Bhortha is a term used in Bengali cuisine to describe a style of dishes where ingredients are typically boiled or roasted, then mashed, and seasoned with various spices, green chilies, onions, and mustard oil. They’re almost always served with plain rice and are an essential part of the Bengali dining experience. Bhortha’s tend to be on the simpler side and are often seen as a comfort food. Aloo bhortha might be the most classic of all bhorthas, almost like Bengali mashed potatoes. This however is our take on it – with a little twist in the addition of scallions and Chinese celery, which is like a wild celery, very strong celery flavor, but thinner stalks.

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We decided to start with this dish as a quick bite, something you’d be offered when visiting home. The familiarity of eating bhortha, the pleasant sting of mustard oil and the strong celery flavor like from a noodle soup Grandma had on ready for your arrival - strong flavors reminiscent of where we came from.

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It was the 1970s and 1980s where Fujianese and Bengali immigrants were largely welcomed into the United States, after the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, and many found their way to NYC. Though, many, if not most, came through largely by illegal means like being smuggled in ship crates or abandoning steamboats on their way to other countries like Britain. However they did it, they made it here, found a home here, and forged familiarity here – mostly through food, language and community. With the help of later legislation like the Diversity Visa Program lottery and the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, many finally were able to gain citizenship or green cards.