Leaving home in pursuit of dreams is a bittersweet experience. As much as you are progressing towards becoming the person you always wanted to be, you also lose a part of you. Michelin-starred and James Beard-nominated Chef Sujan Sarkar’s story stands as a testament to this experience. As he tells us what Durga Puja means to him, Sarkar said,” I left home and moved to Bhubhaneshwar to study hotel management at IHM over 25 years ago. Ever since, Pujo has only been about reminiscing the memories of celebrating Durga Puja as a teenager,” said Sarkar in a conversation with Outlook Traveller Eats.
Celebrating Vegetarian Food Through Pujo Celebrations
As he spoke about his fondest food memories, Sarkar went back to his family’s breakfast spread and mentioned Radhaballavi—a kachori-like stuffed puri filled with a urad dal mixture. “On usual days, the curries were usually paired with luchi, but my mother always prepared Radhaballavi during Pujo,” he recalled.
For a Bengali household, non-vegetarian dishes and food are almost a norm. However, Sarkar’s family custom disallowed them from eating meat until Durga Ashtami, the 8th day of Durga Puja. “As a Bengali, each year, it turned out to be a good time for me to enjoy and appreciate the vegetarian dishes that my mother and grandmother prepared. Of course, before I returned to meat on Navami,” Sarkar laughed. While breakfast and lunch were usually enjoyed indoors with family, dinner was typically eaten out with friends and family.
Sarkar mentioned that there were not many stalls and restaurants, and not much to choose from. “Twenty-five years ago, it was all about finding happiness in little things,” he added. Despite the limited variety, he still remembers the taste of the rolls, Mughlai paratha, and biryani served at the stalls and restaurants in Kolkata.
While his memories of celebrating Pujo during his time in Calcutta were vivid, his voice expressed a longing. “I changed base multiple times and in all these years I became detached from the joy and charm of celebrating the festival,” said Sarkar.
Reconnecting With The Past
In April this year, Sarkar opened Nadu in Chicago. It is a fine-dining restaurant that celebrates the diversity of regional Indian cuisine at its most authentic. He is offering a Durga Puja spread featuring dishes that were traditionally prepared in households across West Bengal, as well as in his own home. “This is my way of looking back, reliving and reviving the memories of Pujo through dishes,” Sarkar added.
Some of his most favourite starters on the menu include baguni (eggplant fritters), dimer devil (egg chop), chicken cutlet and phoolkopi singara (cauliflower samosa). “The radhaballavi and the aromatic basanti pulao are recipes I have picked up from my mother’s kitchen, and I want everyone to try,” Sarkar added.
The roster also features iconic desserts, such as rosogolla, mishti doi, and nolen gurer payesh.
While people in Chicago are aware of Diwali and Navratri, there is limited awareness about Pujo. “This is not just my way of reconnecting with my roots but also creating awareness among people of a foreign land, about our rich culture,” Sarkar concluded.
Read more: Two Chefs Share Their Favourite Durga Puja Foods In Delhi NCR
Also read: From Shorshe Ilish to Mishti Doi: Where To Eat The Best Bengali Food In CR Park
