How would one characterise a Jolkhabar to someone who is not Bengali, has no ancestral ties, and has never visited Kolkata? It’s just anything that’s not a meal. It may occur in the morning or the evening. Bold yet satisfying enough to stave off hunger, jolkhabar is many things. It is an amalgamation of staples, favourites and exotics at times too. Madhushree and I have tried to explain what jolkhabar means to the rest of the country. We have failed more often than succeeded. Jolkhabar is the term for the simplified practice of small-scale nibbling to satisfy a ravenous stomach between main meals. Jolkhabar is a versatile dish that may be cooked with items found around the kitchen. It can be sweet, like aam doi chire or savoury, like luchi torkari or deep fried like alu’r chop or plain bolied like a boiled egg and toast.
Bengali Jolkhabar in the morning – Breakfast?
No jolkhabar at large is not Nashta. All nashtas are jolkhabars, but not all jolkhabars are nashtas. If we break down the word Jolkhabar, it refers to light food that is served alongside water to quench one’s thirst. In earlier times, it was the meal that men would have before going to work. Back then, a regular weekday staple would be khoi muri or even a toasted bread with a generous amount of butter, sugar, salt, and pepper sprinkled on it. Jolkhabar is an anytime meal. Madhushree and I have been actively exploring various aspects of food in diverse forms. In case you haven’t been following us till now, the fact that I am speaking the truth can be figured out from our Instagram, Youtube, and other social media channels.
Bengali Jolkhabar the Eureka moment
It was during one such discussion that we decided to archive this. The community has a diverse range of Jolkhabar traditions, necessitating their preservation. I still remember that as a schoolgoing kid, there was no jolkhabar as such, but it was a meal before going to school, and the tiffin used to be humble bread, butter, and jam most of the days. It was only during the weekends or on holidays that we enjoyed some luchi, torkari, or chowmein at home. I still remember the exotic ones to make it to the school tiffin used to be Chowmien or occasional Pauruti Bombs (bread bombs) that too on special days.
Again, as I was discussing with some of our readers, we never carried non-vegetarians to school. In the evening, after completing the day’s play, when it was time to sit down for studies or when Baba came back from the office, it used to be a mini meal, and that was also a jolkhabar. Sometimes Baba used to bring telebhaja on his way back, or sometimes Ma would assemble and give us. When we hosted guests or relatives, we would prepare a special dish.
Reasons why Jolkhabar hasn’t gotten its due
In the last century, India experienced significant socio-political upheavals, including the fight for independence, famines, and world wars, to name a few. Resources weren’t plenty; affluence was rare, yet we had to satiate our taste buds. Our lives were rescued by the magicians. Food consistently appeared on the table, whether it was morning or evening, summer or winter. Jolkhabar hasn’t gotten its due often, like an unsung hero.
Aam Chire Doi: As a JolKhabar?
It was just a few days after our marriage that Madhushree had proposed this. Let’s have Aam ( Mango) Chire ( flattened rice ) and Doi ( curd) – Other than Doi, none attracts me that much hence my normal reaction was – Is this even eaten by a human being? In Bengal, Joy Mongolbar is a ritual which is closely followed by the ladies and this one becomes a staple for that. Poha is a delicacy for Maharashtrians and we have an answer for that also. However, this one as a lot will still swear by rings memories and worth trying it out.
Here is how we made the video of this within a minute, almost on Instagram –
That’s not all there is a YT video also which you can see on our Youtube channel. Let me know how you like it –
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Aam Doi Chire | Bengali Breakfast
Ingredients
- 1-2 cup beaten rice or poha
- 1 no ripe banana
- 1 tbsp milk powder
- ½ cup yoghurt
- 1 no ripe mango
- sugar to taste or batasha to taste
- pinch of rock salt
Instructions
- Rinse poha under running water and then luke warm water and set it aside.
- In a mixing bowl, take the poha. Peel the banana and mash it and add it to the bowl. Chop the mango and add it to the bowl. Add all the ingredients to taste.
- Top with extra cubed mangoes and serve chilled.
Pikturenama is a blog about our travel and food escapades along with stories to share through photography. 
