Taste from India’s Eastern hills

Indranee Ghosh was 15 when she got interested in cooking So much so that she learned to prepare Bengali Khasi and Nepali dishes all around the same time ldquoThis was in the 1960s and the 70s when my mother Lolita would ask me to help her in the kitchen An East Bengali she would cook a lot of sweet meats and fish I was by her side on a stepstool chopping veggies or stirring curriesrdquo remembers Shillongbased Ghosh of her childhood When her mother went away briefly to live with Ghoshrsquos sister in Delhi the kitchen became her arena ldquoI was left with my grandmother Charuhasini and dad And I think I managed pretty wellrdquoIndranee GhoshGhosh left Shillong after the formation of the hill state in 1972 to settle in Calcutta now Kolkata with her parents But she took Khasi recipes that she learned from her uncle Bishwaketu ldquoMy grandmother adopted a lot of Khasi children from the village and educated them They grew up with my mother and her sisters One of them however remained with us right till the end and was never married Bishwaketu uncle was a hunter and loved fishing Very often he would bring home exotic meat From him I learned how to cook beef and porkrdquoStories of kitchen adventures are plenty in her kitty ldquoWe used to get bamboo shoot and cook it with either meat or dried fish One day we thought of experimenting and mixed bamboo shoot and dried shrimp It turned out well Nothing unique but definitely a very personal reciperdquo she addsGhoshrsquos new book Spiced Smoked Pickled Preserved Recipes and Reminiscences from Indiarsquos Eastern Hills Hachette India R550 brings together charming vignettes from her youth in the densely forested Khasi Hills and then Bengalrsquos plains It features 75 recipes that represent a mix of Bengali Khasi and Nepali cuisine ldquoSince I wrote the book for my daughter I wanted to keep all the recipes simple targeted at young cooksrdquo says Ghosh whose translations of selected poems by Bengali poet Joy Goswami have been published by Worldview Books in India and Whale and Star in the USBoth flavours and ingredients she feels are quite similar in North Bengal Darjeeling and Shillong ldquoIn West Bengal they donrsquot use as much garlic as we do in the hills I donrsquot know whether that is related to the cold weather but there is a slight difference in preparations For instance vinegar is used a lot in Khasi food Khasi and Nepali cooks donrsquot use as many spices as Bengalis do They usually depend on garlic tomato ginger and onion with frugal spicesrdquoTales of family folklore from the time of the Second World War and memories of the Partition have also made it to the title ldquoMy mother and her siblings grew up during the Second World War There were some British soldiers who would visit my grandmotherrsquos house They would enjoy her cooking and the spicy dishes she prepared for themrdquoFood always took centre stage in family gatherings and members discussed all the hardlearnt culinary techniques Over time forgotten dishes were reinventedmdashfrom fermented delicacies like shidol in pumpkin leaves to the sizzling panroasted telapiya from the sweetandsour magic of fish roe ambal to a delicious tangerine payesh ldquoA few years before the Partition in 1947 my grandmother who had been stuck on the other side of the border was brought back Until that time I donrsquot think we had cooked dried fish in the house But once she returned she changed that for us So we ended up learning newer ways of cooking Bengali food most of which have made it to the bookrdquoKosha telapiya panroasted Indian tilapiaIngredients1 whole telapiya or large shor puti swamp barb12 cup lime juiceSalt to taste2 tbsp onion paste1 tbsp ginger paste12 cup refined oil1 to 2 tsp sugar2 bay leaves12 cup tomato pureeMethodScore the fish on the sides and marinate in lime juice salt sugar onion and ginger paste and set aside for 30 minutes In a large nonstick pan heat the oil add sugar and caramelise it Add the bay leaves and garam masala and fry till they lose colour Add the fish with the marinade and sauteacute on high heat basting it with tomato puree until it is brown and well coated with the spices Transfer to a fat dish and carve into slices with a sharp knife Serve with riceFish stewIngredients500 gm white fish preferably bhetki barramundiVinegar as required to soak the fish2 tbsp butter1 tsp peppercorns4 to 5 garlic cloves2 mediumsized onions sliced2 cups chicken stock1inch piece ginger grated2 small potatoes diced2 carrots diced12 cup peas1 handful of parsley or coriander leaves1 tsp ground black pepperMethodSoak fish for 10 minutes in enough vinegar to cover the pieces Then drain and set aside This will get rid of the fishy smell You could also use milk Heat butter in a kadhai and fry the peppercorn garlic and onion slices till light brown Add the stock and bring to a boil Add the ginger paste and the vegetablesmdashpotatoes first and then the carrots and peas else the carrots might overcook Add the fish when the vegetables are almost done Garnish with parsley or coriander leaves and season with pepper Serve with finegrain rice