The Bengali Cuisines - Bangal and Ghoti

With their elaborate preparations of fish, vegetables and lentils served with rice as a staple diet, the Bengali cuisine has evolved for years, passing through the Nawab Rule and undergoing a major change with European influence when the East India Company decided to make Calcutta as the nation's capital. After the partition of the huge state that Bengal was, there were distinctly two different styles of cooking based on the ancestral origin of the family -  the fiery curries of the Bangal style made popular in India by the immigrants from East Bengal (Bangladesh) and the sweet loving natives of West Bengal who developed the Ghoti style.

Bhapa Ilish

Though both styles of cooking originate from almost the same geographical location, they differ entirely in the spices and marinades used. With a lavish use of oil and chillies, the trump card of Bangal cooking is probably the use of morich bata and phoron, a combination of whole spices, fried and added at the start or finish of cooking as a flavouring special to each dish. Bhapa Ilish is one such preparation in which the Hilsa fish is steamed in oil and spices, giving it a musky and smoky flavour.

Alu Jhinge Posto at Oh! Calcutta

Ridiculed by the Bangals for their bland and sweet gravies, the main ingredient in a Ghoti's kitchen is jaggery or sugar. Traditionally preferring the sweet taste, a true Ghoti is known to add a bit of sugar to most of their dishes. Another ingredient, which is widely used by the Ghotis is posto (poppy seeds). Their all time fascination with this has led to most of the Ghoti delicacies being lined with poppy seeds like Alu Posto, Dim Posto, Jhinge Posto and much more.

Luchis at Oh! Calcutta

Contrary to the popular belief, not all Bengalis are rice oriented and herein lies another difference in Ghotis and Bangals. A typical Bangal starts his day with rice for breakfast, has lunch with rice and finishes his dinner with rice whereas a Ghoti prefers deep-fried flatbread made of wheat-flour called luchis. These luchis come in different sizes and varieties; the ones made of atta are called puris and stuffed luchis are called kochuris.

Chitol Peti

While Bengalis are in general stereotyped and associated with Macher Jhol Bhaat (Fish Curry), the divide among the Paschimbangya (West Bengal residents) and the Purbabangya (East Bengal residents) has caused a division in the loyalty to the fishes as well as their style of cooking. The Bangals are characterized by their staunch support for Ilish Machh (Hilsa) and believe that the Hilsa from the Padma River is anyday more tastier than the ones from Rupnarayan River. While Ghotis disregard all such claims, their love for lobsters and prawns is far more than that of Hilsa. Bangals also savour typical fishes like Pabda and Loita as well as dried fish or shutki mach. Ghotis prefer the bigger Rohu or Katla.

Ilish Maach (Hilsa)

The Hilsa and Lobster difference in Kolkata is so sound that they are even used as symbols or emblems of the two sects in football matches. Whenever there is a match between East Bengal (Bangal supporters) and Mohun Bagan (Ghoti supporters), the respective fans carry Hilsa or Lobsters home for dinner after the victory as a sign of dominance over the other.

Chingri Maachh (Prawns)

Although these differences draw them apart, over the last 50 years significant cross influences have taken place, which has resulted in more of a unified fusion cuisine. This is due to migration on religious lines after the partition of India as well as inter marriages.  In today's nuclear families, the style followed by Bengali homes usually depends on which district the lady is from. However still talk to a Bangal or Ghoti and they will proudly try to convince you how their cuisine is better than their counterpart's.

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Haleem Trail: Shah Ghouse

Shah Ghouse is the favorite haleem destination of many Hyderabadis. In the last few years this place has carved out a name for itself  for both biryani and haleem, and to cater to the ever increasing demand, the restaurant has branched out from their original outlet at Shalibanda to Toli Chowki and now at Raidurgam. Their haleem has been winning awards at the popular contests in the city.

Haleem at Telangana Festival

Shah Ghouse had put up a stall at the Telangana Haleem Festival, Shilparamam. There was a long queue in front of their stall. Haleem was being sold at Rs 120 a plate.

Haleem being garnished and made ready

The haleem here was spicy but not as spicy as Café 555, another popular place. It had lot of cashews in it and the meat was tender. The ratio of meat was good, but too many small bones were the irritants. I do not understand why the haleem makers, at least the famous ones, do not have a boneless version at a higher price. Only Green Park seems to be serving boneless haleem. Overall, except for the bones, I liked the taste of the haleem.

Haleem pot at Telangana Festival

My second opportunity came when we were in Toli Chowki at the Shah Ghouse outlet. It was past iftar time and the restaurant was buzzing with people. A plate of fresh haleem was handed over. The haleem looked a bit bland, and the sherwa in it was less compared to the previous time.

At the exhibition

I was happy to note that the taste of haleem here was consistent. It tasted very similar to the one I had in the festival.  The soft meat and wheat had blended well and the spices and ghee had provided a nice aroma to the mixture. Only difference was that though there were too many bones again, and now the bones were pretty big, thus cutting down on the amount of haleem in the plate. That was quite a dampener for me.

A family pack of haleem here is Rs 450 and it can feed 5 people as per the person in the counter.

Haleem at Tolichowki outlet

Rating: 3.5/5

Location:  Shah Ghouse has three outlets in the city – Shah Ali Banda, Tolichowki (opp Yousuf Tekdi food court) and Raidurgam.

Disclaimer: The feedback and ratings are based on sampling on a particular day. In many such outlets taste is not consistent, and varies from day to day and branch to branch.

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New Monsoon menu at Olive Bistro, Hyderabad

Olive Bistro in Jubilee Hills has made quite a name for itself in a short span of one year. Around their first anniversary, the restaurant has introduced its new Monsoon menu. The menu, designed by Chef de Cuisine Sujan Sarkar and implemented in Hyderabad by their Executive Sous Chef Vikram Chanana, has the best of Italian and Mediterranean delicacies.   As part of the menu launch, a group of food enthusiasts were invited to sample a few select dishes from the new offerings.

Scrambled Egg and Mushroom Puff

We started with a Scrambled Egg and Mushroom Puff.  A soft and delicious puff topped with ragout mushrooms, scrambled egg and select greens.

The soup sampler

There was a sampler with two soups served – the first a vegetarian Farm House Minestrone which was a delicious tomato soup with vegetables and greens. The Creamy Chicken and Vegetarian Broth was a thick soup with vegetables and mushrooms. Garlic bread was served to go with the soups.

Apple, feta, pine nut salad

Smoked Chicken and Quinoa salad

Among the salads, my favorite was the Watermelon and Feta Salad, a cool Greek preparation in a honey dressing. For the health conscious there was the light Smoked Chicken and Quinoa salad with a white milk based dressing.  There was also Apple, Feta and Pinenut salad in an extremely alluring presentation. All the salad dressings were extremely fresh and I literally gorged on them.

Saffron Arancini

The starters were the next to arrive. Saffron Arancini was deep fried Italian rice balls served with a delicious dip. Filo (or paper thin dough) Wrapped Brie Cheese was served with cleaned orange pieces.

Lamb Meat Balls

Bruschetta in Olive is always tasty – this menu has a smoked chicken version.
The best of the starters was saved for the last - Lamb Meat Balls in a tomato based spicy sauce. The meat balls were soft but I loved the sauce more – it was spicy and a bit tangy. The cheese on top enhanced the taste further.

Filo Wrapped Brie Cheese

Next we were served flat breads, calzones and wood oven pizzas. Among the various pizzas served, it was the ham and pineapple based pizza which I liked the most.

The menu also had Smoked Salmon Bagel and Pulled Pork Bap. I liked the pork fillings of the bap, but the bap bread was too dry for my liking.

Asparagus Green Risotto

Risottos of the new menu were very well prepared – a green asparagus version with cheese and the other seafood version with fresh prawns and squids.

Chicken Espetada

Espetadas or meat on hanging skewers is a highlight of this new menu. I have seen this in Nando’s, and I was told by a restaurateur friend that due to the visual appeal of the dish it gets reordered from other tables. Olive is introducing a chicken version of this dish.

Confit Chicken and Pan Cooked Salmon

The Confit Chicken Leg and the Pan Cooked Blackened Salmon were served in the same plate. I liked the marinade on the chicken leg.

Eggless Panacotta

In the desserts section, the Coconut and White Chocolate Panacotta was loved by all. It was an eggless preparation with mango puree. The Fresh Fruit Pavlova had a nice presentation.

The ever popular Insanity Cake Slice in Olive’s menu has been replaced by a Black Forest Cake. This is also a cake slice to die for especially for a chocoholic like me. Few more cakes were also served which were lapped up by everyone.

Fresh Fruit Pavlova

I appreciate the regular menu change by the Olive group – it gives the regular customers the opportunity to try a range of different items over a period of time. The menu is fairly exhaustive and interesting - though I will miss the Twice Cooked Pork Belly and the Insanity Slice Cake from the previous list. We had a long discussion with the Managing Director of Olive group of restaurants A D Singh and the partner of Olive Bistro Hyderabad, Shaaz Mehmood.  Chef Vikram was at hand to explain the finer details of the dishes.

As part of their anniversary celebrations and new menu launch Olive Bistro is giving a special 50% discount to all customers till 29th July.

Address:  Olive Bistro
                Inside Durgam Cheruvu complex ahead of Dr Ambedkar University
                Road No 46, Jubilee Hills

Telephone: 9652260009, 9963512558

Meal for two: Rs 2000

Tip: Please book a table in advance to avoid disappointment

See Also: The Lunch Box at Olive Bistro
                 The Sunday Brunch at Olive Bistro

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Haleem Trail: Pista House

The name Pista House is almost synonymous to Hyderabadi haleem. In fact no food lover will go through the Ramzan season without tasting their haleem once. Pista House has their own outlets in different areas of the city during this period and a huge franchisee network selling their haleem all over town. They also have a tie-up with Gati Couriers to deliver haleem to major cities in India.

Pista House haleem at the Secunderabad outlet

My first taste of Pista House this year was at the Haleem Festival organized at Shilparamam. Pista House was offering a special haleem at a discounted price of Rs 60 here.  The offering had very little bones, and the strands of mutton in it were extremely tender. The haleem was rich in meat and had the right quantity of sherwa in it. I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality and I was told by the person in the counter that this was a specially prepared haleem.

Package for takeaway

Soon, Pista House opened their special Ramzan outlet at Le Palais Garden in Secunderabad. Apart from haleem they also sell Hyderabadi Patthar Ka Gosht and kababs at this location. Since this is quite close to where I stay, I could not resist a second round of the Pista House haleem.

Haleem stall at Le Palais, Secunderabad

Here the haleem was priced at Rs 140, but the quantity was definitely much more. The mutton quantity here was significantly more. The mutton was well cooked and soft and melted in my mouth. The amount of bones was very low too (maybe it was my good luck), and the meat was so tender that it was easy to separate the bones easily. The haleem overall was not over spicy but flavorful and tasty.

Haleem at Telangana Haleem Festival

The staff here was very friendly, which matters a lot, as you can get the exact amount of ghee and garnishing you want.  I managed to customize the taste to my liking and was extremely satisfied.

This was definitely one of the better haleems I had this year. If you are interested in Pista House, it is always better to go directly to one of their outlets, rather than try it from a parcel available with the local franchisee.



Location:  Pista House has their main outlet near Charminar. They set up numerous outlets in various function halls during Ramzan. Apart from that, they have franchisees selling their packed haleem almost at every street corner during this period.

Disclaimer: The feedback and ratings are based on sampling on a particular day. In many such outlets taste is not consistent, and varies from day to day and branch to branch.

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Le Bistro Du Parc : Bistronomie at its Best

A small, french restaurant serving moderately priced meals set in the middle of a park; it doesn't require a linguist to gauge that the name is bang on. A venture by Naina de Bois-Juzan with the Olive group, Le Bistro du Parc looks to introduce the concept of Bistronomie in Delhi while treating food lovers with delightful dishes from the Parisian cuisine.

Drawn in shades of blue on the outside, the insides of the bistro is a bit cramped but very homely. As soon as we entered, we were welcomed by Nick, the manager, who greeted us and showed us to our table. Decked with book shelves, hanging lamps and a coat hanger, the restaurant has the most authentic décor and resembles the French bistros seen in movies. The green foliage outside is very soothing to the eye too and with some outdoor seating can be perfect for romantic dates during winters.

Photo Courtesy - Le Bistro Du Parc

The menu served here is quite small and is written with chalk on blackboards; these are put up in strategic locations to help customers make choices no matter where they are seated. The reason for their small menu is that most of the items that they serve are subject to availability and thus the menu changes every season.

We started off with the Kiwi Margarita and Peach Bellini. Served in a champagne flute, the bellini was a cocktail made of sparkling wine with the peach essence adding a tropical flair to the drink. The sparkling wine content was a bit too high and was overbearing on the peach flavor. The Kiwi margarita on the other hand was an absolute wonder and the thick flavor of the fruit paired with vodka was a delight.

Kiwi Margarita

Peach Bellini

For starters, we ordered the Chicken Liver Parfait, Quinoa Tabbouleh with Sauteed Gambas and Pan Fried Calamari. Made with the liver of the chicken, the Chicken Liver Parfait was a buttery meat paste served with crispy baguettes, confit onions and balsamic reduction. Through all its creaminess and boneless-ness, the parfait really appealed to our taste buds and within a few minutes, we had finished the entire dish.

Chicken Liver Parfait

The Sauteed Gambas was the pick of the day and was the right amount of tangy with a sweetish aftertaste. The tangyness was majorly due to a tomato and lemon essence which they had used while frying it. The Gambas (which means prawns in French) had been properly deveined and cleaned but was served with tails intact which may cause discomfort to the people eating it. The prawns were accompanied by the Quinoa Tabbouleh which was a heavenly mixture of tomatoes, chillies, parsley and quinoa seeds.

Quinoa Tabbouleh with Sauteed Gambas

The Pan Fried Calamari was the last entree to be served on our table. With a strong garlic flavour, the dish was more like a salad, served with loads of vegetables like cherry tomatoes and black olives. It was mildly spicy and had a tangy flavour to it.

Pan Fried Calamari

For the main course, we settled for their famous Lamb Confit with Red Onion Jam and Glazed Vegetables. We had heard a lot of praise about it on different food forums and after tasting it, were sure that it deserved every bit of it. Topped with onion jam, the lamb was cooked for a long time in its fat making it extremely soft and filling. Accompanied by baby potatoes, cherry tomatoes and carrots, it is a whole meal.

Lamb Confit with Red Onion Jam and Glazed Vegetables

The second main course we tried was the Sole Meunière et Courgettes. A flatfish famous in the coasts of Europe, they are members of the family Soleidae, but, in India, the name sole is loosely applied to various other similar flatfish, though the most famous one is the Bengal Sole Fish.  Served with sliced zucchini, cucumber and capsicum, the fish was soft and the usage of a lemon marinade had us going gaga for the dish.

Sole Meunière et Courgettes

For the desserts, we tried their French Mango Cloud and Chocolate Fondant. Topped with a mango caramelized cookie, the meringue at the bottom just melts in the mouth. It was also served with mango pulp, giving a holistic mango taste. . The Chocolate Fondant tasted even better and was basically molten chocolate with nuts.

French Mango Cloud

Rocher au Chocolat Valrhona

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A must visit for every french food gourmet, they also have Jazz nights every Wednesday which means that the place fills up extremely fast.

Meal for two persons – Rs 2000/-

Address : A - 57,58,59
Moolchand Market, Defence Colony
New Delhi

Telephone : 011 46780080

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Haleem Trail: Shadab, Banjara Hills

Shadab is famous for its Hyderabadi cuisine, among which are their biryani, nihari and paya.  Their range of dishes is among the best in town. Apart from their main outlet in old city, they have started a takeaway point in Banjara Hills about a year back. Haleem in both places are supplied from their centralized kitchen.

The outlet

The takeaway is brightly lit and clean with a row of seats in the corner for dining. The haleem here is pre-packed in containers, and they do not serve it in plates. Couple of lemon wedges and a plastic spoon is provided along with the haleem.

The Takeaway Counter

As I retreated to the seats and opened the haleem, it did not impress me. There was hardly any garnishing. However as I dug into it, the taste and the flavor took over.

The haleem here is not very spicy but has a very simple taste which I loved. There were small chunks of mutton – more than those in the other haleems that I have tasted so far. The mutton had really blended well with the spices and wheat creating a thick consistency.  The ghee was also in the right quantity. On the flip side, there were the small pieces of bones in the haleem which were difficult to remove.

Shadab haleem

Though the Shadab haleem is one of the good ones I tasted this year, more onions, nuts and mint, and lesser small bones would have made it even more delightful.

They have three different packages – a single pack costs Rs 120, a special pack at Rs 270 feeds three, and a pack for the whole family at Rs 600.

Rating: 3.5/5

Location:  From Road No 2 Banjara Hills, take the lane next to the well known Masjid-E-Hussaini. Shadab Takeaway is just two houses away.

Back to:  Haleem Trail

Disclaimer: The feedback and ratings are based on sampling on a particular day. In many such outlets taste is not consistent, and varies from day to day and branch to branch.

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Haleem Trail: Paradise, Secunderabad

Paradise is a name synonymous with Hyderabadi biryani. Known to one and all, it is the first thing which pops up in one's mind whenever someone mentions Hyderabadi Biryani. Curiously, the popularity of the restaurant seems to be on a down curve as more and more people curse the dish, especially the ones served in the Masab Tank and Hitec City outlets. It has almost become a fad as it is taken as a measure of showing how much a person is well versed in local tastes. However, a few like me are still loyal to one of the oldest biryani joints in Hyderabad. And whenever people visit from outside Hyderabad, they all insist on Paradise biryani.

Paradise haleem counter

Other than their biryani, Paradise has some clientele for their haleem too. As late as 2012, they were announced as the winners in the haleem category of Times Biryani and Haleem contest. As I had gone to Paradise Circle (named after the restaurant)  for some work, I could not resist trying out the haleem there.

A special area (which is normally used to sell bakery products) has been earmarked for haleem. A long queue was already in place to buy the tokens. After taking the coupon you need to wait for a short while at the delivery counter where three wait staff are feverishly doling out plates of haleem.

The offering

The first thing I noticed was  that the haleem served here had very little garnishing. On request, some more was added in a miserly fashion. As I dug into the haleem, the initial taste was quite good – the ghee (Sherwa) had a very nice flavor and the spices were just right. However the sad part of it was that the mutton content in the haleem was very low, as a result of which the wheat taste was overpowering.

The award winning haleem has its detractors too

Surely with addition of a bit more meat, and more fried onions, mint and cashew on top, this haleem can become a real hit.

A plate of Mutton Haleem is priced at Rs 120, and for Rs 5 extra Paradise is offering a small bottle of Coke.

The winner certificate adorns the wall

Location:  Situated in Paradise Circle, Secunderabad, the restaurant is a landmark by itself. In fact directions are given to other places in Secunderabad, with Paradise as the reference point.

Disclaimer: The feedback and ratings are based on sampling on a particular day. In many such outlets taste is not consistent, and varies from day to day and branch to branch.

                                                    Back to : Haleem Trail Index

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