Bangla Agro-Culinary Heritage Register

The story of Kashundi and how it became a quintessential part of Bangla Cuisine!

Centuries ago, before the Afghans, the Arabs and the Persians, before the Portuguese, the English and the Dutch, Bangla was a province with a mix of various Hindu cultures and traditions. The most interesting part of this cultural melange reflected into their agriculture, food, traditions, rituals and language.

Kashundi was prepared as a chutney, which was served with steamed rice and green chilies to start a meal. Kashundi got the title of “The queen of pickles” as it was a quintessential part of the royal meals and it was made in such a way that its shelf life was around 20 years, if stored in the right way.

Kashundi was a prized possession of the royals and the upper classes, so much so that only elite women had the permission to prepare it at home. The pickling of Kashundi began before the monsoon. Right from the sorting of high-quality mustard to preparation of the pickles, the entire process of Kashundi making was done in a very ritualistic manner.

The traces of the tradition of Kashundi making was finely described in the book -- Stree Achaar (Language: Bangla
ISBN 10 8177565400, ISBN 13 9788177565409) written by Renuka Devi Chaudhurani, a connoisseur of Bangla Food. She explains the process of making pickles and how women involved in it had to abide by the endless restrictions and chauvinism in her book.

Only Brahmin women were allowed to segregate, wash, clean and dry mustard. This mustard was further grounded in a powdered form and was prepared in an earthen pot, with or without oil depended on the women preparing it. Generally, it was added with mustard oil to increase its shelf life and accentuate the taste.

A prerogative of the Brahmins and the elite class, the preparation of kasundi was allowed only after maintaining hygiene and cleanliness. In fact, the rules were so rigid that if a family failed to prepare kasundi within the given duration, they were not allowed to prepare it for the next 12 years. Another strange fact around preparing kasundi was that menstruating women and widows were not allowed to prepare it. Moreover, preparing kasundi in the month of birth or death in the family was also not allowed.

Over the years, Kashundi preparation gradually became an inseparable part of common households as progressive thoughts seeped in. It took quite some time for this condiment to be a part of Bangla households but we suppose it was all worth the wait!

In modern Food Culture it is very much comparable to a coarse mustard preserves found all across Europe, the most famous of them all being the Coarse Grain Dijon Mustard from Dijon, France. We have used several varieties of Mustard Preserves of German Origins in the Professional Kitchens that were of excellent quality. Today there are Commercial Varieties of various Brands of Kashundi available all across the World and for Bangla Households it is a staple condiment to be served with Deep Fried Snacks and other Finger Foods. It is also a must have ingredient in cooking both Fish and Meat Dishes. It is the base ingredient for many Pickle Recipes of which most are Family Heirloom Recipes of Mango, Olive and Garlic Pickles. We've even used the condiment in Crepe Recipes.

Here's how you can make Kashundi at home:

Kashundi is a traditional Bengali recipe that can be paired with snacks, appetizers and finger foods. This delectable condiment recipe is also known as Bengal Mustard Sauce and is made with the goodness of mustard seeds, white vinegar, cayenne pepper and garlic. This one uses Fresh or Sun Dried Tomatoes Serve this easy-to-make recipe with finger foods and savory snacks of your choice. One of the perks of making this delicious recipe is that it can be stored for days to come and can be enjoyed whenever you crave for it. The Test Kitchen chefs are currently working on several new varieties and the recipes will be published as they go through panel tastings.

Ingredients

10 Fresh or Sun Dried tomatoes
2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 garlic water as required

How to make Kasundi

Step 1
Wash the tomatoes and allow them to be cooked in hot boiling water for a minute or two on medium flame in a deep bottomed pan. Once the tomato is tender, immediately transfer it to cold water. Then carefully peel the tomatoes and chop them. Keep them aside until needed again.

Step 2
Take a deep bottomed pan, keep it on medium flame and add vegetable oil in it. Heat the oil and add garlic and mustard seeds to it. Fry the mixture for about 5 minutes or until the mixture is brown in color.

Step 3

Now carefully add the chopped tomatoes in this mixture followed by turmeric, cayenne pepper and salt. Allow the mixture to cook for 3 minutes.

Step 4

Finally add white vinegar (distilled) to the prepared mixture. Once you notice the mixture coming to a boil, immediately reduce the flame to low. Cover with a lid.

Step 5

Allow the mixture to cook until you get a thick consistency. Remove from flame and serve as a saucy condiment or save in Glass Jars to be used as an ingredient.

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If the Ragas are the Foundations of Classical Music Heritage, the Recipes are the Foundations of Food Heritage.

If the Jamdani Weaver is a Cottage Industry Artisan, The Chef certainly is deserving of the honor of a Food Artisan.

So long as there is a National Flag and a National Anthem, there should undoubtedly exist the elements and continual developments of a National Cuisine.

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