Puran Dhaka | The Taste of East Bengal in Kolkata

Puran Dhaka

Though I was in Kolkata for some work, a call from my dear friend, Sanglap, got me excited, especially when he promised to take me to another gem of a place, that serves East Bengal food. Being an avid lover of good authentic Bengali food himself, Sanglap was my guide to delicacies and eateries of Kolkata, during my college days. So, if he vouched for a place, I knew I could blindly trust his choice.

Puran Dhaka
Puran Dhaka – The art work from the local artists of Dhaka, Bangladesh

And I couldn’t have asked for a better place to meet him than Puran Dhaka. Just a few months old, the place is known to serve dishes prepared with Bangladeshi influences and techniques. Located in Santoshpur, an area close to my college campus, I wish it was there, when I stayed in Kolkata.

Started by three enthusiastic partners – Subhadeep Chakraborty, Sanjoy Nag and Debrati Saha, Puran Dhaka captures and celebrates the essence of the area of Bengal, which got separated during partition. The chefs are trained to cook with spices, that are especially imported from Bangladesh. In the restaurant, they also showcase the work of various artists from Bangladesh, from whom the artifacts have been sourced.

Although, I can comfortably claim familiarity to Bengali cuisine, including the spices and preparations, however, this was a little different than usual. Here, the food was comparatively spicy, infused with more ingredients and topped up with ghee. Though the basic preparation, types of dishes and even the combination of flavours felt similar, but unlike West Bengal, this dishes had more richness, with nuts, caramelized onions and spices.

Knowing how well my friend understands this cuisine, I let him to decide, what we could order. And boy, did he order!

As a Punjabi, I’m not oblivious to large portions, but with Sanglap at the helms, you get ‘your own portion’ of whatever dish is being order. So if you want to eat Baigun Bhaja, you will get your own full plate of Baigun Bhaja! Consequently, I ended up eating like I was not going to eat for the next two days. The food fiesta will go down in my fondest memories of eating in Kolkata.

The feast consisted of:

Dhakai Mutton Bhuna Khichudi, Mutton Kosha , Chingri Bhorta, Chicken Kachi Biryani, Hilsa Biryani, Pomfret, Baigun Bhaja and Ilish Ulash

Mostly, we associate Khichudi as a meal for upset stomach, but in Bengal, it’s a dish prepared for celebrations and is even richer than the Biryani. The lentils, vegetables, rice and meat are cooked together to perfection and served with a spoon full of ghee on top. The Dhakai Mutton bhuna khichudi was delightful and the lentils were cooked al dente. So, the combination of the crunch of the lentils and the softness of roasted pieces of mutton, was amazingly delicious!

In his uncontrollable zest, Sanglap had ordered so much rice, that we paired Kosha Mutton with khichudi and Biryani. The mutton was prepared in a thick gravy, made from crushed onions, that were cooked and mixed with tomato puree, spices and a dash of sugar. The succulent pieces of mutton were so luscious, that we almost licked the dish, it was served in.

I have always been an ardent fan of Baigun Bhaja and my search for the perfect one, finally came to end at Puran Dhaka. Knowing how much I love it, Sanglap ordered an entire plate of baigun bhaja for me. As I relished the generous pieces of shallow fried aubergine, with the rice of Hilsa Biryani, every bite gave me unparalleled joy.

Finishing the huge portions of Hilsa Biryani and Ilish Ulash, however, felt like a mammoth task. Nonetheless, I could always happily feast on the queen of fish. The Hilsa curry was prepared in mustard, just like how it’s prepared in West Bengal, though, this one had a hint of curd.

However, I absolutely loved the Chingri Bhorta. The chopped chingri meat (prawns) cooked with onions, green chilly and poppy seeds, paired up well with the Khichudi and Biryani.

The different types of rice preparations, were so delectable, that one could just relish the grains that shone in each dish. Obviously, by now, I had eaten so much that I wished I had worn stretch pants. We laughed around and rested for a while, waiting to come out of the food coma. It made me realize two things: Eating good food always makes me happy and I am happier when I have great company, especially of food lovers, with me.

I have never been to Bangladesh, but after eating such rich, flavourful and unpretentious food, it’s definitely on my bucket list. Food, which shines on your plate, satisfies your taste buds, fills your stomach and leaves you with umpteen flavoursome memories.

Puran Dhaka
Address: 185/9A, Santoshpur Avenue. Kolkata 700075

Also read about: Heritage Bars & Restaurants of Kolkata
The Legendary Bakeries of Kolkata 

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