Indulge into delectable preparation of Hilsa, at the Eeelish Utsav at Aaheli, The Peerless Inn.!
The fine arrival of Monsoon brings in a hush of joy for the farmers, and a sigh of relief for us, giving much respite from the scorching heat from the sun. This, accompanied with the seasonal delicacy, with the harvesting of the much famed Hilsa, or Eelish, as we popularly call in our colloquial language. A name, which has emotion and passion attached with it, is much sought after during this particular season of the year. While the debate still lingers between the qualitative superiority between Ganga Eelish and the Padma Eelish, it is the sheer love which we have for Hilsa remains uncontested.
Aaheli, the flagship Bengali restaurant of The Peerless Inn, Kolkata, has always been a huge proponent, when it comes to promoting Bengali cuisine all over Kolkata. The very first fine dining Bengali restaurant, Aaheli is running a very special ‘Eelish Utsav’ to celebrate the very best of Hilsa preparations, some old and traditional, very much within our grasp, while some from our very neighbouring country of Bangladesh, and then some with a subtle twist and turn, to give a new definition to the inhibited taste of Hilsa.
Expect the very acquainted Sorshe Eelish, which has Hilsa cooked in mustard gravy, where the pungency compliments the oily texture of the Hilsa, and then perhaps the presence of the slit green chili, helping you to spice the bite up, as you mix the gravy with tartness along with the hot steaming rice. The Aam Tel Eelish is one preparation, which has been in limelight since quite some time now. A preparation, which sees Hilsa cooked with pickled mango, where you get a mix of oily and tangy flavours, creates a ripple of flavour to overwhelm your tastebuds.
Choose between the quintessential Eelish er Paturi, which has Hilsa wrapped with banana leaf and then steamed, or the Roshun Narkol diye Bhapa Eelish, which has Hilsa steamed with garlic and coconut, a modern take on the Eelish er Paturi, with a completely different flavourtone which sees the predominance of garlic and the mild creamy coconut instead of the usual pungent mustard. Make your pick to opt for the Ranga Eelish, with its fiery red colour as it comes cooked in a bright onion gravy, or go for a sweeter undertone Anarasi Eelish, which has Hilsa cooked with pineapple.
A modern touch to the familiar recipes, make way for a barbecued Hilsa, or Jholsano Eelish, as it is named here, which sees Hilsa roasted and served with mustard, or indulge on another modern take of Eelish Potoler Dorma, which sees your very acquainted Potoler Dorma getting replaced from its cottage cheese or keema stuffing, with the delectable Hilsa filling, which has been simmered and cooked in onion gravy. Some hard choices to make, there isn’t probably a soul, who would wish to try all of these, so as not to deprive their tastebuds of something heavenly, and divine!
While you may always be at war, with what to pick, and what not to, my very favourite would be to experience the soulful combo of Eelish Pulao, which has the quintessential Pulao cooked with Hilsa chunks, and accompany the rice with the soulful Bhaja Eelish er Moja, the very popular and satisfying Hilsa preparation, which sees the fish being fried with the subtle tampering of selective spices, and then served alongwith the heavenly aromatic fried oil. While all the maincourse Eelish preparations would be accompanied with steamed rice, this is one combination which seems quite intriguing.
The festival runs till 2nd of October, 2020, and promises to bring happiness to the much gloomed tastebud of ours, which has so remained deprived of worldly pleasures due to the ongoing pandemic, and then a much relieved scene at the prestigious hotel and the concerned restaurant, where strict checks are done, to adhere to hygiene and sanitizations, starting from screening of the Aarogya Setu application, to temperature checks, sanitizers, and disinfectant spray of all your belongings, as you enter inside the hotel premises.
#EelishUtsav #ThePeerlessInn #newnormal #hygiene #aarogyasetu #sanitization #Eelish #Hilsa #fish #padma #ganga #whenstomachtickles
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