Shorshe Begun (Eggplant in Mustard Sauce)

Let me introduce you to the most iconic bengali flavour I grew up with – Kasundi. Kasundi is this sharp mustard paste typical to Bengal. I haven’t yet nailed how to make it, but I will get there.

There is normal mustard paste from a jar that you use for sandwiches, european dishes etc and then there is Kasundi. There is nothing quite like the taste – it is sharp, aromatic, pungent and altogether quite delicious. It takes the food to the next level! It is used as a dipping sauce with cutlets or as in this recipe, as the main ingredient in the dish itself. There will be quite a few kasundi led recipes on this blog, this is the first one 🙂

Growing up, we used to Kasundi from Patna or Calcutta. It used to come in these glass bottles and I used to just open it to keep sniffing the aroma. We didn’t cook too many things with this growing up, but now as I am doing my own cooking I find myself drawn to its flavour a lot more and try it more liberally.

First in the line of kasundi gravies is this eggplant dish. It is super simple yet so luscious and decadent. As any good bengali would tell you, the begun (eggplant) must first be shallow fried in mustard oil. Till it is cooked through and soft. Yummmmm. Then you move on to the magic of the kasundi sauce.

So go ahead, try this. Welcome to a version of my bengali heritage 🙂