: Kolkata’s Iconic Parsi Joint ‘Mancherjis’ Was Born in This Bengali Womans Kitchen #IndiaNEWS #Entrepreneurs Think Kolkata food and the taste buds long for luchi-alur dum, macher jhol, shukto

Kolkata’s Iconic Parsi Joint ‘Mancherjis’ Was Born in This Bengali Womans Kitchen #IndiaNEWS #Entrepreneurs
Think Kolkata food and the taste buds long for luchi-alur dum, macher jhol, shukto and mouth-watering sweets. While these dishes are widely available, Parsi food like Patra ni machhi, dhanshak, berry pulao, and lagan nu custard are not dishes that one would associate with Kolkata.

And yet, Supriya Mancherji, (58) owner of the restaurant Mancherjis in Kolkata, has been successfully running a Parsi cuisine restaurant in the city she grew up in.

Supriya Mancherji

Situated in Kolkata’s Kyd street, Mancherjis is a small, no-frills set-up, which serves good food rather than investing in making the ambience look a certain way. Speaking to The Better India, she says, “The food I serve is what people come here for and not for how the place looks. �?

Mancherjis by virtue of being located in a business hub of the city attracts office-goers and foreign tourists who come looking to get a taste of different and unique cuisine. The story of how it all began goes back to when Supriya, then known as Supriya Dattagupta, got married to her husband, Manchi Mancherjis in 1997.

‘I stumbled upon a Parsi husband and the cuisine. ’

A feast

“They say marriages are made in heaven and perhaps there is some truth to that,�? says Supriya. She continues, “My mother was looking to get me married to a Bengali boy but my cousin who was friends with Manchi suggested his alliance and made a very strong case for it as well. Once my mother agreed and we met, there was no question in my mind about it. �?

He recalls the initial courtship months and says that it was a “beautiful�? time. “He would come to visit me at my workplace and we slowly got to know each other. It was an arranged marriage but one where we found love,�? she says with a smile.

Supriya grew up in a middle-class Bengali family and until she was married, she had no brush with Parsis or their food. “I was enjoying my job as a secretary in a private firm. I always was entrepreneurial and tried my hands at various things, which included doll making,�? she says.

After marriage, Supriya continued to work and recalls her lunch box being devoured by all her colleagues. “I had the good fortune of marrying into a family where my mother-in-law was a fantastic cook,�? she says.

Hilla Mancherji, Supriya’s mother-in-law was the one who introduced her to the world of Parsi cuisine and even cooking in general.

Mutton patties served at Mancherjis

“Until then I had no real interest in cooking. I did it as a chore,�? says Supriya.

She describes her mother-in-law as a very elegant and well-put-together lady.