The Bong Pâté (Bata)

I am super excited to be sharing with you these rustic bong accompaniments , which I , in fancy , call a Bong Pâté . In simple colloquial terms , these flavor bombs are more humbly known as a 'bata' and do accompany weekend meals , to give it a finger licking start. Household's of both east and west Bengal have stirred up their respective list of a variety of bata's ( in both vegetarian and non vegetarian combinations ) , using the most simple of ingredients . These wide range of accompaniments elevate straightforward everyday ingredients from the kitchen to mind boggling tastes that tantalize the palette . I can assure you that these lost recipe pairings , will give you supreme joy , as you enjoy your homely meal.

I have been doing these 'bata's in the Hungry boy kitchen from a long time , but never happened to document the same - also , I realized that not much is written about them in the food blogging world , as these are very ' unadorned ' recipes and speak oodles , only when tasted . By sharing these , I hope i will be able to help them find their way back to main stream Bengali cooking and revive this culinary art . On this blog , i will be sharing a shopping list of some un-customary Bong Pâté's - and most intentionally , avoid the usual Posto Bata , Kochu or Badam Bata , which my bong friend's will agree , is very common.

An indispensable link among all these Bong Pâté's is the Mustard oil and the tad bit overload of the green chilli and as they say “it ain’t no mustard oil , if the pungency does not hit you in the nose and make you teary eyed” .

Hope this is an interesting exercise for you , as much it has been for me ! I will be adding more to this list , as and when , i go along experimenting with new ingredients . Take a look at my Top 5 for now :

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Raw banana peel pâté or Kaacha kola khosha bata

*Photo Credits : Unsplash

Steps to follow : Remove the peel of 01 raw green banana and boil it for 15 mins in hot boiling water - drain the water . Using a mixie or a mortal and pestle , blend it into a fine paste along with 1 tbsp water , 1 tsp salt , 03 cloves of garlic , handful of coriander leaves and 02 green chillies . Heat 01 tbsp of mustard oil in a pan and temper it with 01 /2 tsp nigella seeds . Add the peel paste and cook , stirring continuously , till it forms a thick paste like consistency. Remove from heat and serve topped with finely chopped green chilli and 01 tbsp mustard oil . Devour with steaming hot rice.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prawn & peppercorn pâté or Chingri - morich bata

Steps to follow : Wash 10-12 prawns and drain the water . In a pan , heat mustard oil and saute 01 thinly sliced onion , 01 tsp salt , 02 tbsp of grated coconut , 02 green chillies for 02- 03 seconds. Add in the prawns , along with 1/2 tsp of Turmeric and 01 tsp whole peppercorns . Using a mixie or mortal and pestle , blend it into a fine paste , along with 1 tbsp water and 03 cloves of garlic . Heat 01 tbsp of mustard oil and temper it with 01 /2 tsp nigella seeds . Add the prawn paste back into the pan and cook , stirring consistently , till it forms a thick paste like consistency . Serve topped with finely chopped coriander leaves , green chilli & mustard oil . Devour with hot steaming rice .

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bottle gourd pâté or Lau 'er khosha bata ( This can also be made with Pointed Gourd Peel or Beans or Shim - turns out equally awesome )

Steps to follow : Peel the Bottle Gourd Peel and boil it for 15 mins in hot water . Drain the water . Using a mixie or mortal and pestle , blend it into a fine paste along with 1 tbsp water , salt , 02 cloves of garlic , handful of coriander leaves and 02 green chillies. Heat mustard oil in a pan and temper it with 01 /2 tsp nigella seeds and 01 dried red chilli . Add the paste and cook , stirring consistently , till a thick paste like consistency . Serve topped with finely chopped green chilli and mustard oil . Devour with hot steaming rice.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Roasted curry leaves & red -capsicum pâté or Curry Pata & laal lonka bata

Steps to follow : Roast 01 Red Capsicum , 02 cloves of Garlic and 04- 05 pieces of coconut over open flame on the gas . Using a mixie or mortal and pestle , blend it into a fine paste along with 1 tbsp water , salt , handful of curry leaves and 02 green chillies. Heat mustard oil in a pan and temper the oil with handful of curry leaves , 01 /2 tsp mustard seeds and 01 dried red chilli . Add this to the paste and serve topped with finely chopped green chilli . Devour with hot steaming rice.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sesame pâté or Til bata

Steps to follow : Roast 01/2 cup white Sesame seeds along with 03 tbsp grated coconut in a pan , stirring continuously . Using a mixie or mortal and pestle , blend it into a fine paste along with 1 tbsp water , salt and 02 green chillies. Heat mustard oil in a pan and temper it with 01 /2 tsp mustard seeds and 01 dried red chilli . Add this to the white sesame and coconut paste - Serve topped with finely chopped green chilli and a lot of pungent mustard oil . Devour with hot steaming rice.

Enjoy !