Saturday, 1 February 2014

Shorshe Bata (Bengali Mustard Paste)


Shorshe or mustard seeds come in different hues and sizes. The black or brown ones are more popular in Bong cuisine…the notorious macher jhal recipes more often than not use the traditional bangali shorshe bata.
Please please never ever use kasundi (Bengali mustard sauce), or Dijon mustard, or English mustard in Bong recipes that are asking for shorshe bata. You’ll get a tart after taste that’ll so clash with the whole recipe. It is very simple to make your own shorshe bata at home. Here’s how:

Soak mustard seeds for 4-8 hours. Grind to a paste in your wet-dry grinder with green chili, salt, and a sprinkle of water. THIS my friends will yield the authentic Bong shorshe bata.
[The soaking is necessary if you are using an electric grinder]

If you find shorshe recipes too tough to digest, mild it out with ½ posto (poppy seeds) instead. So take posto and shorshe in equal quantities, soak 4-8 hours. Grind with chili and salt.

Alternatively, you may strain the 1st variant (no posto version) with some more water and throw away the mustard husks. These are a bit tough on your tummy.

Enjoy!

No comments:

Post a Comment