Looking for an entry point to understanding Bengali culture? Begin with the flavours and the feast. As the city gears up for Puja, with murtis being readied in workshops and themed pandals dressing up to welcome the goddess, it’s the perfect time to gather around a Bengali supper table, where stories are shared as generously and lovingly as the food.
it’s the perfect time to gather around a Bengali supper table, where stories are shared as generously and lovingly as the food. (Pics: Toontooni’s Table)
‘Stories connected to Durga Puja and its rituals are woven into the feast’At their Gurgaon home, Camellia Artisanal founders Kamalika and Somdeb Basu are hosting Puja-special lunches that blend Bengal’s culinary culture with tales of rituals. “Our 2.5-hour lunches include stories about food, customs, and the many nuances of Puja. There’s laughter, conversation, and guests often share their own experiences too,” they say.
At their Gurgaon home, Camellia Artisanal founders Kamalika and Somdeb Basu are hosting Puja-special lunches
‘Guests attend a supper club for the joy of a shared experience’For Toonika Guha, who curates Toontooni’s Table with NCR cafés, the supper club is as much about people as it is about food. “My idea of hosting the table is to bring people together, letting them bond over a shared food experience. For those unable to travel home during Puja, it offers a chance to be part of something here in NCR. Guests want to experience it as a group, so a supper table during the festive season works perfectly. The Bengali community loves culinary experiences, and it often evokes fond memories.”
Guests attend a supper club for the joy of a shared experience: Toonika Guha
Missing their hometown Kolkata and home-cooked food prompted Sohinee Thakurta and Abhilasha Mansata to begin hosting lunches at their Lajpat Nagar residence. “Our supper club, Addar Ashor, reflects the atmosphere we grew up with – sharing a meal, lounging around, and talking about everything and nothing. The meal isn’t the only focus; it’s about recreating that intimate space we missed after moving away. Here, people come as strangers and leave as friends,” they tell us.
Missing their hometown Kolkata and home-cooked food prompted Sohinee Thakurta and Abhilasha Mansata to begin hosting lunches at their Lajpat Nagar residence (Pics: Addar Ashor)
Arpita Das, Gurgaon resident who recently attended a pre-Puja home table, says, “It felt like Puja came early this year. I booked the experience for my friends and me a month in advance. For us, Puja has always been about pet pooja and adda – the supper offered all that and more. The storytelling session gave me a deeper understanding of traditions I had never fully known.”
From the inviting colours of the host’s home to the sound of dhaak playing as I walked in, and the vegetarian Puja fare served with stories it all transported me straight to a Kolkata pandal. Since I’m not Bengali, it was a delight to savour homestyle Puja food. I enjoyed sitting together for hours, exchanging stories with people from all walks of life
Shivani Srivastava, UP resident living in Gurgaon, attended a pre-Puja supper recently at Kamalika and Somdeb’s home
From kucho chingri bhorta to postor bora: Dishes to expectAlong with chef Shridula Chatterjee, Toonika is hosting a Puja-themed dinner, with 10 courses named after the different days of Durga Puja – from Mahalaya and Protipod to Ditiya and beyond. From ghoogni to kucho chingri bhorta, the supper club reimagines Durga Puja favourites with flair. “The feast ends on a sweet note with bideshi shahi tukra, a caramelised brioche topped with cream cheese and nolen gur ice cream,” she says.At Kamalika’s home table, guests are welcomed with Madhuparko – a sweet beverage traditionally offered to the Devi. Served in kansa utensils, the lunch commences with bhog er khichudi and labra. “The Agomoni lunch features mochar ghonto, niramish mangsho, basanti pulao and more. Homemade taaler ice cream and nolen gur jolbhora sondesh round off the meal, followed by a session on sondesh making,” she says.From vegetable chop, postor bora and shukto to phulkopi roast and mishti doi, Sohinee and Abhilasha’s curated menu for the festival includes dishes associated with their childhood memories of Durga Puja.
