Bengal | Tender Coconut Prawn Curry

Bengal, the fertile land stretching from the foothills of himalayas to the sunder bans of bay of bengal. The land where Goddess Durga resides one of the most vibrant and effervescent eastern states of India. I couldn’t encompass its beauty in my writing. The famous british east india company helms from this province and you find a huge influence of the victorian era by its invaders.From overlooking the Howrah bridge from the taxi window to sliding down the escalator into the bustling Metro. You could gasp at the terracotta clad architecture of its temples or prayer at the Hoogli river. The alta feet slowly kicking the lal padh tangail while the black tassels flipped behind the ears. The sight of a bengali women traditionally dressed makes your day. The honey from the Sunderbans, rasogolla from the sweet marts or the massive fish head crowned on your rice. The delectable cuisine and the range of fresh products is a treat for a food lover. There is a lot of love in the midst of chaos.

Thats my beautiful bengal.

As for some the moments which will remain etched in my mind. They are mostly around Calcutta (yes thats the way I used to call it when I was a kid) and a few here and there. I remember the colonies of Chittaranjan quarters, the turmeric plant in the front yard, the train chugging at the Kharaghpur station, five point someone dreams of IIT Kharagpur, my dad quickly getting us omelette bread from the platform,the crazy bustle of Howrah station, the view from our guest house, the yearning to study at La Martinière girls, distinct taste of Bhojohorimanna’s egg roll, the red iron oxide soaked clothes, the early morning Calcutta glory, vermillion on my mother’s head at Dakhineswar, the red communist flag, my almost lost metro at dum dum and my unfulfilled desire to see the Calcutta Derby. These images are so vivid from my childhood and they are so real. I clip my words by saying the words of late Satyajit ray ‘Pennam Kolkatta‘ !!

The most religious festival of the Bengal calendar is round the corner. The start of the festival sees huge, elaborately crafted statutes of Goddess Durga installed in homes and beautifully decorated pandals all over the city. Food is a huge part of the festival, and street stalls blossom all over Kolkata (capital of bengal). In the evenings, the streets of Kolkata fill with people, who come to admire the statues of Goddess Durga, eat, and celebrate.

In the spirit of the approaching celebrations, Dolphia and I are doing a linkup post from the Bengal province. The extremely amiable Dolphia is the hardworking hands behind www.storyofcooks.com. Do visit her website for some glorious recipes from the bengali household.She is preparing the shrimp in coconut milk (malaikari) or the creamy prawn curry. It’s great to collaborate especially when you have such fundamental deep rooted bonds with our culture !

I have taken up the daab chingri or tender coconut prawn curry. A melange of spicy chillies and mustard, gentled by the sweetness of tender coconut in this simple dish of prawns cooked inside a tender green coconut.This lovely recipe to savour in Durga Puja.