Yes, my blog turns one! A big milestone indeed. A few posts down the line, a few blogging ‘good’ friends made down the way, a whole lot of unexpected blog love from all of you… Thank You very much indeed! A Romantic Dinner for two awaits a lucky couple at OPTIONS by Sanjeev Kapoor, featuring the signature dishes of Indian Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor.
RANNAGHAR, Bengali Food Festival at OPTIONS
A la-carte Bengali menu is being offered alongside the Eid Specials, till 2nd November, 2012
Each month a special food festival is celebrated at OPTIONS. Currently, the restaurant is celebrating the Bengali Food Festival to coincide with the Bengalis’ biggest festival – the Durga Puja. Though the actual celebrations just got over, the restaurant has extended the Bengali Food Festival, overwhelmed by its popularity and demand! The Bengali menu will be offered alongside the Eid Specials, till 2nd November.
Lot of thought and detailing has gone into making the special Menu Cards associated with each festival that the restaurant celebrates. The Bengali Menu Card touches the right emotional chord – Black & White pictures of all Bengali legendary icons – Rabindranath Tagore, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and even Uttam-Suchitra accompanies some of the quintessential Bengali food that are on offer. But a brilliantly designed Menu Card and a luxurious romantic chandelier lit decor apart, how authentic was the food?
Growing up eating Bengali food cooked by different Didas/Maternal Grandmas & Thakumas/Paternal Grandmas (my own and others’), Mums (my own and again others’), Mashis/Aunties and a few Bengali Uncles – I have realised that judging authenticity is practically an Utopian concept. Each household has it’s own spice variation and unique tempering. Cooking style differs between regions within Bengal. Also, it differs within families whose ancestral lineage hails from Bangladesh which before Partition was a part of the Bengal province of the Indian sub-continent. So what is the hallmark of authenticity?
I think as long as it tugs at the nostalgic Bengali tastebud and confirms to a broad spectrum, small misses here and there can be overlooked. After all the subject – Traditional Bengali Cuisine, is absolutely vast.
Starters: you get a choice of popular Bengali Snacks, served essentially in a Bengali home if you land unexpectedly at an odd time apart from meal times – the Vegetarian Starters being Rokomari Pakora/Assorted vegetables fried in Batter, Singara/Samosa, Shobjir Chop/Vegetable Chop, Pyaazi/Onion fritters, Begun Bhaja/Fired slices of Eggplant while the Non-Vegetarian Starters being Deemer Pakora/Egg Chops, Chingri Macher Cutlet/Prawn Cutlet, Mangsher Chop/Mutton Chop. It is however a different matter altogether that nowadays nobody lands up in anybody’s home unexpected – so all these simple and unexpected snacks have had to get into a luxurious Menu Card in an elegant restaurant!
The verdict – the Deemer Pakora was fabulous tasting like the usual Egg Chops sold in road side kiosks in Kolkata or inside the Movie hall and is popularly known as the Deemer Devil. The sliced onions, carrots & the Beet roots accompanying the Salad with a bit of Salt & Lemon juice tasted as authentic as those available in Kolkata! No complaints about the Chingrir Cutlet and Mangsher Chop that we tried, but Deemer Devil was the clear winner.
The Rokomari Bhaja – Can anybody ever go wrong with fritters? Perhaps not. And a bit of addition here and there, for example, the Green Chilli fritters… perhaps to suit a wider Indian palate.
Vegetarian side-dish: It requires a lot of courage to offer Shukto, a traditional bitter vegetable preparation in the menu. This is a very very unique and traditional Bengali offering, had at the beginning of the meal. Gota Shedho/Steamed Whole Vegetables is another very traditional dish cooked generally the day after the Saraswati Pujo. Chaana Bhapa Shorshe/Steamed Mustard Paneer, Methi Phulkopi/Fenugreek Cauliflower, Aloor Dum/Potato and many other choices are available for Vegetarian diners.
Non-Vegetarian side-dish: Daab Chingri/Prawn in tender green Coconut, Lau Chingri/Calabash & Prawns, Doi Maach/Yogurt Fish, Shorshe Bata Maach/Mustard Fish, Murgir Jhol/Chicken Curry, Kasha Mangsho/Mutton Kassa… the choice of the Menu is pretty perfect.
The verdict – Shukto is a teaser. It requires an elaborate preparation process. Plus Posto/Poppy Seeds is an essential ingredient in Shukto which is banned in Dubai for it’s addictive properties. Yet, the Shukto tasted as authentic as it can get – cooked by Bengali Mums in traditional Bengali homes. This is a feat by itself!
We absolutely loved the Daab Chingri. Though the sizes of the prawns are an eternal subject of debate – you can never ever be too thin, too rich or your size of the prawns too big!
Shorshe Bata Maach… you can order the very famous Ilish Maach/Hilsa Fish cooked in this style or Hamour. We tried both. For those uninitiated to Hilsa, this can be really bony. Many restaurants in Kolkata have perfected the art of preparing bone-less Hilsas. A gentle suggestion here requesting the Chef to learn the technique so that many diners who are curious about the Hilsa can try this. Did we like our Hilsa? We did like the preparation but not the taste of the Hilsa by itself. But then, that is a issue of debate worldwide regarding Hilsa this year.
‘Special mention has to be made to the Hilsa fish. The Hilsa is synonymous with Bengal and is considered the ‘queen’ of all Bengali fish. Hilsa is also of political importance. It is a serious bone of contention between India and it’s neighbouring country Bangladesh. Which Hilsa is better – the Hilsa that is found in the Padma river in Bangladesh or the Ganga river, the last phase of which flows through Bengal before it merges into the sea-waters of Bay of Bengal? The entire month of July and August, that is during the Monsoons, Kolkata is gripped by Hilsa. Hilsa festivals and special Hilsa lunches are organised in different clubs and hotels. Each conversation revolves around Hilsa. This year had been hard-hitting for the Hilsas with the prices shooting upto as high as Rs 1,500/kg (Dhs 100/- approximately!). The fish markets in Kolkata are in itself a subject for immense discussion – perhaps better kept for another future post. The bony Hilsa is a delicacy and is prepared traditionally in many ways – the Shorshe Baata/Mustard Hilsa, Kalo Jeerar Jhol/Black Cumin Curry, Bhapa/Steamed etc.’
We did not find the Kasha Mangsho to be very authentic. But then Chef Kuldeep Raturi had his own justification – this was his version where he had added some of his own elements. Definitely tasty, but not as the ‘Bengali’ Kasha Mangsho.
The Chingrir Polao/Prawn Polao was very good but wasn’t impressed with the Bhuna Khichuri… but then it could be my mindset – I am so much into Bhoger Khichuri/Khichuri that is traditionally cooked during the festivals that any other Khichuri pales in comparison!
BTW, you can also order Luchis/Deep-fried flatbread made of flour. However it’s not mentioned in the Menu Card.
Sweets: Sweets are a necessary sign-off for a Bengali meal and here, all the right boxes are ticked, all the nostalgic sweet pores are clogged out and emotions are carried back home. Bengali Sweets can be mind-boggling and the array can really make a sweet-lover go astray. You have a whole industry and artisans (if I may call so) who are engaged in sweet making. So it’s not expected that you’ll be having a huge variety of Bengali Desserts on offer. But what you have is, I would describe it as a limited version of classic Bengali Sweets – Mishti Doi/Sweet Yogurt, Roshogolla/Rasgulla, Pati Shapta/Sweet wraps, Semaiya Kheer/Vermicelli Pudding… Incidentally, my last post was on Semaiya Kheer, a sweet dessert traditionally had during the Eid.
The verdict – To be honest, the Rasgullas are really one of the best Rasgullas that I have ever tried so far. Very very soft and soaked deliciously in the sugar syrup. And the presentation has been inspiring me ever since! Misti Doi was also very good – perfectly set and not too sweet and strikes definitely a very high score in the Bengali Sweetness tasto-meter! I personally didn’t try the Semaiya Kheer, but my companion loved it. Pati Shapta was missing on both days that we visited. And unfortunately, Mishti Doi was not there on our second day – a proof that the Bengali Sweets must have tasted quite a ‘sweet’ success!
The Sign-off verdict – We landed up for the Bengali Food Festival on two occasions. On our first day we tried out a whole lot of things from the Menu. My Aunty who’s visiting us from Kolkata accompanied me. I thought she would be a better critique, being a traditional Bengali cooking Bengali food in a very traditional way. She enjoyed her meal. The fact that there’s not a single Bengali staff in the kitchen and yet they have managed to cook up quite a lot of Bengali dishes, a few of them with great success – is really commendable. If they can cook up Shukto as authentic as this, they can learn to cook up everything Bengali in the most authentic way.
A little suggestion is to add some ‘Chutney’ in the Menu. The Bengali Chutney slightly differs from the other Indian Chutneys in the sense that they are not eaten as dips with snacks and savouries but as a mini sweet sign-off before the actual desserts. Chutneys have several variations.
Dubai doesn’t have many places where you can get to taste a Bengali meal. It’s definitely worth a visit if you have never tasted Bengali food. And if you are hell bent on being a traditionalista, I’m sure the Deemer Chop, Shukto, Daab Chingri, Murgir Jhol will be scoring high marks. And if everything fails, then the Rasgullas are definitely worth the visit!
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Don’t miss out the special Diwali Menu that is going to be celebrated in OPTIONS from 8th November till the 23rd November. A small peep into the incredibly delicious menu that Chef Raturi has prepared and that really caught my fancy…
In Mocktails…Bhustrina Lassi/Chilled yogurt blended with flavored lemongrass! Or say, Kiwi Ka Panna/Refreshing kiwi drink with a spicy twist!!! In Appetizers… Gosht Ka Dahi Vada/Mutton balls are dipped in sour yogurt, black salt and liberally doused with tangy-sweet tamarind chutney… Non Vegetarian Starters… Tulsi Patte Ka Lobster/King Lobster marinated in holly basil Leaves and fragrant Indian herbs, cooked in Charcoal Tandoor or the Jhinge Ki Galouti/Pan fried prawns patties, mixed with aromatic Indian spices, and served on ulte tawe ka paratha! In Vegetarian Starters… Palak Anjeer Ke Kebab/Minced spinach patties stuffed with figs, cooked over hot grill! Or the Nadru Shammi Kebab/A Kebab made from lotus root and odoriferous herbs cooked over hot tawa! In Desserts… Blueberry Kulfi/Creamy blueberry kulfi, served on bed of falooda dazzled with almond flacks!
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‘A man with a dream will not be denied,’– a famous saying that Sanjeev Kapoor, the celebrity Indian Mega Chef abides by. He’s one man who has single-handedly changed many mindsets (specially in India and the subcontinent) into now considering the Chef’s profession as a very sought-after profession. I really appreciate his vision and his dream of ‘making Indian cuisine the number one in the world and empowering Indian women to become self-sufficient through the power of cooking’… as taken from an excerpt of FooDiva’s. Further insight into this man from Dubai Guzzler.
Options by Sanjeev Kapoor
Award winning Family restaurant; Fully licensed; Free Valet Parking
Opening Hours: 12pm – 11:45pm daily
Location: Ground Floor, Convention Tower, Dubai World Trade Centre;
Tel: +971 4 3293293/4; Or, you can visit their Facebook Page and Website
This is my first giveaway as my blog celebrates one year! One lucky couple gets a Romantic Dinner Giveaway from OPTIONS by Sanjeev Kapoor.
Click here for the blog Giveaway
The competition closes midnight 15th November, 2012 (UAE time). Though this giveaway is only for those who can avail of the dinner giveaway in UAE, I am planning the next giveaway for all the readers who have been reading my blog, irrespective of all geographical glitches. Don’t forget to leave your comments as well… I’ll be putting them in the draw-list for my next giveaway.
One year… not a very long journey. But definitely a very momentous one with all your love. Looking forward to many more years of celebration.
Unblogging it all… Ishita
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Disclaimer: We visited OPTIONS on two occasions. On the first occasion, I had been a guest – the Bengali food blogger, very generously hosted by OPTIONS. The second occasion was an independent visit. The opinions regarding both the visits are my own and are independent of the dinner giveaway from the Restaurant. I hope you enjoy reading the posts with lot of visuals. While you enjoy seeing them please don’t use them. You can see more pictures of my travel and food journey here.
IshitaUnblogged 
Love the giveaway concept on a blog 🙂
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Thank you. I hope you’ve entered because it’s going to be a lovely dinner treat for sure:)
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Hey Guys ..please make me lucky to dine Romantic dinner at ur venue and what can b a better occassion than my 10 th Marriage Anniversary this 21st November..with my 2 lovely 2 daughters and such a loving n concerned husband..wish n wish to win..
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Have seen you through this journey and the passion you exude to deliver each and every story is just amazing! I love the way your stories maintain a local flavour creating the connection with the local community we live in – hence maintaining the interest at all times. Wishing you all the best – I am sure this is just the beginning of a long journey…
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Thank you Neel – one of the few friends that I’ve had whom I’ve inundated with all my initial rough sketches. It’s really lovely to be doing what one likes but most often it’s flooded with many harrowing moments as well. Now I’m glad to be floating on my own, knowing of-course that a few of u are standing in the nearby shores. Love:)
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Congratulations on your blogging milestone. Here’s to many more.
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Thank you so very much Sally! Well, if and when I cross a few milestones (hopefully with all your good wishes I am hoping that I will) and when I look back, it will be you and a few others whom I’ll always think of with love and affection. Love:)
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Love your fusion style.
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Thanks very much Smita… hope you’ve entered the contest:)
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Congratulations! Your passion and perseverance are what has got you this far. Your write-up’s are a pleasure to read. All the best to many more blogging years!!
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Thank you Chandrani! You’ve been quite supportive for a very long time. I hope you’ve entered the contest!
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Hi Ishita, congratulations on the blogging milestone and achievement. I am sure the journey has been fun and eventful and i hope there are many more good friends and experiences awaiting u.
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Thank you very much… have got a lot of blog support and encouragement from you since the time my blog was just born!
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Congratulations Ishita…happy blog anniversary. Wonderful giveaway….I have been to options before and love it absolutely !
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Thank you Raji… We loved it as well… the first thing that the ambiance made me think was ‘oh how romantic!’ We loved it as well. It’s a different issue that I had two kids running around!
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Wow! One year and a give away to boot… Your setting the bar for anniversaries. I’m about coming up on the first year but the giveaway sounds daunting… And fun.
Congratulations 🙂
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Thank you Wendy! hmmm… your photographs are a treat anyway – just a very special post will do:)
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Wow yet again another thorough and well researched post – congrats on your first bloganniversary and many happy returns 🙂 And thank you for the link into my interview with Sanjeev – what an inspirational man.
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Thank you very much FooDiva for all the support, sharing and much blog love… I have got incredible support from some of you from the very beginning. Feel genuinely blessed to be among such a foodie fraternity. Love:)
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Congratulations Ishita….for completling one year in blogging!! way to go!!!
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Thank you very much Nidhi! Hope to get all the support in the 2nd year as well:)
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Congrats Ishita! Long way to go for me….
I will visit Options one of these days as well… never tried Bengali yet, but we are open to it!
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Thank you:) OPTIONS doesn’t serve Bengali food all the time – it just so happened that the festival was on. Usually there’s a different festival being celebrated each month. Good wishes:)
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Beautiful read, Congratulations!!! Hope u have many many more year……
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Thank you Shivangi. Hope to have the support from all of you like this:)
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Ishita, I love how you approach posts with research. Congratulations on this important milestone. As one who has been blogging for 6 years, I know that the first year is the hardest. Once you survive it, the rest is history if you continue to do what you have been doing. If I can leave you any advice, it is to stay true to the course you first chartered out because that is what has made your blog different and it will continue to help you stand out from the crowd. That is perhaps the hardest challenge to come as it is easy to get distracted. I can assure you however that if you continue to develop your voice, and be true to you and your mission, the battle is already won. Again, congratulations!
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Overwhelmed, as well as brought back to reality. You’ve just said what’s been in my mind. I’ve been feeling all of these and more. Started off with some ideas, can’t exactly say that I never got carried away by different bloggers, or never got depressed when a post didn’t have a single comment. Though I started off with no expectation but merely needed a platform to share my food and travel journey (and everybody needed to see my writing first before giving me any chance), the time and effort that I put into my blog I’ve started having many serious thoughts about making this my only ‘job’! But yes, throughout this one year I’ve found my own voice, have been fine-tuning it many a times – but at this point I’m really really happy to have got some acceptance. I have got incredible support from some of you. Love:)
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Congratulations Ishita! Here’s wishing that you reach many more milestones!
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Thanks so very very much:)
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It was realy nice meeting you @ OPTIONS by sanjeev kapoor last week! I hope you remember, & the write up about OPTIONS is fantastic!
Thanks ishita !
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Of-course I remember! We did have a very good experience at OPTIONS. As I’ve said that ‘authenticity is an utopian concept’ but definitely the effort that you all have taken is simply commendable:)
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I year but what a journey it has been for us- readers. Thnx
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Thanks so very much! You are definitely one of the few friends that I’ve had whom I’ve inundated with all my initial rough sketches. It’s really lovely to be doing what one likes but most often it’s flooded with many harrowing moments as well. Now I’m glad to be floating on my own, knowing of-course that a few of u are standing in the nearby shores. I know this is a bit rehashed comment (have said that to Neel as well, but it’s true and how many different ways can I write what I feel!) Love:)
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Happy Blog Birthday!
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Thank you Abigail! I hope you’ve entered the contest… am sure it’s going to be a great treat:)
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Congratulation on your blog and these Bengali Sweets sure sound mouth watering!
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Thank you very much… the Bengali Food Festival was there till the 2nd November… but now you’ll get some other mouth-watering treats:)
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Congratulations Ishita for this milestone!!!wishing many many more to came..lovely giveaway dear:) loved the post and the lovely pics!!
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Thank you Anjana:) I keep visiting your blog very often… a lot of times have been comment-lazy!
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Congratulations Ishita for this milestone …….. love the reviews
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Thank you Amrita for your comment & for your tweets and your shares… Good luck to you:)
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cooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggggratsssss & Happy Diwali in Advance
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Happy Diwali to you as well Amit…. Thank you for your tweets and your shares… Good luck to you:)
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Congrats Ishita… Your blogs are very informative. As I am also a Bong in Dubai, your blogs keep me connected to my roots…
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Thank you Subhomita… I’m so glad that my blog is being able to ‘connect’… touched. Good wishes!
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Amazing and always interesting to read, only I have to wait for you to cook and feed us the veggie dishes!!! – will let u know which one next!!!
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Thank You Amitabh… a big part of my culinary search has been for my foodie friends like you … otherwise I would be cooking the same dish over and over again. Good wishes for the contest!
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Happy Birthday to your baby blog. Keep doing what you love.
~Lots of Hugs & Best wishes !!!!
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Thank you Jyoti! Am trying to do what I love… provided I get enough support from all of you – it’s motivating:)
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very nice… absolutely loved it. Lots of love and good wishes…..
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Thank you Vinka!
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interesting and informative. liked it
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Thank you Sunil! Good wishes to you:)
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Kudos Ishita on completing a year…Time does sure fly by…
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Thank you Haji! Good wishes to you:)
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Many congratulations Gal, your write up has turned up one !!!
Can’t really believe the way you write up your post, details and evidence that you put up is way above all masters. I really feel very proud and happy to have known you in person.
Options is my favorite dinning place for it ambience and of course food. Loved this post for bengal sweets at Options.
Best wishes for many more foodlicous blog.
Ashwini.
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Hey Thank you Ashwini… your comment is making me blush a bit. I hope you’ve entered teh contest. And keep hopping in. Virtual treats don’t pile up on your body:)
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Loved the way you have written it.. Also the fact that you’ve added the images from Menu! 😀
Its a great blog and you have written it with so much detail.. not forgetting the vegetarian choices which generally people leave out.
Spreading the word 🙂
Monica.
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Nice to read the space……. taken the love for food to a new height!!!!…just loved ur article
poonam gupta
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Thank you Poonum. Good wishes to you as well:)
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very impressive blog ! congrats , happy birthday may you have many more to come 🙂 gud luck best wishes
fatema painter
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Thank you Fatema for such warm wishes. Good luck for the contest:)
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ur welcome , happy diwali dear god bless with u lots of happiness and sucess
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Congratulations Ishita – fab competition too x
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Thank you very much Betty:)
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Hey Ishita! First and foremost congrats for your baby blog turning one! Im a foodie and thats an understatement! I have experienced bengoli cuisine but not as deeply as your brilliantly written blog explains! I was totally impressed with the idea of the unique menu! and then u totally bowled me over with the mouth watering description of the dream like bengoli fare! I was drooling through out the blog! u are so right that Dubai doesnt have an authentic bengali restaurant to boast but thanks to your brilliant blog I for one, got totally educated and interested to try these dishes! I hope to be picked as the winner and Ill be definitely be coming back to this page to blog some more about my experience! Again Kudos for your awesomely detailed blog! cheers!
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Thank you very much Sania for your warm feedback! Do hop in more often. Good wishes for the contest:)
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Heartiest congratulations on turning one….Way to go dear…wish u all the very best in ur future endeavours….the blog is very tempting and inviting…full of scrumptious treats….wish to get lucky this festive season…Wish u a happy Diwali dear
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Thank you Namita:) Wishing you a very Happy Diwali as well… and genuinely loved your warm comments!
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Since i am 8 th month pregnant and really carving for tasty food really hope to win ..
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Awwe… do take care and good wishes for the contest:)
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Awesome we love it….
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Good wishes Meenakshi:)
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If I win this, I’m in for a treat ! ^.^ fo sure….
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Good wishes for you… I’m sure it’s going to be quite a treat:)
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Prawn in tender green Coconut has just tickled my taste buds !
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The Bengali Food Festival is over. But you could taste a wonderful Diwali special menu at Options right now. Good wishes for the contest:)
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You’ll have to take me thru a Bengali food primer in person one of these days! Tasting over reading 🙂
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Congratulations Ishita on your baby blog. this was a tasty read 🙂
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Hey Ishita….Tempting block yaar….U rock girl….Wish u all the best…..
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CONGRATULATIONSSS!!!!!N CELEBRATIONSSS!!!HOPE TO B LUCKY N B PART OF UR CELEBRATIONSS!!!KEEP IT UP N UP..BEST WISHES
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Happy Diwali dear. very nice blog. keep up the good work
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Hey i wish i cud get the chance to visit your place….hapy diwali and prosperous new yeara
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