A new food pop-up in Mumbai immerses in the Sundarbans

The Sundarbans is often introduced through its most famous inhabitant the Royal Bengal Tiger However beyond it lie stories of its residents who inhabit its rivers forests and islands Chef Ananya Banerjeersquos Bonobibir Bhoj attempts to bring that story to the table ldquoThe Sundarbans has fascinated me because it is where food folklore livelihood and nature are inseparable The river the tides forest and seasons shape the cuisinerdquoResidents use waterways to navigate the Sundarbans Pic CourtesyWikimedia CommonsOnce upon a mealThe menu is structured like a journey through its landscape Dishes such as Bonobibir Ashirbad blessings of Bonobibi Boner Ahar forestrsquos meal Nodir Daan riverrsquos gift Kankra Dhora catching crabs Jowarer Biroti Ghore Fera returning home at the break of the tide and Moualer Jhapi honey collectorrsquos basket become chapters moving from the forest and waterways to the homes and livelihoods of the communities living at its edgesLau Pata Mora Kumro Sheem Paturi Tomato Pora Chokha Chitoi Pithe and Begunpoda on a rice crispAt the centre of that narrative is Bonobibi the forest guardian revered by Sunderbansrsquo resident communities particularly those whose livelihoods depend upon the forest including fisherfolk and honey collectors For Banerjee Bonobibirsquos significance is less about recreating a religious ritual and more about the idea of shared survival A bhoj is about sitting together sharing what the land and water have provided and acknowledging the origins of their foodrdquo she explainsMangrove produceSmoked Hilsa on a rice crisp and Modhu Cake Bonmodhur Payesh Modhu Narkel Patisapta and Wild Honey Ice creamNo single flavour defines the Sundarbans Banerjee points out Its cuisine reflects its ecology fish prawns and crab from the rivers and estuaries rice and lentils from the agricultural landscape and a variety of vegetables leaves and bhortas Mustard and mustard oil green mango tomato chilli coriander tamarind and other souring ingredients bring sharpness and balance while techniques such as boiling mashing smoking and roasting allow simple ingredients to become intensely flavouredMushur Daler Bhorta Mankochu Bata Dhonepata BhortaIn a landscape shaped by tides cyclones flooding and increasing salinity ingredients cannot always be taken for granted ldquoEvery ingredient counts and preservation and transformation are importantrdquo explains Banerjee ldquoThere is humility to this food It doesnrsquot try to overpower the ingredient but understands that when nature is unpredictable you respect what it gives yourdquoFrom bhorta to smoked hilsaOne of Banerjeersquos discoveries during her research was the variety of bata ground crushed paste and bhorta mashed and seasoned dish preparations something she feels is often overlooked when Bengali food is reduced to fish curries mustard and sweets That thinking finds an expression in Bonobibir Ashirbad where smoked hilsa is served on a crisp rice cracker with kasundi aioli and mustard cressBoner Ahar which Banerjee identifies as the dish that captures the spirit of the Sundarbans brings together several small preparations with warm binni rice The nonvegetarian version features Lote fish Prawn and Chicken Bhortas while the vegetarian interpretation uses lentil tomato potato raw banana and corianderleaf preparations ldquoThis food belongs to a community rather than a restaurant kitchen It is humble generous and deeply rooted in the landscaperdquo she remindsNodir Daan or ldquothe riverrsquos giftrdquo pairs Lau Pata Mora traditional Bengali culinary style where small fish or prawns are mixed with spices and mustard oil wrapped inside tender bottle gourd leaves and steamed or shallowfried and Bhetki Paturi with roasted tomatopotato and mini Chitoi Pitha Rice flour flatbread Kankra Dhora is deliberately more tactile This mud crab in fiery tomato and red chilli gravy is served in its shell with Sundarbans rice congee and crab oil The meal progresses towards the forest and its honey collectorsHoney collectorrsquos basketThe Sundarbansrsquo honey collectors mouals occupy an evocative place in Banerjeersquos interpretation They enter a forest that provides a livelihood but can also be dangerous ldquoThat duality is at the heart of the Sundarbansrdquo she reminds ldquoThe forest is not a beautiful backdrop It feeds protects challenges and sometimes threatens Behind a simple and luxurious ingredient is a human who enters the forest to source itrdquo That idea culminates in Moualer Jhapi a dessert course inspired by the honey collectorrsquos basket Bon Modhur Payesh CoconutandHoney Patisapta Wild Honey Ice Cream Honeycomb and Honey Drizzle turn the ingredient into a final reminder of the human labour behind itInspiration not imitationThe most important distinction in Bonobibir Bhoj is the one Banerjee makes between inspiration and recreation She doesnrsquot claim that the meal served in Mumbai is a literal Sundarbans home meal ldquoAuthenticity isnrsquot about freezing a cuisine in time but about understanding its soul before interpreting itrdquo she says This approach also means knowing what not to reinterpret Banerjee was careful not to turn Bonobibi or sacred traditions associated with her into a dining gimmick ldquoI wanted to take inspiration from the cultural landscape and the foodways People should leave feeling that they have experienced a slice of the Sundarbans its rivers forests people uncertainties and storiesrdquoWho is BonobibiBonobibi is extraordinary because she belongs to a particular cultural landscape As the protector of the community here she is revered by Hindu and Muslim communities of the SundarbansON August 23 12 noon onwardsAT Ashok Gardens Tokershi Jivraj Road SewriCOST Rs 3450 NonVegetarian Rs 2850 Vegetarian