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This heirloom recipe holds a special place in our family’s culinary tradition, especially on designated vegetarian days. In our ancestral village home, it was always paired with biulir daal which is a comforting Bengali-style urad dal tempered with fennel seeds and ginger and classic alu posto, where potatoes are gently cooked in a poppy seed paste. A side of bori bhaja, sun-dried lentil dumplings fried until crisp, added the perfect crunch to this soulful platter. This simple yet wholesome trio formed the heart of our monsoon meals, bringing warmth and nostalgia with every bite.
The rain-soaked afternoons, filled with the earthy aroma of fresh vegetables, fried boris, and mustard oil, felt incomplete without this sacred combination. Our monsoon kitchen would come alive with activity: Steam rising from pots, rhythmic grinding of posto in the shil nora, and elders passing down exact proportions by heart, never by measurement. This was more than just food; it was ritual, memory, and comfort all woven into a plate.
Today, even in a fast-paced urban kitchen, recreating this menu transports us back to those slow, soulful days. It’s not just about tradition, but a quiet celebration of season, soil, and simplicity—flavoured with love and legacy.
Pui Shak Bata
Ingredients
Tender Malabar Spinach
Fennel seeds (whole)
Fennel seeds (paste)
Ginger
Green chillies
Mustard oil
Salt, sugar
Bay leaf
Method
Clean the Malabar spinach leaves along with the tender stems and blanch them. Grind the blanched leaves with ginger, green chillies, a little salt, sugar, and a pinch of turmeric to make a smooth paste. Heat some mustard oil in a pan, add a bay leaf and a teaspoon of fennel seeds, and let them release their aroma. Add the Malabar spinach paste and cook it well. Stir in a teaspoon of fennel paste and continue cooking until the mixture thickens and reduces. You can sprinkle some fried, crushed bori on top for extra flavour (this step is optional). Serve the bata hot with steamed rice.
Jayeeta Ghosh is a home chef from West Bengal