Embark on a culinary journey with a selection of tangy, tok recipes. Traditionally served as palate cleansers, sour delicacies offer a refreshing contrast to the sweltering heat of summer. 

Whether you are sipping on a chilled glass of mango cooler or savouring the rich flavours of fish roe in a sour gravy, these recipes promise to transport you to the heart of Bengali cuisine. 

So, gather your ingredients and prepare to indulge in a symphony of sour sensations that will leave you craving more.

PORA AAMER SHARBAT (CHARRED GREEN MANGO SHARBAT) 

Ingredients 

4 raw mangoes

¼ cup fresh mint

½ roasted cumin powder

¼ tsp roasted dry red chilli powder 

1 cup sugar 

2 tsp black salt

6 cup water

Method 

Wash and dry the raw mangoes. Using a fork, prick it all over. Roast the mangoes over direct heat for about 10 minutes. Peel the skin and let it cool. Using your hands pull out all the pulp. Take the pulp in a blender. Add sugar, black salt, roasted cumin powder, roasted red chilli powder, mint and blend to make a paste. 

Add water and blend again. 

Refrigerate for about 2 hours. Pour the glasses and serve chilled.

STAR FRUIT (KAMRANGA) SALAD

Ingredients 

2 star fruits

1 cucumber

1 red capsicum

A Few lettuce leaves 

For salad dressing —

1 tbsp Dijon mustard 

1 tbsp vinegar 

1 tbsp lemon juice

¼ tsp black pepper powder

¼ tsp chopped green chillies 

1 tbsp mint leaves

Salt and sugar, to taste

Method

With a sharp knife, cut the edges from the star fruit. Remove the top and bottom of the fruit and cut into ¼-inch slices. Peel the cucumber and slice. Slice the capsicum. In a small bowl, add the dressing ingredients and mix well. On a large serving plate, layer the lettuce. Place the cucumber, capsicum, and star fruit over the lettuce. Drizzle with the salad dressing and serve immediately.

ILISH MACHER DIM ER AMBOL (HILSA ROE IN SOUR GRAVY)

Ingredients 

300g hilsa roe

3 tbsp raw mango paste

1 tsp tamarind extract

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp dry red chilli powder

2 dry red chillies

1 tsp yellow mustard seeds

Salt to taste

Sugar to taste

2 green chillies

Method 

Clean and wash the hilsa roe. In a bowl add hilsa roe, a little turmeric powder and salt. Mix well and leave for 30 minutes. Heat oil in a skillet. When oil comes to a smoking point, fry the roe on medium heat so that the roe gets properly cooked from inside. When the roes are ready, cut the fried roe into bite-sized pieces. Keep them aside and make arrangements for preparing the gravy. 

Heat oil in a wok. When oil turns hot, add yellow mustard seeds and dry red chillies. Allow them to sizzle. Add raw mango paste followed by one or two cups of water. Add tamarind extract, 1 tsp dry red chilli powder, salt and sugar. Bring the gravy to a boil. Toss in fried roe and simmer the gravy for 3-4 minutes allowing the flavour to soak in. 

Garnish with green chillies. Serve hot with steaming rice. 

KHATTA ALOO

Ingredients 

500g baby potatoes, boiled and peeled

3 tbsp oil

½ tsp black mustard seeds

4 whole red chillies

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp chilli flakes

1 tbsp desiccated coconut 

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp chaat masala

3-4 tbsp tamarind pulp

2-3 green chillies 

2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, 

Method 

Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and fry for 30 seconds. Add whole red chillies, cumin seeds, chilli flakes, coconut, coriander powder, and chaat masala. Fry for 1 minute. Add tamarind pulp and salt. You can adjust these as per your preference for saltiness or tanginess. 

Add boiled potatoes and toss them in the spices. Cook for a few minutes to heat through (be careful not to break or mash them). Stir gently. When it is done, garnish with fresh coriander leaves and green chillies before serving.

GREEN MANGO RICE

Ingredients

2 cups cooked rice

2 tbsp oil

½ tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp chickpeas 

1 tbsp peanuts

5-6 curry leaves

2 dry red chillies

½ tsp ginger paste 

2 slit green chillies

¼ tsp turmeric powder

A pinch of asafoetida 

1 cup grated mangoes

½ cup coconut

Salt to taste

Method

First, cook the rice. Wash and peel the green mangoes. Grate the mango and measure it to 1 cup. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. Let them pop. Then add chickpeas and peanuts. Roast them with stirring constantly until brown. Add dry red chillies and curry leaves. Fry it for 15 seconds. 

Add ginger paste, green chillies, turmeric powder, and asafoetida. Sauté for 30 seconds. Immediately add grated mango and salt. Mix and cook for 2 minutes. Add coconut and mix well. Then add cooked rice. Mix it very gently. Cook it for 3-4 minutes. When it is done remove from heat and serve.

HOG PLUM CURRY (AMRA TORKARI)

Ingredients 

6 hog plums 

3 green chillies 

3 garlic pods

2 tbsp jaggery

¼ tsp cumin seeds 

Salt to taste

Seasoning ingredients —

1 tbsp oil

¼ tsp mustard seeds 

¼ tsp split, black gram lentils

A few curry leaves

Method 

Wash the hog plums and pat dry them using a kitchen towel. Remove the tip and scrape the hog plum into thin slices. Put all these slices and fibrous seeds in a bowl with minimum water. Cook in medium flame till the slices are soft. 

When the slices are well cooked, turn off the flame and let it cool down. Then squeeze it using your fingers to get the thick pulp. Meanwhile add green chillies, cumin seeds, and garlic pods in a mixer and make a coarse paste out of it. 

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, split black gram lentils, and curry leaves. When mustard seeds sizzle, add chilli paste and sauté.

Now pour the hog plum pulp, jaggery, salt and half a cup of water. Bring it to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the flame. Sweet, sour, and spiciness are well balanced in this hog plum curry and it is best to pair it with hot steamed rice.

LEMON PICKLE

Ingredients 

1 kg lemon, washed, wiped and chopped

200g salt

100g chilli powder

50g fenugreek seeds

15g asafoetida

1 tbsp turmeric powder 

1 cup mustard oil

Method

Heat oil in a pan. Add the lemons and sauté for about 10 minutes over low heat. Add salt and chilli powder, sauté for another 10 minutes. Add fenugreek seeds, asafoetida and turmeric powder and remaining oil. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes. Take it off the heat and store it in a clean airtight jar when cool. Gets softer when matured for 10-15 days. 

CHALTA-ARHAR DAAL (ELEPHANT APPLE WITH PIGEON PEA LENTILS)

Ingredients 

1 cup arhar daal or pigeon pea

4-5 slices of chalta (Elephant fruit)

¼ cup chopped onions 

1 small green chillies, chopped

1 tsp finely chopped ginger

1 tsp chopped garlic 

¼ tsp turmeric powder 

¼ tsp cumin seeds 

¼ tsp mustard seeds 

1 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Water as required 

Method

Clean, wash and soak the arhar daal for 1-2 hours. In a pan, add the soaked daal, chopped onions, green chillies, ginger, garlic, turmeric powder, water and salt. Cook the daal. Mash the daal and add water. Bring it to a boil. 

Now, add elephant apple and cook another 5 minutes. In another pan, heat oil, and add mustard seeds. When they start to pop, add the cumin seeds. Fry for a few seconds. Do not burn. Pour the tadka immediately into the hot daal and cover with a lid. After some time serve delicious chalta-arhar daal with rice.

AAMCHOOR KOROLA (BITTER GOURD WITH DRIED GREEN MANGO POWDER)

Ingredients 

2 bitter gourds 

4 onions

½ tsp turmeric powder 

½ tsp red chilli powder 

Salt to taste

2 tbsp malt vinegar

¼ cup mustard oil

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp aamchoor powder

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp cumin seeds

Method

Wash the bitter gourd. Slit lengthwise, remove the seeds and slice thinly. Transfer to a bowl, add turmeric, red chillies, salt and vinegar. Rub well with your hands to ensure that the gourd gets coated well with the spices. Keep for 30 minutes, then wash in running water, shake dry and keep aside. 

Add oil to a wok, and increase to high heat until the oil starts to smoke. Reduce heat until smoking stops and oil reaches medium temperature. Fry the onions in the oil until golden brown, remove and transfer to absorbent paper to drain excess oil.

Now, fry the bitter gourd in the same oil on medium heat until it becomes crispy and golden brown. Remove and transfer to absorbent paper to remove excess oil. Transfer two tablespoons of the oil used for frying to a wok and heat to medium heat. 

Add cumin seeds, stir well and add ginger. Keep stirring. Add the fried bitter gourd, stir for a minute, then sprinkle amchoor powder and green chillies. Stir to mix well. Now add fried onions. Check the seasoning. Add lemon juice and mix well. Remove from the fire and serve with steaming rice.

Food and Décor: RBR