A taste of mustard

Pushpesh Pant

There is something exceptionally alluring and endearing about a banana leaf wrapped delicacy that is encountered in the culinary repertoire of different regions of India. Parsis love green chutney-laced steamed Pomfret, which they call Patraani Machi, while deep down South in Kerala, it is the pan-seared and strongly spiced Karimeen (Pear Spot Fish) that is relished in its brown Polichattu garb. Along the eastern seaboard in Orissa, Bengal and Assam, it is called Paturi, steamed once again, acquiring a yellow mustard gifted tint with pleasant pungency. Elsewhere too, there are interesting variations. Curiously, except the sweet or savoury Peetha in Orissa, there are very few vegetarian versions of Paturi. That’s why when Chef Amit Bharadwaj of the ‘Michelin Plate’ Indus in Bangkok ‘plated’ a Paneer Paturi, the guests were easily wowed. It’s an easy to cook recipe, nutritious and perfectly suited for the summer menu. Here it comes for the palate pleasure of our readers.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Paneer 300 g

Kasundhi 3 tbsp

Kalonji seeds 2 tbsp

Green chillis 4 (slit lengthwise)

Hung yogurt 1/4 cup

Mustard oil 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Banana leaf 1

Method:

Wash the banana leaf well. Then dry and soften by holding over open flame for a few seconds. Cut it into 12-inch square pieces. Cut the paneer into four equal-sized fillets.

Prepare a marinade mixing the yogurt with salt and kasundhi. Place the paneer pieces in a bowl and coat them evenly with the marinade. Keep aside for 30 minutes or more. Sprinkle a little mustard oil on the banana leaf and then place a paneer fillet in the centre along with the marinade. Sprinkle some kalonji seeds on top. Carefully fold the leaf to make a packet. When all packets are done, steam these for about 10 minutes. Unwrap the Paturi and serve hot with a sliced green chilli and maybe a drop of uncooked mustard oil for extra zing!

Need we add that the kasundhi paste, once considered a Bengali condiment that would be hard to prepare at home, is available off the shelf. So, what are you waiting for? Go, try this one out.