and our neighboring country Bangladesh. 

Bhortas (ভর্তা) are the simplest and ultimate comfort food in the Bangladeshi cuisine. Although they were invented among the Bengali Muslims, bhortas have become an indispensable part of national Bangladesh cuisine. It was mostly a rural or poor man's comfort food to begin with and the purpose was a no-waste meal out of things which were leftovers or excess. Thus bhorta became the default choice in the households, because it required minimum fuel, very little oil and no expensive spices.

They are served with rice or rotis (flatbreads). The standard elements in all kinds of bhortas are crunchy fresh onions or caramelized onions , green or red chillies and mustard oil.  To that, the other ingredients, may be boiled, roasted, steamed, even charred, are added to make a specific kind of Bhorta. As the saying goes- if you really want to relish a bhorta, never skimp on the mustard oil! Some of the most famous bhortas of Bangladesh include - aloo (potato), begun (brinjal), kacha aam ( raw mango), dal (pulses), chingri (prawn), lau er khosha ( bottle gourd skin), mach (fish) , murgir mangsh (chicken), tomato, ucche ( bitter gourd), shapla (water lily) and many many more. 

Just like bhorta, makhas are the comfort food of West Bengal. They are the quintessential, staple thing you would find on the menus in Bengali homes. It also gives us an excuse to be lazy at times and yet spin up something absolutely finger licking good. The makha involves a range of methods like mashing, muddling, mixing and macerating,  mainly by hand, to bring together a range of ingredients, flavours and textures and create a composite dish. Just like Bhortas, makhas are not usually served on special occasions or festivals. It was meant to be a homely food for day to day consumption. Now a days, you would find most Bangalis using the word Bhorta and makha reversibly. 

But slowly, the erstwhile rural food is now finding its way to the gourmet meal platter across the world because of its uniqueness in taste. Especially outside of Bengal and India, I have witnessed many fine dining Bengali restaurants serving an assortment of Bhortas  or makhas at the starting of the meal and non-bengalis enjoying it as much as we do. While doing some research about Bhortas, I came across an article which even talked about Avocado bhorta made by a lady from North Dakota. That itself talks about how adaptable this dish is and how far and wide it has now spread across the world. To quote cultural historian and writer Niaz Zaman from her cookbook Bosha Bhat To Biryani: The Legacy Of Bangladeshi Cuisine: 

"The liberation of Bangladesh led to a search for its indigenous cultural roots as well as its indigenous foods. Bhajis (simple sautéed vegetables) and bhortas had always been part of the Bengali diet…not something offered to guests or served at hotels. After liberation, however, Bengali foods were, so to say, rediscovered."

In addition to the standard ingredients that are added to the Bhorta, I love my bhortas with a hint of garlic and loads of fresh coconut. The character and taste it adds feels phenomenal to me. So the next time you have prawns and don't want to make an elaborate curry out of it, just bring together a few elements and spin up a droolicious bhorta to go with rice.

Now a days you would see me cooking many non-Indian dishes in my blog. But then after a while when I start writing about something from the Bengali cuisine, I feel this is the reason for which I had started this blog. To talk about my heritage recipes which might get lost in the folds of time and to keep them alive in these pages on the internet for someday someone to stumble upon and enjoy. Nothing gives me more pleasure than to talk about what is truly close to my heart and my legacy. 

Preparation Time : 10 minutes