The Mukherjees recently used his services for a 200-guest wedding, Mrs Bannerjee ordered his daily dabba for a month when her cook was visiting family in Cal, and the Boses, quite unfortunately, had to call on him for a funeral. What the Mukherjees have in common with the Boses and Bannerjees is Pratap Parua, an enterprising caterer in Mumbai who dishes out yum, authentic Bengali food; some even say his Ilish Shorshe is better than Oh! Calcutta’s.

Dada-ism

Under the moniker Pratap Catering, he dishes out simple Bengali fare in the form of a daily dabba service, and raises the sophistication (read fancy fish preparations) for parties with a minimum of 10 guests. So it seems, knowing Paratap is your rite of passage into Bombay’s Bong community. That we had ordered a Wednesday dabba - neatly packed, hygienic and travels well - from him immediately earned us an invite to the Chatterji’s for dinner. We went to their Pali Hill home, dabba in tow, and unpacked five tiers of food: Chorchori (mixed vegetable preparation), mutton cooked in mustard oil, yellow dal, rice, three rotis and four small rasgullas.

Bengal Chemicals

The food was, “not surprisingly”, authentic said the Chatterjis who’d also tried him before and unanimously voted for the chorchori as their favourite. We agreed. An aromatic mixed veggie preparation of cabbage, potato and pumpkin, this is cooked with the Bengali five spice containing fenugreek, Nigella seed, cumin seed, fennel seed, and lastly, radhuni (wild celery) which gives the otherwise boring bhaji an interesting aroma. Onuma (grandma) even brought out some radhuni from the kitchen so we could inhale as she explained. The mutton (spelled Motton on the menu) came with a mildly spiced, semi-dry gravy cooked with mustard oil, which in Mrs Chatterji’s opinion would go well with puris. Meanwhile, the watery, tasteless yellow dal was barely touched by anyone. The meal ended with rasgullas that should have tasted less like milk powder. At Rs 100 per dabba (they have a set meal for the week), this can be delivered to your home or office on a daily basis.

Getting Mishty Eyed Already?

If you’re having a soiree, Pratap’s menu will include more exotic fish like bhetki and hilsa, and also the richer rajbhog and sandesh for dessert. He isn’t your fancy home caterer who’ll come with servers, crockery and bartender, but he does bring yum, cheap food to the table. Recommended dish options: Luchi puri with dum aloo, cholar dal, ilish shorshe (mustard hilsa), bhetki fish filet and payesh (a sort of kheer).
Whether it’s for your home or the office, order Pratap’s mustard fish for it will be the Ray of sunshine on your plate.

Getting there: Pratap Catering, 62/141, Bharat Rahiwasi Sangh, gate no 1, Gazdhar Bandh, Santacruz (W), call 9892121756 / 26053130, Rs 100 per dabba and starts at Rs 180 per person for party catering (minimum 10 people).

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