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Kasundi
Kasundi (Bengali: কাসুন্দি) is the Bengali variety of mustard sauce or relish. It has the pungent paste of fermented mustard seeds, spices and sometimes dried mangoes, dried Indian plum and olives. Kasundi is popular as a dipping sauce in Bengali cuisine.
Kasundi is a mustard sauce made by fermenting mustard seeds, and is much stronger and sharper than other kinds of mustard sauce. It is highly pungent, and is capable of exciting the nasal passage and bringing tears to the eyes in the same way as wasabi. The descriptions by famous chefs outside Bengal as the “answer to the ketchup”, “ketchup with a lot more going on”, or “a rich, unctuous tomato sauce of Indian origin” are based, according to food writer Pritha Sen, on mistaken notions.
In modern times, Kasundi is popularly served with Bengali snacks like cutlets and chops, and deep-fried spicy treats, as it brings tartness and pungency to the flavours. It also can be served as a dip with other snacks, as well as sandwiches, pizzas, burgers, omelettes, salads and other food. But, traditionally it was served neither with these treats nor in such quantities at home. In the past, it was stored with care, served sparingly and in small quantities, and paired with hot stir-fried greens, never fish or meat. The practice of pairing kasundi with non-vegetarian dishes evolved in the commercial eateries, beginning with batter-fried fish.
Kasundi has always been a revered fixture of Bengali households, its making used to be almost a religious rite, with many restrictions and rituals. With modern household appliances becoming commonplace, its preparation is no longer a complex ritual. It also is now industrially produced, and widely available in eateries as a sauce and supermarkets as a bottled condiment. Among the bottled kasundis, those following the recipe of Bikrampur, in undivided Bengal is reported to be the best. Kasundi has spread outside Bengal, across India and into the Pacific Ocean countries like Australia (popular as eggplant kasundi) and New Zealand (popular as tomato kasundi). In Australia and New Zealand, kasundi is often part of the Christmas gift hamper. Around the world many different recipes of kasundi are available, like Kasundi Scotch Eggs, Chilean Sea Bass, Spicy Barramundi or Chhana Aam Kasundi Paturi.
Kasundi was originally used as a type of achar (literally "ritual", meaning chutney/pickle), though it was not necessarily the same sauce known today. Kasundi was the queen of pickles in Bengal, because it remained edible for up to 20 years if stored in right conditions. In the past, the Bengali pickle-making season began in the month of Magh (January–February), which also is the mustard harvesting time. Jujube (kul) were the first pickles to be made, followed by tamarind, and then mustard. Mustard was pickled before the monsoon arrived, with various indigenous fruits and greens such as coriander, pudina or amrul. The pickling of mustard followed, in preparation for the monsoons. Any pickling that was done with dry, ground mustard, with or without using mustard oil, was called a kasundi.
Originally kasundi-making was the prerogative of the Brahmin caste and relished by the elites. Later respected families were allowed to make kasundi following auspicious rituals while maintaining a high level of hygiene and purity. It was mostly made by women who were considered appropriate, as widows, spinsters and menstruating women were barred from taking any part. Those who cleaned, husked and prepared the kasundi were not allowed to taste any bitter or sour food.
Families were forbidden to make kasundi in the month of a birth or the year of a death in the family, or if some tragedy had occurred to them in the past while making kasundi. For families who were not forbidden, failing to make kasundi in a particular year meant they would be forbidden to make any in the next 12 years. The way to avoid that was to give away mustard seeds to a Brahmin.
Renuka Devi Chaudhurani, doyenne of Bengali cuisine, wrote in her book Stree Achaar ("women's rituals") that it was mandatory that a Brahmin makes it, not the women of the household. The women were allowed only to wash, dry and pound the mustard seeds, which were then given to the Brahmins. For families that had women making it, the role of the Brahmin was still important in setting the time of kasundi making, lighting the fire to boil water for kasundi and putting the water-filler earthenware pot on the stove.
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Kasundi
Kasundi (Bengali: কাসুন্দি) is the Bengali variety of mustard sauce or relish. It has the pungent paste of fermented mustard seeds, spices and sometimes dried mangoes, dried Indian plum and olives. Kasundi is popular as a dipping sauce in Bengali cuisine.
Kasundi is a mustard sauce made by fermenting mustard seeds, and is much stronger and sharper than other kinds of mustard sauce. It is highly pungent, and is capable of exciting the nasal passage and bringing tears to the eyes in the same way as wasabi. The descriptions by famous chefs outside Bengal as the “answer to the ketchup”, “ketchup with a lot more going on”, or “a rich, unctuous tomato sauce of Indian origin” are based, according to food writer Pritha Sen, on mistaken notions.
In modern times, Kasundi is popularly served with Bengali snacks like cutlets and chops, and deep-fried spicy treats, as it brings tartness and pungency to the flavours. It also can be served as a dip with other snacks, as well as sandwiches, pizzas, burgers, omelettes, salads and other food. But, traditionally it was served neither with these treats nor in such quantities at home. In the past, it was stored with care, served sparingly and in small quantities, and paired with hot stir-fried greens, never fish or meat. The practice of pairing kasundi with non-vegetarian dishes evolved in the commercial eateries, beginning with batter-fried fish.
Kasundi has always been a revered fixture of Bengali households, its making used to be almost a religious rite, with many restrictions and rituals. With modern household appliances becoming commonplace, its preparation is no longer a complex ritual. It also is now industrially produced, and widely available in eateries as a sauce and supermarkets as a bottled condiment. Among the bottled kasundis, those following the recipe of Bikrampur, in undivided Bengal is reported to be the best. Kasundi has spread outside Bengal, across India and into the Pacific Ocean countries like Australia (popular as eggplant kasundi) and New Zealand (popular as tomato kasundi). In Australia and New Zealand, kasundi is often part of the Christmas gift hamper. Around the world many different recipes of kasundi are available, like Kasundi Scotch Eggs, Chilean Sea Bass, Spicy Barramundi or Chhana Aam Kasundi Paturi.
Kasundi was originally used as a type of achar (literally "ritual", meaning chutney/pickle), though it was not necessarily the same sauce known today. Kasundi was the queen of pickles in Bengal, because it remained edible for up to 20 years if stored in right conditions. In the past, the Bengali pickle-making season began in the month of Magh (January–February), which also is the mustard harvesting time. Jujube (kul) were the first pickles to be made, followed by tamarind, and then mustard. Mustard was pickled before the monsoon arrived, with various indigenous fruits and greens such as coriander, pudina or amrul. The pickling of mustard followed, in preparation for the monsoons. Any pickling that was done with dry, ground mustard, with or without using mustard oil, was called a kasundi.
Originally kasundi-making was the prerogative of the Brahmin caste and relished by the elites. Later respected families were allowed to make kasundi following auspicious rituals while maintaining a high level of hygiene and purity. It was mostly made by women who were considered appropriate, as widows, spinsters and menstruating women were barred from taking any part. Those who cleaned, husked and prepared the kasundi were not allowed to taste any bitter or sour food.
Families were forbidden to make kasundi in the month of a birth or the year of a death in the family, or if some tragedy had occurred to them in the past while making kasundi. For families who were not forbidden, failing to make kasundi in a particular year meant they would be forbidden to make any in the next 12 years. The way to avoid that was to give away mustard seeds to a Brahmin.
Renuka Devi Chaudhurani, doyenne of Bengali cuisine, wrote in her book Stree Achaar ("women's rituals") that it was mandatory that a Brahmin makes it, not the women of the household. The women were allowed only to wash, dry and pound the mustard seeds, which were then given to the Brahmins. For families that had women making it, the role of the Brahmin was still important in setting the time of kasundi making, lighting the fire to boil water for kasundi and putting the water-filler earthenware pot on the stove.
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