Mustard musings

The pungency of mustard oil is unmissable and so also is its flavour-enhancing properties that continue to make it a popular cooking medium across pickles, mashes and fish curries, writes Sangeeta Sen

It was already half past one in the afternoon when I had completed the hectic form fill-up formalities at the Block Development Office near Badu Road, located in the Presidency Division of North 24 Paraganas, Kolkata. As I made my way back home in the taxicab through the meandering roads surrounded by tranquil villages and sprawling golden yellow mustard flower fields, my gaze fell on a small eatery offering Bengali thali cuisines, located at the busy Badu Bazaar market. For a dedicated fish foodie like me, I had chosen the fish thali and, first, as I savoured a portion of the mashed mixture (which was a part of the thali), a sharp, zingy scent went straight up my nose and I felt a sudden numbness. Looking at my moments of uneasiness while savouring the mash, an elderly staff of the eatery broke into a smile and said, “It’s because of the jhaanj (pungency) of the kachchi ghani shorshey tel, rather raw mustard oil, put atop the Maach Bhorta mash”.

Interestingly, in my curiosity to know more about this unique kachchi ghani shorshey tel, the elderly staff harked back to the times past and explained, “For immigrants, with Jashor, Bangladesh roots, arriving at West Bengal in the late 1940s, the pungent kachchi ghani shorshey tel mattered a lot in their cuisines. In fact, for making this Maach Bhorta here, as per traditional Jashor cooking styles, pure kachchi ghani shorshey tel is used generously at every stage — for frying the dried small-sized shutki fishes; using it to sauté the spices of turmeric, onions and broken red chillies; adding it to the combination of the mashed shutki fish pieces and tempered spices for forming the Bhorta mixture and, ultimately, for topping the Bhorta. All said and done, the tangy kachchi ghani shorshey tel helps enhance the flavours of the Maach Bhorta”.

Then, pointing towards the quintessential dish of Bhapa Rui (steamed
fresh water carp fish), he said, “As per Jashor cooking styles, I prefer drizzling some mustard oil over the Rui fish pieces, coated with mustard paste and turmeric; mixing and then steaming in a sealed circular steel tiffin box. The addition of the mustard oil is, in fact, essential as it intensifies the sharp mustardy flavours of the Rui fish on steaming.”

It’s not just Bengal. The pungent, reddish-brown hued raw mustard oil is an essential ingredient for traditional cuisines, dating back to the distant past, in different regions across India.

For instance, for the 6th century BC Magadh kingdom-inspired cuisine of Litti Chokha (spiced sattu or roasted chickpea flour dumplings accompanied with chokha of mashed eggplants), the sharp-tasting, deep brown mustard oil, locally referred to as karua tel, is quite important. Interestingly enough, today, in the hilly districts of southern Bihar, for bringing the distinct pungent taste to the Litti dumplings, as per tradition, the karua tel is stirred into the spiced sattu stuffing mix; followed by putting this mustard oil-infused filling in the hollowed-out Litti dumplings and, finally, roasting the Litti over the charcoal fire. Also, for imparting a sharp, zesty flavour to the chokha, the local mustard oil is combined with the roasted mashed eggplant chokha mixture.

Then, a Delhi-based home-maker, having a penchant for making Punjab’s traditional cuisines like the quintessential rural cuisine of Sarson ka Saag (a mixture of greens like mustard leaves, spinach and radish leaves), pointed out: “The tradition of seasoning this famous saag cuisine with the mustard oil-infused tadka of chopped garlic, ginger, onions and tomatoes are essential for intensifying the earthy taste of the greens.” Also, for traditional Khasi cuisine eateries located in the Police Bazaar area of Shillong, Meghalaya, the technique of sprinkling some raw mustard oil over the traditional cuisine of Dohklieh (boiled minced pork salad) imparts a tangy flavour to the salad.

Furthermore, according to my grandma, the sharp-flavoured shorshey tel, drawn out from dried mustard seeds, crushed and pressed enough by the rotating pestle of the motorised tel ghani (oil extraction machine), ensures good health.

Interestingly, corroborating grandma’s observations, scientifically, it has been proved that inhalation of steam vapours of sinigrin-rich mustard oil relieves symptoms of a blocked nose and sinusitis problems; then, a warm mustard oil wrap covering around the head enhances hair growth; also, the application of vitamin E-rich mustard oil on newborn babies helps boost blood circulation and, moreover, the presence of essential fatty acids in mustard oil makes the oil healthy for the heart.

Indeed, the pungent-flavoured mustard oil really matters — it’s the core ingredient for traditional cuisines as well as an elixir to good health.