Bengali Food Festivals during Nabobarsho in Hyderabad

As mid-April approaches all Bengalis start looking forward to their second most important festival after Durga Puja – the Bengali New Year or Nababarsho. Like any other Bengali celebrations, one of the important things you look forward during this festival is the sumptuous dinner you enjoy with your family.

Call of Bengal
Bangali Bhoj at Call of Bengal


Like every year, Bengali restaurants in Hyderabad have announced special menus to celebrate the festive weekend. This year we are spoilt for choice with as many as four different food festivals showcasing Bengali food is being held around Poila Baisakh in different parts of the city. This surely is a pointer to the fact that Bengali cuisine has found itself a popular niche in the city of Hyderabad.

Begun Basanti
Begun Basanti (Call of Bengal)

At Call of Bengal, the Bengali restaurant at DLF Gachibowli, the festival is called “Poila Boisakh 2017”. The festival is on from 15th to 17th April, with a special unlimited buffet for lunch and dinner.
At a preview of some of the items from the special spread planned for the festival, one of the dishes I instantly liked was Begun Basanti. The slivers of eggplant were covered with some delicious mustard-based sauce, which went very well with steamed rice. Another vegetarian dish of note was Tok Jhal Phulkopi and tangy and spicy preparation of cauliflower.

Pathar Mangsher Jhol
Pathar Mangsher Jhol (Call of Bengal)

Among the non-vegetarian items on the menu, Chingri Dhokar Dalna was an innovative preparation. Prawns have been used to prepare the dhoka instead of traditional lentil. Mou Ganguli, the owner of Call Bengal told us that this was a recipe from her household. A very interesting dish, the closest I have tasted is Chital Muitha, a signature Bengali dish.

Tel Jhal Murgi, the dry preparation of chicken was my favourite with Luchis. Pathar Mangsher Jhol at Call of Bengal is always very good, and today was no exception.

The festival menu also includes other items like Fish Fry, Mochar Chop, and Nolen Gurer Doi. As usual, Call of Bengal has focused on a menu of home recipes, simple but delicious. The buffet is priced at Rs 599 plus taxes for both lunch and dinner.

Bengali Thali
Bengali Spread at The Park Hotel

Aish, the Indian restaurant of The Park, Hyderabad has made the Bengali food festival an annual event, and this year is no exception. The hotel has roped in home chefs and sisters Sarbani and Swarnali Lahiri. The festival named “Barsha Baran” will run from 14th to 16th April, and has a special focus on recipes from East Bengal.

Echorer Chop
Echorer Chop (The Park Hotel)

The snacks in this menu boast of Dimer Devil, allegedly the Kolkata adaptation of Scotch Eggs during the period of the Raj (though some say that the scotch egg itself was a take on Mughlai Nargisi Kofta). Fish Fry here was chunky and not a fillet as you normally expect. Echorer Chop, a croquette of raw jackfruit and the Bengali Singara were the other starters.

Desserts at The Park Hotel

Highlights of the preview were the vegetarian main courses – especially Shukto (a signature Bengali mixed veg curry cooked in milk which goes with rice) and Potol Posto (a pointed gourd/parwal preparation with khus khus in a traditional Bengali way) both of which were simple but delicious. The non-veg items like Prawn Malai Curry, Kosha Mangsho, and Doi Mach were very well prepared too. Among the desserts Malai Rasogolla stole the show, The Pati Shapta was soft and nice too.

The thali for lunch and dinner is priced at Rs 1199 plus taxes. The items on the menu will change every day. They are also planning to have a separate biryani thali for the festival.

Chingrir Korma
Chingrir Korma (United Kitchens of India)

United Kitchens of India is calling their festival “Borsho Boron”. I am happy to be involved with this promotion in a small way - in helping them to curate a special menu for the six-day festival. The items included in the promotion went much beyond the normal items on their Bengali menu, with Fish Orly (fish fillet fried in a batter of flour and eggs), a popular dish in the Bengali wedding menu, as well as Radhuni Murgi, a dry preparation of chicken in the aromatic Bengali spice.

Sorshe Mach (United Kitchens of India)

Other starters of note are Koraishuti Chhanar Chop and Moglai Parota, and of course, Beguni which the restaurant prepares so well. Luchi and Alur Dom provides a good combo, and the Mishti Pulao was a perfect foil for Phulkopir Kaliya and Kosha Mangsho.

Kosha Mangsho
Kosha Mangsho (United Kitchens)

And finally, there were the dishes to go with rice, Bhaja Muger Daal, Sorshe Mach, Chingri Macher Korma and Murgir Jhol. Apart from Chaler payesh and Kachagolla Sandesh, a special attraction was Sitabhog from Bardhaman, a dessert prepared with thin portions of rice and chhana soaked in sugar syrup.

The special menu comes at a bargain price of Rs 799 (All Inclusive). The festival is on from April 15th to 21st, both for lunch and dinner.

Bengali Food Festival
Bengali Food Festival at Radisson Blu, Banjara Hills

Chill Restaurant & Terrace, the all-day dining restaurant at Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Banjara Hills, is organizing a ten-day long festivity to celebrate Bengali food. The festival is part of the buffet only for dinner.

The festival menu has been designed by their in-house team of chefs and has a long list of items. At a preview, Executive Chef Sarabjeet Walia mentioned that they have made efforts to present authentic Bengali dishes in their true form, as well as some with a twist. The starters here includes Kathal Kathi Kabab, a preparation of raw jackfruit. I loved the Sorshe Malai Mach, a dry variant of the mustard fish.

Kolkata Style Mutton Biryani
Kolkata Style Mutton Biryani (Radisson Blu)

Among the main courses, the first thing to talk about is the Kolkata Mutton Biryani. Very few places in Hyderabad can prepare a good Kolkata version of biryani, the dish at Radisson had the flavours and taste. The Katla Macher Jhol and Murgir Jhol were simple home type preparations. The Bhetki Paturi (bhetki fish in a mustard based masala wrapped inside a banana leaf and steamed) tasted good, though I would have liked a boneless version here. The Kosha Mangsho was quite decent too.

Bhetki Paturi
Bhetki Paturi (Radisson Blu)

Among the veg preparations were Shukto, Chholar Daal, Alu Posto and Chanar Dalna. The desserts included some good quality Misti Doi, Rosogolla as well as Sandesh.
The buffet is priced at Rs 1250 plus taxes. They have a long list of items, so the menu will differ from day to day.

Choosing which festival to visit may not be easy, as all the places have put in their best efforts to present Bengali food in the most authentic way. Depending on your budget and food preferences decide on the restaurant. Before visiting, call them up to check if your favourite items are on the day’s menu. And finally, it is always better to book in advance, as often there may be quite a rush.

Locations:

Call of Bengal
1st Floor, Ayappa HeightsOpp DLF Gate 3,
Gachibowli
Hyderabad
Telephone: 65550159
Dates: 14-16th April, Rs 599+taxes

Aish
The Park Hotel22, Raj Bhavan Road
Somajiguda Hyderabad
Telephone: 33165763
Dates: 14-16th April, Rs 1199 plus taxes

United Kitchens of India
Road No 45 Jubilee Hills
Hyderabad
Telephone: 2311 4114
Dates: 15-21st April, Rs 799 (All Inclusive)

Chill Restaurant & Terrace
Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel
Banjara Hills
Hyderabad
Telephone 33194116
Dates: 12-21st April, Rs 1250 plus taxes

Disclaimer: The reviews are based on invites from the restaurants.

Also Read: The Bengali Restaurants In Hyderabad

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