The Mackeral
(Bhangda) is one fish which is found in every Goan household. We see them
dried, in a kishmur, fried, masala fried….numerous ways in which they are
served in restaurants. But I was on a quest to source a preparation which most restaurateurs
do not focus on. And also to find out what the Gen Next feels about the
preparation. I was lucky to get all that under one roof…the home of Vaishali
Joshi in Vasco
She had
learned the preparation from her mother in law, the late Ms Prema Joshi. The
lady was legendary in her Saraswat culinary skills and had imparted that
knowledge to her daughter in laws. Joining us was the eldest daughter in law
Lalita and the fifth and youngest Monica. And the subject for discussion was
the ‘Bharille Bhangde’ (stuffed mackerel) as pronounced in Konkani. Now we are
all aware that the mackerel is an oily fish and a rich source of omega 3
fatty acids. Moreover as the flesh of mackerel spoils very quickly, drying and
salting is the principal preservation method in Goa for a rainy day.
Vaishali had
ensured that the Gen Next of the Joshi family was present for a discussion on
the preparation. Looking at the fat fish (they were stuffed of course) which
were tied with a banana stem, on the table on a bed of lettuce I wondered what
the youngsters would feel about this traditional preparation. So here they
were…. Neha, Charuta, Shamini, Vibhav, Mihir and Rishabh.- Gen Y and Z. What
did they feel about Goan food in general…would the cuisine remain the principle
focus in the years to come? They were asked. The educated youngsters were keen
to air their views. From responses stating that palates and tastes today are
flexible as there is a lot of choice, to the fact of unavailability of local
ingredients (grated coconut a case in point), to spending half a day in the
kitchen cooking……did not augur well for the stability of retaining the Goan
cuisine as No ! in most urban household. So I decided to change direction and
worked on the subject of ‘fish’…all Goans love their fish don’t they? Charuta
confesses that after marriage to a Gujrathi her love for Goan food has
increased as her husband loves the cuisine. Neha loves the bharleli bhangda as
she loves the stuffing and the crisp taste of the skin. Vaibhav too is partial
to the preparation. However, comments ranged from the taste and flavor being a
bit too strong to a preference for the Hooman to the bhangda. The Gen Next today
knows their minds and their taste buds too.
So what is
the future of these delicacies? Lalita relates an anecdote of the past. Her
late aunt in law Prafulla Dahanukar had invited Asha Bhonsle to try the
preparation. Unfortunately she could not make it due to prior engagements, so
Lalita was given the task of packing the bharleli banghda in a container and
taking it to the airport where Asha Bhonsle was taking a flight. A few weeks
later Lalita received a letter from the singer saying how much she relished the
preparation. ‘Our preparations were really tasty,’ Lalita says, ‘and I still
have the letter.’
The ‘rusch’
of the past…however times have changed and traditions are slowly dying. Perhaps
it is time to ‘strategize’ and re market the excellent ‘rusch’ of our
preparations, or else they will slowly be ‘stuffed’ into obscurity.
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