I am not a particularly devout Hindu. Quite unaware of rituals, my relationship with Durga Pujo has been more cultural than religious.
Come to think of it, this must be true for many Bengalis. Rituals had already dimmed under the influence of the leaders of the Bengal Renaissance. The 30 years of communist rule in independent India had further side-lined religion in West Bengal. Over the years, Durga Pujo has become a time for fun and ethnic identity, a time when young girls agree to wear sarees, their moms put on sindoor and search for their shankha-pala and men are found awkwardly standing on their beds, trying to wear a traditional dhuti! All this done, the entire family makes a beeline to the food court set up along the main tent that houses the Durga idol.
But Bhog is not to be found in these stalls and is never supposed to be sold. Bhog is akin to a prasad where food is offered to the idol first and then the blessed food is shared by all the devotees. Between the 19th and 20th centuries, Bhog had become a matter of ego in the elite homes of Kolkata that hosted a Durga Pujo for their own family and dependents. Even now, these family homes are famous for their Bhog set, served only during Durga Pujo to all who visit.
At its simplest, Bhog includes khichudi, labda, beguni, chatni, and rasogolla. Expanded, it includes … well, the sky’s the limit!
Blitz all ingredients except water for 30 seconds. Add water (about 4 tbsp) and blitz again to make a fine paste. Use as required and refrigerate the rest.
Mix all the ingredients in a bottle and give it a good shake. Use as required.
Roughly cut chunks of available Indian veggies. (Essentials: yellow pumpkin, potatoes, and cabbage. Totally, they should be about 500 gm in all)
In a large kadhai (wok), heat 4 tablespoons of mustard oil. Fry the vadis and set aside.
Keep flame on high. Break 1 dry red chilly and add 1 teaspoon of panch phoron. Add all the veggies, except cabbage, into this. Mix thoroughly. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and mix. Lower the heat; cover and cook, stirring occasionally.
Once the veggies look done and tend to break when pushed gently with the ladle, take the lid off the pan and increase the heat. Add the chunks of cabbage. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add the fried vadis. Continue cooking.
Now add 4 to 6 tablespoons of mustard paste (depending on your taste) to this and mix thoroughly. Check salt, lower flame, cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove cover and cook on high flame now.
Continue cooking till the veggies begin to catch a little; then stir, scraping the bottom of the kadhai. Mix and then again let the veggies sit. Keep repeating and slowly you will see the colour of this mix change to a darker shade of yellow. You may add a few drops of mustard oil in the sides as you keep roasting.
Now add 2 to 3 teaspoons of sugar. Keep cooking and jabbing at the veggies. The net result must be like identifiable bits that seem to be sitting in a masala-like consistency created by the overcooked pumpkin and potatoes. When you are satisfied by the colour, switch off the fire. Now add a teaspoon of bhuna jeera or garam masala. Sprinkle another tablespoon of raw mustard oil on top of the labda.
Refrigerate
* Equal quantity of vegetables like carrot, radish, potato,pumpkin, cabbage, parwal, cauliflower, beans.
When you stop cooking is important. Going on too long will dry the dish and might burn it. Too little cooking will make the dish feel unroasted.
Also, don't be a miser with the sugar.
