Gharer Khabar on a lazy Sunday afternoon

Gharer Khabar, Bengali

5151, Lee Highway, 

Arlington, VA

One of the disadvantages of living away from home is the nostalgia for childhood festivals. It is not just the rituals and the food, but the spirit of celebrating the occasion amidst a community that is not defined by the patrons of a temple site. I feel extremely home-sick during the Ganapathi festival and would imagine that someone who grew up in the eastern part of India would feel somewhat like that during the time of Durga pujo.

Bengali comfort food

I briefly experienced the Durga pujo festivities during my stay in Pune, which has a fairly large Bengali diaspora. So I am grateful that I had an opportunity to re-live my Pune days when I visited Gharer Khabar (translated to home-made food) with my Bengali friend Debasree.

Gharer Khabar is a small family-run Bangla restaurant that serves food that is very similar to what your Bengali friend might make for you at home. Seating is limited, but the quality of the food along with the modest price compensates for the lack of ambience. The take out service is highly recommended if you wish to enjoy the tastes of Bengal in the comfort of your own home.

We tried several appetizers, including some freshly fried samosas with peas, cauliflower and potatoes. These paired very well with the tea.  We had a number of entrees, including goat curry, fried fish, fish do pyaza (fish cooked with onions), dal and chicken biryani. The dishes were a bit oily for home made food, but this did not compromise the taste. 

Bengalis are fresh-water fish eaters unlike the Goans who prefer salt-water fish. The fish do pyaza comprised of fried fish cooked in caramelized onions and was nicely seasoned. The yellow lentils were paired to good effect with the goat curry. The latter was a bit oily, but perfectly cooked. They say it is hard to go wrong with meat, but I believe it is hard to cook meat well. If you have a tolerance for Indian spice levels, this was indeed one of those goat curries that I would fondly remember – spicy yet delicious. It paired well with the chicken biryani, which was surprisingly mild.