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Mejbani Mangsho

September 15, 2019 By Maumita Paul Leave a Comment

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Mejbani MangshoPin

And meet my mother-in-law, T announces.
The septuagenarian lady who walks out to the living room is an epitome of grace – her silver hair is tied up in a neat bun, a red bindi dots her forehead and her starched white cotton saree with its vermilion red paisley border is immaculate.
I touch her feet.
She blesses me.

I am meeting you for the first time, Aunty tells me, an impish smile lighting up her face, but I know all about you.
I am speechless for a moment.
Maybe T had briefed her about me and our days in college before I arrived ?
I muse.
Aunty reads my mind.
No, your friend didn’t tell me about you.
My grey cells now go on an overdrive. Trying to compute the link that I am missing for sure.
You grew up in Karimganj.
You went to college in Guwahati.
Your first job took you to Delhi.
Your roots are in Sylhet.
Did I get those basic right ?
Aunty confidently looks for endorsement.
I nod in assent. Bewildered.
Did Aunty then know someone who knew us ? If so, who ?
Mental calisthenics as I desperately seek an answer.
More riddles follow in rapid succession.
Bapi was a doctor.
I was Grandma’s princess.
Didi doted on me.
And Manikkaka could never refuse any ask of mine.

How was this even possible ? I wonder.
What follows next are snatches of childhood. Intricate details that only someone intimately close to us would ever be conversant with.
Hunting for mangoes after a Kalboisakhi.
Lokkhi Pujo at home.
Even Sankranti and the pithe-puli-payesh that accompanied the celebrations.
I am more than perplexed now.

Mejbani MangshoPin

Let me not torment you any longer, Aunty, gauging my bafflement, finally comes to rescue.
You should have guessed, shouldn’t you ?
I am a huge fan of your blog.
I am overwhelmed.
The next couple of minutes pass by in a flash. I am entranced, oblivious to what Aunty is telling me.
She embraces me.
Am I crying ?
You know what, Aunty proceeds to explain, I wait eagerly for your posts, reading those honey-sweet stories of yours makes me return to childhood in sylvan Chittagong.
Our village home. By the river.
The verdant green paddy fields.
The ancient mango and guava trees in the backyard.

And above all my Grandma, who never spared an opportunity to pamper me silly.
After so many years, you make me miss my Grandma.
I stand transfixed, listening to Aunty.
Too overjoyed to even know how to respond.

There’s one recipe from Chittagong though, Aunty complains, mock disappointment in her voice, without which your blog is a trifle incomplete.
Have you heard, she asks me, of Mejbani Mangsho ?
No, I confess.
The undisputed star of Chittagong cuisine. Or so I believe.
I don’t eat meat any longer, but shall be delighted to cook for you.
She proposes, and if you like it, do publish in your blog, she adds as an afterthought.
You need to keep your blog going, she encourages as I take leave.

A couple of weekends later, I find myself with Aunty and T again.
Aunty guides me, as she had promised, through the steps of making Mejbani Mangsho, the beef replaced by mutton.
The whiff of spices (If you get the spice mix right, Aunty counsels, your Mejbani Mangsho cannot go wrong) leaves me on a high.
And the outcome, one of the most delectable mutton dishes I have ever savoured.

Mejbani Mangsho. Succulent mutton. A tantalizing array of spices. Freshly roasted and ground. Cooked languorously over a lazy flame.
Food heaven !!!

And if this sounds exciting, please stay tuned for more recipes from Aunty’s kitchen !! Guaranteed to delight your taste buds!!

Mejbani MangshoPin

Mejbani Mangsho

Mejbani Mangsho. Succulent mutton. A tantalizing array of spices. Freshly roasted and ground. Cooked languorously over a lazy flame. Food heaven !!!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 2 hrs
Total Time 2 hrs 15 mins

Ingredients
  

For Mejbani Mangsho

  • 500 g mutton cut into curry cut
  • 150 g mutton liver or mete cut into cubes
  • 1/2 cup beresta or fried onions
  • 1/2 cup onion paste
  • 1/2 tbsp ginger paste
  • 1 tsp garlic paste
  • 1/3 cup peanuts lightly roasted and ground to a fine paste
  • 1.5 tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp red chili powder
  • 4 tbsp mejbani curry powder
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 green cardamoms
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 one inch cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup mustard oil
  • salt to taste

For Mejbani Curry Powder

  • 2 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 2 tbsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tbsp white mustard seeds
  • 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
  • 1 tbsp radhuni or celery seeds
  • 1 tbsp black pepper corns
  • 1 star anise
  • 4-5 green cardamom
  • 4-5 cloves
  • 1 one inch cinnamon
  • 1 floret of mace
  • 1/3 of a whole nutmeg
  • 4-5 dry whole red chillies
  • 2-3 bay leaves

Instructions
 

For Mejbani Curry Powder

  • Slightly roast all the ingredients listed under mejbani Curry Powder, grind to a fine powder. Store in an airtight container.

For Mejbani Mangsho

  • Take the mutton and liver in a mixing bowl. Add all the ingredients listed under Mejbani Mangsho. Give it a hearty mix. Keep aside for a couple of hours.
  • Transfer the mutton along with the marinade to a heavy bottomed pan.
  • Cover and cook, stir occasionally. About two hours or so, till the mutton is tender.
  • Adjust seasonings. Allow to rest for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot with steamed rice.

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Filed Under: Bengali Recipes, Meat Tagged With: Bangladeshi Ranna, Bengali Food Blog, Bengali Food Photography, Bengali Mangsho Photography, Bengali Mangsho Recipes, Bengali Mutton Curry, Bengali Mutton Recipes, Bengali Recipes, Durga Pujar Bhruibhoj, Durga Pujo, Durga pujo recipes, Durga Pujor Ranna, Food Blog, Food Blogger, Food Photography, Food Styling, Indian Food Photography, Mejbani Mangsho, Mutton Curry Food Photography, Mutton Food Photography, Mutton Recipes, Non Vegetarian, Opar Banglar Ranna, Traditional Bengali Recipes, Traditional Recipes From Grandmas Kitchen

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Hello!! I am Maumita and welcome to Experiences of a Gastronomad.
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Maumita Paul
Nothing more hearty than phulkopir singara and a c Nothing more hearty than phulkopir singara and a cup of masala  tea as the evenings get a tad bit colder !!! 
Any takers ? ❤️ .
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Recipe link is there in bio. 
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 #desi_diaries #storiesofkolkata #theuncommonbox #bengalifood #india_undiscovered @ig_calcutta @stories.of.kolkata #official_photography_hub #teatime #foodgasm #foodstyling #chai #foodphotography #homemade #ig_calcutta #eatseasonal @india_undiscovered @walkwithindia @tv_stilllife #tasteofkolkata #foodporn #gastronomad_m #foodtalkindia #walkwithindia #kolkatabuzz #indianshutterbugs #foodstylist #canonphotography #calcuttacacophony #onlyinbengal #snack #foodstories #acreativevisual #chai #singara #sundayvibes
Sankranti remains one of the festivals closest to Sankranti remains one of the festivals closest to my heart. 

One of those days when I miss Grandma dearly and yearn to return to childhood and relish all the delectable pithe puli she would make !!! 
Happy Sankranti everyone !!!

On the plate 
Khejur Gurer Patishapta, Doodhpuli, Teler Pitha, Nolen Gurer Payesh and Soru Chakuli.
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#dessert #sweettooth #storiesofkolkata #calcuttacacophony #foodphotography #acreativevisual #nostalgia #india_undiscovered #official_photography_hub #canonphotography #eeeeeats #foodblogfeed #photographers_of_india #theuncommonbox #eatseasonal  #gastronomad_m #foodphotography #tv_foodlovers #foodpornography #foodtalkindia #photooftheday #foodporn #sankranti #desi_diaries #capturingmagic #wearebengal #eatseasonal #winter  #cherishedmemories #makarsankranti #creatingmemories #foodthatheals
New blog post ❤️ And every year, around Sankr New blog post ❤️

And every year, around Sankranthi, the chitoi pithe moulds make a magical re-appearance from the hidden vaults of the windowless sunlight-starved and perennially musty and damp bhnaarar ghor (pantry), illuminated by a lone naked incandescent bulb, before being dusted, scrubbed, soaked, dried and then used in vehement anger for the Sankranti festivities, only to disappear once the euphoria of the harvest festival subsides.
A use and throw culture has still not invaded our lives and the fact that this rather inexpensive non-descript humble artifact is used on just a couple of occasions around Sankranti every year makes not an iota of difference to the magnanimous love and care it receives.
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To read more and try this recipe of Doodh Chitoi , direct link is there in bio. 
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#dessert #sweettooth #storiesofkolkata #calcuttacacophony #foodphotography #acreativevisual #nostalgia #india_undiscovered #official_photography_hub #canonphotography #eeeeeats #foodblogfeed #photographers_of_india #theuncommonbox #eatseasonal  #gastronomad_m #foodphotography #tv_foodlovers #foodpornography #foodtalkindia #photooftheday #foodporn #sankranti #desi_diaries #capturingmagic #wearebengal #eatseasonal #winter  #cherishedmemories #makarsankranti #creatingmemories #foodthatheals
Its less than a week to Sankranti and my kitchen i Its less than a week to Sankranti and my kitchen is in manic frenzy this morning steaming some stunning Bhapa Pitha. 

I have always preferred freshly ground rice flour to store-bought ones. And my hand-free 1400w hamiltonbeach JMG ensured the rice was ground to fine flour, just as I wanted it, in a blink .
(Also do check the coarse, medium and fine grinding options available which gives us such luxury of choice -  I opted for the fine option for the rice flour)

And  here’s my recipe for the quintessential Bengali Bhapa Pitha / Assamese Keteli Pitha. 
Soak the rice for 2 hours, drain from water. 
Allow the rice to dry over a newspaper or muslin cloth to drain any excess water. 
Use your Hamiltonbeach JMG to blitz the rice to a fine powder.
Transfer the rice flour to a bowl, add a pinch of salt, mix well.
Splash a little water to the rice flour, start mixing with your hand. The texture of the dough should be crumbly and just damp enough. Splash water in small increments, we don’t want a wet batter here.
Sieve the moist flour .
Take a kettle, fill it half with water and bring to a boil.
Wrap the lid of the kettle with a damp muslin cloth.
Spread a layer of the rice flour uniformly over the cloth.
Add 1 tsp of freshly grated coconut on the rice flour, followed by 1 tsp of chopped jaggery And finish it with another layer of rice flour. Press gently, take care to not press it too hard.
Wrap with another piece of moist muslin, put the lid back on over the boiling water.
Steam for 10-12 minutes.
Carefully remove the lid from the kettle. 
Gently remove the outer muslin cloth. Use a sharp knife along the edges of the lid to un-mould the pitha..
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#BigBoxOfLove

#SayToHelloPerfection #ProResultsAtHome #HamiltonBeachIndia #CookLikeAPro #fbciofficial

@hamiltonbeachindia, @fbciofficial @grainandgrowth .
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#dessert #sweettooth #storiesofkolkata #calcuttacacophony #foodphotography #acreativevisual #nostalgia #india_undiscovered #official_photography_hub #glutenfree #eeeeeats #foodblogfeed #photographers_of_india #theuncommonbox #eatseasonal  #gastronomad_m #foodphotography #tv_foodlovers #sankranti
The Doulla Pithe that Grandma (Bamma) creates is s The Doulla Pithe that Grandma (Bamma) creates is sheer magic – Pillowy rice flour parcels with a tiny morsel of patali hidden in the center. Stewed in milk perfumed with even more patali gur.
Have a bite, Grandma coaxes.
And the molten patali bursts out of the shackles of the rice flour cocoon.
The fragrance of patali and the perfume of rice leave my palate enthralled.
I take another bite.
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If you want to try this , temporary recipe link is updated in bio ❤️
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#dessert #sweettooth #storiesofkolkata #calcuttacacophony #foodphotography #acreativevisual #nostalgia #india_undiscovered #official_photography_hub #canonphotography #eeeeeats #foodblogfeed #photographers_of_india #theuncommonbox #eatseasonal  #gastronomad_m #foodphotography #tv_foodlovers #foodpornography #foodtalkindia #photooftheday #foodporn #sankranti #desi_diaries #capturingmagic #wearebengal #eatseasonal #winter  #cherishedmemories #makarsankranti #creatingmemories #foodthatheals
Can I taste one ? I ask as Maa’s experienced han Can I taste one ? I ask as Maa’s experienced hands effortlessly remove the pithe from the oil and immerse them in the jaggery syrup, but even before Maa can warn me, I have snatched one and bitten into the gokul pithe.
My tongue is singed.
And for that odd moment, I am all numb.
Minutes, that feel like days, pass.
And then the taste sinks in, sublime, a mellifluous symphony of grated coconut and jaggery.
This is food heaven !!!
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To try  recipe, temporary recipe link is updated in bio ❤️
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#dessert #sweettooth #storiesofkolkata #calcuttacacophony #foodphotography #acreativevisual #nostalgia #india_undiscovered #official_photography_hub #canonphotography #eeeeeats #foodblogfeed #photographers_of_india #theuncommonbox #eatseasonal  #gastronomad_m #foodphotography #tv_foodlovers #foodpornography #foodtalkindia #photooftheday #foodporn #sankranti #desi_diaries #capturingmagic #wearebengal #eatseasonal #winter  #cherishedmemories #makarsankranti #creatingmemories #foodthatheals
Natorer Luchir Payesh!! A sandwich, if I can use t Natorer Luchir Payesh!!
A sandwich, if I can use the liberty of an analogy, of two luchis with a divine gurer kanchagolla filling in between. Fried to a gorgeous golden. And dipped into a notun gur perfumed payesh just before serving.
You do not want it soggy, Grandma would religiously remind Maa every time, that would ruin the fun of the dish.
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To try  recipe, temporary recipe link is updated in bio ❤️
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#dessert #sweettooth #storiesofkolkata #calcuttacacophony #foodphotography #acreativevisual #nostalgia #india_undiscovered #official_photography_hub #canonphotography #eeeeeats #foodblogfeed #photographers_of_india #theuncommonbox #eatseasonal  #gastronomad_m #foodphotography #tv_foodlovers #foodpornography #foodtalkindia #photooftheday #foodporn #sankranti #desi_diaries #capturingmagic #wearebengal #eatseasonal #winter  #cherishedmemories #makarsankranti #creatingmemories #foodthatheals
This is the story of Grandma. And her fierce love This is the story of Grandma. And her fierce love for rice. Not just rice, any new harvest. Any fresh produce of the soil. Her soil. As she would proudly assert.
Wasting rice in our growing-up years was never an option. Not even a single grain. This is the labour of love. She would remind Dada and me whenever we fussed about food. This is the culmination of months of back-breaking labour. Respect the grain. Respect the farmer.

Cut to the present. My chire has just arrived. Ordered online and delivered at the doorstep by a logistics company. I am blissfully ignorant of what rice went in to prepare this chire. And the farmer shall remain an unacquainted stranger to me. As would his family who possibly helped as well.
Food has reduced, I ruminate, to being impersonal, hasnt it, the consumer and the producer separated by more degrees than my mind can decipher. The price I guess for the comforts of modern life.
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To read more and  try chirer doodpuli , temporary recipe link is updated in bio ❤️
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#dessert #sweettooth #storiesofkolkata #calcuttacacophony #foodphotography #acreativevisual #nostalgia #india_undiscovered #official_photography_hub #canonphotography #eeeeeats #foodblogfeed #photographers_of_india #theuncommonbox #eatseasonal  #gastronomad_m #foodphotography #tv_foodlovers #foodpornography #foodtalkindia #photooftheday #foodporn #sankranti #desi_diaries #capturingmagic #wearebengal #eatseasonal #winter  #cherishedmemories #makarsankranti #creatingmemories #foodthatheals
Of late, Grandma would occasionally give in to sna Of late, Grandma would occasionally give in to snatches of emotional upheavals. Reminiscing more and more of her home in sylvan Sylhet.
Chachi was our neighbour. Born in Bikrampur near Dhaka. Married to a trader family in Sylhet. She brought with her to Sylhet the delectable Bibikhana Pitha from her home town. And every year she would lovingly welcome winter, the new harvest, the fragrant rice and the notun gur with her Bibikhana Pitha.
So here it is, the incredibly delicious Bibikhana Pitha. From Bikrampur in Bangladesh. 
Bliss !!! 
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If you want to try this recipe , temporary recipe link is updated in bio ❤️
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#dessert #sweettooth #storiesofkolkata #calcuttacacophony #foodphotography #acreativevisual #nostalgia #india_undiscovered #official_photography_hub #canonphotography #eeeeeats #foodblogfeed #photographers_of_india #theuncommonbox #foodie #eatseasonal  #gastronomad_m #foodphotography #tv_foodlovers #foodpornography #foodtalkindia #photooftheday #foodporn #sankranti #desi_diaries #capturingmagic #wearebengal #eatseasonal #winter  #cherishedmemories #glutenfree #creatingmemories

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