Locomotoring

Thakur is God in my mother tongue (Bengali), and Thakur bari would translate to God’s house, i.e., a temple. I was nearly fooled into thinking that the beet recipe was temple food. Indian temple food is something special, it is not only vegetarian, it is also devoid of onion and garlic. Frankly, Indians have elevated the vegetarian cuisine like no other culture has. Most Indians are non-vegetarians. But our spices, our diversity, our menus, our tadkas (phoron in Bengali) make our vegetarian food dance on the palate. For many years, we were on a strict FODMAP diet, which meant no onions and garlic. And I was leaning into temple cuisine rather often. In this case, Thakur Bari is a reference to Rabindranath Thakur (or Tagore) and his home. Recipes from Tagore’s home kitchen (link) have captured Bengali minds. Rabindranath was born in modern day West Bengal in early 1860s. Many of the dishes were Rabindranath’s favorite. And nearly all are heritage dishes.

So when my CSA decided it was time to send me juicy beets, a lot of it, I had to go looking for recipes (other than my favorite Ottolenghi goto – the beet, caraway and goat cheese bread) . It was April and time for Bengali New Year so I was looking for something closer, culturally speaking. And then I found beet baata from Thakur bari.

It is a mash, and mashes are quintessential to Bengali cuisine. Our mashes are usually eaten earlier in the meal, often as a second course. We mash the mash in with rice. Mashes are spiced. Green chilis and mustard oil are often the primary flavors, in addition to the vegetable itself. You name it, we mash it. So why not beet.

Since I was a kid, I have loved colorful food. And purple is a favorite. Malabar spinach berries are a favorite (link). As are jamuns (link, link). The sorrels I grow are the purple veined variety (link). I grew purple peas one summer (link).

Thakur bari’s recipe called for poppy seeds in the beet mash. I didn’t have any. So I substituted with grated coconut. The recipe asked for nigella seeds and I had just run out, so I substituted with mustard seeds. The recipe asked to boil the beets, I roasted them for the added flavor. Otherwise, I made it just as the recipe suggested and it was a flavor bomb. Like mashes are meant to be. Beet baata turns the white rice a beautiful purple color. The sharpness of green chills, the pungency of mustard, the sweetness of the beets, and the richness of the coconut came together into a cheerful dish.