Yummilicioussss

Dinner arrived as per pre-ordered menu on 8th September 2022 well packaged and absolutely on time between 7.00 and 8.00 PM by Uber.

The Menu was

However, I had chosen only Fish Kalia and Chicken Korma as I was having this irresistible urge for non-vegetarian khana, especially fish. Needless to say, they were very well cooked – Bengali or Bong style. I still cannot get over the Kalia. The fish was very, very fresh. The pieces were huge. The gravy did not have any “fishy” smell ( I was very specific about that).

We are small eaters. For us, one plate was more than sufficient. The Chicken was all soft and juicy. I relished the silkiness of the creamy cashew garnish all over the sumptuous chicken pieces interweaved with the sweetness of the deeply fried barista – just the right combo for the palate. I love barista. It adds another dimension to any dish – be it Biryani or Chicken. Again the quantity served/packed for one could suffice four eaters like us.

Kalia was all spices (rich with garam masala) which it is meant to be. In Indian cuisine, garam masala is a mixture of cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf and clove ground to a powder. These are just the minimum ingredients. Some add cumin seeds, black pepper, nut meg and mace also to it to make it more flavourful, rich and tasty. To put it succinctly, when we Bongs cook fish with onion, garlic, ginger and tomato paste, the outcome is akin to Kalia. There could be more to it but my limited culinary knowledge can define the dish only in this simplistic way.

I have stopped preparing Non-veg at home for various reasons. When I have a biological thirst for it, I either order it through Zomato or ask my sister to make it. So, this was a treat for which I had to wait for three months as Tapatie had left for the US of A for a short vacation. Before leaving she apologized several times for not being able to satiate my taste buds and I kept on assuring her that the apology was quite unnecessary.

But what I actually want to emphasize here is the personal care she took once she confirmed the order. She was very particular about the oil and spice level, whether I was allergic to any ingredient, at what time I ate dinner, what would be the convenient delivery time since I reach home late from office and once the packets were delivered she reconfirmed over phone whether I have got them without any glitch or not. I am not so used to being taken care of. I was really touched. She also confessed how bad she felt when she had to refuse my order three months back because she was in a hurry to leave for abroad. Again, she was not required to but that is Tapatie.

A little about her. She is my childhood buddy’s neighbour and friend. So, a friend’s friend is of course a friend. Tapatie left a high profile corporate job to follow her passion which is cooking. Those who can chuck off stressful, demotivating, mere money making careers and achieve their dreams, which may be less profitable earning-wise but high in soul satisfaction quotient, they are, I believe, the luckiest persons on this earth.

I have met her just once. But I saw a motherly side to her during our interaction – the way she cared for littlest of things to heighten the comfort level of those she catered to. She even offered to deliver a suitable vegetarian meal for my mother which was really very, very sweet of her.

Unfortunately, I am going through a restrictive phase off spicy stuff and desperately waiting for a nod from my GP to again start hogging as ever.

Till then, I have to do with salivating over the pics I took as Tapatie’s delicacies arrived and unpacked hurriedly and impatiently. Here they are:

Fish Kalia :

Chicken Korma :

Don’t they look yummilicious????