A smash and grab of the pantry, bortas and saknis are quick, easy and jam packed with freshness and flavour - the dynamite of Bengali cuisine.
Along with dhal, borta are possibly the quintessential Bengali food, a staple in our diet. Here, they are rarely served on formal occasions and in celebrations, but such is their charm that expatriates regularly serve these even in their grandest parties, for the taste of home. The key elements present in all bortas are mustard oil, onions and chillies. Every other ingredient takes a second stage, and may be boiled, roasted, steamed, even charred!
In South Asia, eggplant is known as brinjal. Charred eggplant is very popular in Bangladesh and most Indian states, where the pulp of this vegetable is mixed with onion, chilli, salt and mustard oil.
Ingredients: 2 eggplants, 2 chicken eggs, 2 tbsp thinly sliced onions, ½ tsp thinly sliced garlic, 1 tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder, 4 green chillies, 3 tbsp mustard oil. Salt to taste
Method: Wash and char the aubergine in a gas oven or charcoal fire in low heat. When it is done, peel the skin. Mash aubergine with red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Now heat oil in a pan and add onions and garlic. Fry them till golden brown. Put the mashed eggplant in it and stir few minutes.
Tomato is essentially a winter vegetable, however they are now grown throughout the year by means of greenhouse farming.
Ingredients: 5 tomatoes, 2 medium finely chopped onion, 3 clove garlic, chopped, ½ inch ginger, finely chopped, 1 brunch chopped coriander leaves, 1 tbsp mustard oil
Method: Wash the tomatoes; wipe it dry. Apply little oil on its surface and roast them over the flame till its outer surface turns blackish and flaky. Peel off the burnt skin off the roasted tomatoes. Add onion, ginger, garlic, coriander leaves, salt and mustard oil. Mash everything well. Serve with rice, khichuri or roti.
Unlike other shutkis, it is not dried under the sun and hence technically not a shutki. It is kept in an earthen pot for about 5-6 months buried underground. Hence the name chapa. Chapa-shutki is usually made from puti fish.
Ingredients: 100g chapa shutki, ½ cup grated onion, 1 tbsp grated garlic, 10 dry chillies. Salt to taste. 2 tbsp oil
Method: Wash chapa-shutki properly. Blend all the ingredients except oil. Make a smooth paste. Now heat oil in a pan. Add the paste and stir continuously. When the oil floats on the surface, remove the pan, and serve with hot plain rice.
Ingredients: 250g shrimps, 4 green chillies, sliced, 4-5 dried red chilli, 2 medium sized onions, sliced, 2-3 cloves garlic, sliced, 1tbsp mustard oil, 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves. Salt to taste
Method: Cut and wash shrimps. Let the water drain out. Heat a pan with mustard oil. Fry the shrimps. Transfer the fried shrimps onto a plate. In a same pan add green chillies, red chillies, onions and garlic, fry the ingredients as well. Set aside. Now grind all the ingredients. Mix in salt and coriander leaves. Mix well and serve.
Ingredients: ½ cup orange split lentils, 1 big onion, sliced, 1 clove garlic, chopped, 3 dry red chilli, 1 tbsp mustard oil. Salt to taste
Method: Boil the dal until the water evaporates and dal becomes soft. Set aside for cooling. Toast the dry red chillies till turn dark and crisp. On a bowl, mix the toasted dry chillies, onion slices, salt and mustered oil. Mix in the cooked dal with the onions and the chillies. Serve with plain white rice.
This appetiser is loved by many. You can easily prepare it for yourself, for your friends and family members. Mango borta is one of the ubiquitous items during summer in every Bangladeshi household.
Ingredients: 1 cup raw mango, cut into small pieces, 1 tsp chopped green chillies, 1 tbsp sugar, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp toasted red chilli, ground, ¼ tsp toasted coriander powder
Method: First take a small bowl. Pour small pieces of mango. Add chopped green chilli, sugar, chilli powder and salt. Toss and mix the ingredients with a spoon. Add toasted coriander powder. Mix and toss again. Make sure all the ingredients are mixed with each other well and spices are mixed with the mangoes. Raw mango borta is ready.
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