In today's episode of our Tripura Food Series, we joined local hosts Shivangi and Rajesh at Binodini Tea Estate in Bamutia to experience a delightful fusion meal of Tripuri and Bengali dishes. Later, we returned to Agartala for phuchka and a homestyle Bengali dinner at a famous eatery. Shivangi, a school teacher, and Rajesh, an assistant professor, shared passion for food brought us together.
Before reaching Binodini Tea Estate, we briefly stopped at Durgabari Tea Estate, where maintenance work was underway. Tripura is the fifth largest tea producer in India, and these two estates are among the most popular.
The cooking setup at Binodini Tea Estate was rustic and charming. Rajesh began by preparing Machher Paturi, a Bengali delicacy typically made with small carp, but today using a medium-sized fish. After cleaning, the fish was marinated with onions, tomatoes, lemon juice, and coriander, wrapped in banana leaf parcels, and baked on a griddle. In 15 minutes, we had soft and flavorful fish that was a joy to eat.
Next, Shivangi took over and prepared the rest of the side dishes while Rajesh made rice and dal. She started with Thankuni Bata, a uniquely flavorful condiment made from Indian pennywort leaves. This was followed by the laborious task of cleaning and cutting banana blossom, banana stem, and baby jackfruit. She boiled some of these ingredients with potatoes to make Thur Bata, grinding them on a stone grinder.
The following two dishes featured a key ingredient of Tripuri cuisine: dried and fermented pool barb fish known as shidol. Shivangi boiled some shidol with banana stem, blossom, garlic, onion, and chilies to create Shidol Torkari. She then fried more shidol with garlic and dried red chilies, pounding it with baby jackfruit juliennes to make Muchi Bhorta. Both dishes had a distinctive umami flavor from the shidol.
She also prepared Machher Tel, a beloved dish made from fish entrails. The fat-rich entrails were mixed with onion, garlic, and chilies, then cooked in a kadhai with basic seasonings until they transformed into a rich, oily side dish.
We enjoyed this traditional meal amidst the serene backdrop of the tea estate, engaging in conversations that gave us a deeper understanding of these two cuisines. It was a uniquely gratifying experience.
Upon returning to Agartala, we indulged in phuchka at one of Shivangi’s favorite spots near Albert Ekka Park. This beloved street food, served from a small cart, was simply irresistible.
Finally, we had dinner at Adi Sankar Hotel, known for its Bangladeshi cuisine. This rice meal eatery allows you to choose from a variety of side dishes on the à la carte menu. We selected palong shak, tangra machher jhol, dal, jhuri alu bhaja, beguni, desi murgir mangsho, pathar mangsho, shidol chutney, misti chutney, and papad. The setup was basic, but the food looked promising.
Following Shivangi’s guidance, we savored each dish in a specific order. The tangra machher jhol was homely, and both the chicken and mutton curries were rich and flavorful, with the chicken being our favorite. The shidol chutney was a delightful surprise. We concluded our meal with chutney and papad, learning from Shivangi how well they paired with rice and chicken gravy. The banana leaves and small bowls added to the charm of this scrumptious meal.
Thanks to our amazing hosts Shivangi and Rajesh, we had a fantastic culinary experience.