Bangalis living in Finland are famous for their culinary curiosity. We experiment boldly, adapt fearlessly, and proudly serve Baltic salmon and herring dishes immersed in shorshe bata. In that spirit of joyful innovation, it feels only natural to look back at one of Bengal’s most creative kitchens — Thakurbarir ranna, the legendary cuisine of the Tagore household — and imagine how fun it would be to recreate these dishes here in the Nordic north.
Thakurbarir ranna refers to the food traditions that developed inside the Jorasanko Thakurbari, home to Rabindranath Tagore and generations of artists, reformers, musicians, and thinkers. But this was no ordinary household. It was a cultural melting pot, where ideas travelled freely and influences from Bengal, Europe, Mughal courts, Brahmo society, and even Armenian traders found their way into the kitchen. The results were cuisines that were refined, experimental, and elegant.
The true architects of this culinary world were the women of the Tagore family — Mrinalini Devi, Kadambari Devi, Swarnakumari Devi, and others — who kept notebooks, invented new dishes, and played with flavours long before “fusion cuisine” became fashionable and Instagrammable. Everyday ingredients were transformed into something poetic.
These dishes were served to a remarkable audience: family members, visiting scholars, foreign guests, musicians, and participants of literary gatherings like the Khamkheyali Sabha. The food had to match the atmosphere — thoughtful, innovative and full of quiet sophistication.
One such dish is Potoler Doi Ghonto, invented and documented by Pragya Sundori Devi in her famous book “Amish o niramish aahar”. It is a Tagore-style preparation of pointed gourd cooked with yogurt, nuts and mild spices. I have tried making it myself, and it perfectly captures the spirit of Thakurbarir ranna: familiar ingredients, simple techniques, yet a taste that feels unexpectedly refined. It is unmistakably Bengali yet touched by the artistic sensibility of the Tagore home. Do give it a try!!
Ingredients
- Potol – 250 gm
- Alu – 125 gm
- Kismis – 15 gm
- Almonds –12pcs
- Pistachio – 12pcs
- Curd –1 tbsp
- Coriander powder – 1.5 tsp
- Ginger – 12 gm
- Red chilli powder- 1 tsp
- Green Chili –3 pcs
- Bayleaf –1pc
- Cardamom –2 pcs
- Cinnamon- 2 pcs
- Cloves –4 pc
- Turmeric Powder- ½ tsp
- Garam Masla powder- 1tsp
- Salt as per taste
- Oil
- Ghee – 1 tbsp
- Water – ¾ cup
Recipe
- Soak almonds and pistachios in water for some time and then peel off the skin and make fine cuts. Soak kismis also in water.
- Wash and peel potatoes and potol. Make small pieces of both and keep aside;
- Finely chop the ginger and the green chilli;
- Mix turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chili powder into curd to make a spice paste;
- Put oil in kadhai and fry kismis when oil is heated. When kismis swells up, take it out and keep aside;
- Put in bayleaf and whole garam masala spices in the hot oil. When the aroma rises , put the spice paste into the kadhai. Mix well and continue to cook for 5 minutes;
- When the spice starts bubbling on top of the oil, then put the vegetables and salt;
- When the vegetables are well fried and mixed with the spices, then add water and put the lid on;
- When the vegetables are cooked, then add almonds, pistachio, ginger, green chilli and fried kismis ;
- When the water dries up on top of the oil after 10-12 minutes, then add ghee and garam masala powder;
Mix well and then serve with rice or luchi.