Mughlai Porotha, Bhaapa Chingri & Plastic Chutney: Chow Down On Homecook Iti Aunty's Pujo Thaala

Iti Aunty’s traditional Bengali special thaalas at Monkey Bar are the only ones you need to eat this Pujo!

Monkey Bar’s Food Over Evil Menu is a specially designed Pujo menu curated by Iti Aunty {a warm and loving Bengali home cook with some killer recipes and insane secret ingredients}. It’s so interesting to eat a traditional Bengali meal in a contemporary setting while sipping on a fancy cocktail.

There are three kinds of thaalas you can choose from – veggie, chicken or seafood – each of which serves two {the thaalas are huge – we wouldn’t be surprised if three people shared it}.

All the thaalas come with a bowl of tangy tomato-ey aloo dum, begun kasundi, plastic chutney {it’s not actually made with plastic, but with raw papaya which turns transparent and gives it the illusion of being like plastic} and tomato chutney. The veggie thaala comes with the traditional shukto {with little pieces of daal boda}, luchi, parval stuffed with chhana and a surprise of chanachur and dhokar dalna.

For everyone who can’t live without chicken, the chicken thaala is everything you need in your life. The meat is tender and falls off the bone and power packed with interesting flavours. The Mughlai Porotha is honestly the best in the city – flaky, stuffed with mutton and not as heavy as you would think it would be. The other staple is the Bhoona Khichuri with Chicken Meatballs {move aside, spaghetti and meatballs}. This quirky take on meatballs is hearty and works well with the side dishes. Chicken chop, chicken kosha and omelette curry are the other delicacies on the thaala.

We saved the best for last – the seafood thaala! If you’re not familiar with eating fish, don’t stress. Everything is boneless and easy to eat. Fish Kochuri {it tastes incredible with the delicate flavour of fish blended in with the kochuri – Iti Aunty tells us that the offbeat-cuts of the fish are used here so that no part of the fish has to be thrown away}, Bhoona Khichuri with crisply fried mourala maachh {another family favourite}, Bhaapa Chingri Wrapped in pumpkin leaves {fresh prawns wrapped in tender leaves} and the classic Fish Cutlet.

Kamala Bhetki is the dish of the day – a take on the duck a l’orange, it’s a tender bhetki in a citrus-y sauce {the secret ingredient is orange juice!}.

Those who don’t get Bengali food at home, those craving a traditional Bengali thaala and anyone looking to celebrate Pujo in a traditional Bengali way.

Monkey’s thaalas are meant to be shared – huge portions everyone can dive into for a taste – there’s no individual plates here. Pujo is all about sharing and celebrating together, and that’s exactly what this is.

Iti Aunty is a familiar face around Monkey Bar {if you haven’t tried her daab chingri pizza off the regular menu, you’re missing out on something special}. A happy, charming, classy lady, her home-cooking skills will put any chef to shame. She whipped up some of her favourite dishes and age-old family recipes {passed down from her mother and grandmother} to make Monkey’s menu extra special.

Good news, Delhi peeps! The menu is available in Kolkata as well as in Delhi during the Pujo week. The veg thaala comes for INR 999+, the chicken one for INR 1,199 and the seafood one for INR 1,299.

Where: Monkey Bar Kolkata and Delhi.

When: September 24-30.

Start with the shukto and end with the chutney – that’s the traditional way of doing it! Get a signature Toast to Calcutta or Old Fashioned On Camac cocktail on the side to really enjoy the meal.