Aarhani Restaurant in Santiniketan, Bolpur is distinguished for its unique preparations, which one cannot imagine to be available in the neighbourhood.
About
Aarhani Restaurant is the kitchen of Borgi Da, and Rini Di earlier used to operate as a restaurant but presently works as a cloud kitchen against advanced orders only.
What to order?
Methi Murgh
Methi Murgh is a delicately spiced, creamy and delicious chicken white curry. Dried fenugreek or methi leaves is the main ingredient. I have never tasted chicken so cosmic when tender chicken chunks combined with aromatic fenugreek leaves in a creamy yoghurt-based sauce. The tanginess of chopped tomatoes and the freshness of lemon juice takes the dish to the next level.
Pork with Black Sesame Seed
Dohneiiong or Pork with Black Sesame Seed is a Naga delicacy from Meghalaya. Slow-cooked pork belly with roasted black sesame makes the meat dark coloured and with a rich earthy flavour. Other essential ingredients were onion, green chillis, ginger garlic paste and bay leaf. Pork is scorched on a medium flame till the meat is tender. Every meat dish had a thin layer of fat and ghee on top, which is bliss with steamed rice.
Kashmiri Mutton
Kashmiri Mutton is a motivation from Mutton Rogan Josh. Mutton pieces pre-marinated with ginger, garlic and yoghurt were fried in oil and slow-cooked in the meat fat and yoghurt-based gravy. The gravy gets its vibrant red colour from powdered Kashmiri Chilli Peppers that pack a lot of colours but not as much heat. The silky texture of the sauce is from whisked yoghurt. The gravy has minimal spices, including whole black peppercorn and whole garlic cloves. The meat cooks slowly in its juices until it is tender and oil starts segregating on top of the gravy.
Begun er Tok
Tomato Begun or Begun er Tok is a traditional Bengali dish which is sweet and tangy from tomato and tamarind. Eggplants were cooked with panch phoron with sliced tomato and tamarind paste till the eggplants were soft and the sauce was thick. Panch phoron is Bong’s five magic spice. A blend of equal portions of nigella seeds, black mustard seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds. The preparation was so addictive that I had it towards the end of the meal. Or else I would have wiped the bowl with rice and probably skipped the entire lunch.
How to order?
Are you feeling hungry? Next time in Shantiniketan, please call Borgi Da on 9836611383 to place your order in advance.
Also, read about food in Darjeeling.
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