As winter sets in with its mellow chill and its unmistakable tug of nostalgia, Himur Heshel turns the season into a culinary remembrance. With the unveiling of its winter special menu, Himur Shiter Diary, curator and owner Sutapa Barua offers a tender ode to the food stories of undivided Bengal — recipes once shared across rivers, borders, and family courtyards, now carefully brought back to the table. The menu will be served till January 31.
Housed inside Baishnabghata Patuli Township, Himur Heshel is less a restaurant and more a patient archivist of taste. The space blends Bangladeshi alpona strokes with West Bengal’s patachitra narratives, allowing motifs, memories and migration histories to sit together, unhurried. It is here that Purba Bonga and Pashchim Banga are reunited, on the table.
The winter spread opens with comfort — the kind that arrives in familiar aromas. There is Chhana Sobujer Jugalbandi, Aloo Dimer Ghoroa Bora, Tawa Fry Kolkata Bhetki, Kachki Shutkir Jhal Bora, Aloo Murgir Cheese Tikki, Piyaj Koli Makha Makhi, and the sharp Lal Jhale Makha Shutki.
From there, the menu deepens, with Lal Lonkai Hathe Makha Murgi, Jessore er Kumro Chingrir Makha Makhi, Katla Beguner Chatpata, Mulor Posto Chechki, and Tiler Swade Fulkopi. For those seeking heartier, slow-braised comfort, there are dishes such as Chingri Shutkir Sathe Siter Sobji, Hanser Manghser Roshalo Bhuna, Sundorboner Masala Kakra, Swasthokor Chalkumro Murgi, Gota Masalar Nobabi Mutton, and the fragrant Sylhet-er Jonopriyo Akhni Polau, the latter best paired with a spoon of sweet-tart Chaltar Tok Jhal Chutney, bright as winter sunshine.
The finale arrives in true seasonal style — pithe-puli and sweets steeped in nolen gur, crafted as softly as memory itself. Chitui Pithe (salted) with Bhorta, Chitui Pithe (salted) with Chatgaiya Khasir Kala Bhuna, Dudh Chitui, Patishapta, and the syrup-soaked Biulidaler Roshbora close the feast, delicate and indulgent in equal measure.
Sutapa Barua said: “Himur Heshel was created to keep alive the flavours that time has almost forgotten — flavours that once travelled across households, borders, and generations in undivided Bengal. With our Winter Special Menu, we honour that heritage through dishes steeped in warmth, memory, and emotion. From the deep, spirited notes of shutki and the celebratory richness of hasher mangsho to the tender sweetness of pithe–puli crafted with notun gur, each preparation reflects the culinary soul of winter in Bengal. Every plate is an intimate reminder of who we are — a community bound by food, nostalgia, and the stories that have shaped our culture.”
A tender duet of prawn and pumpkin with a dash of spice, Jessore er Kumro Chingrir Makha Makhi brings the gentle sweetness of kumro to meet the briny comfort of chingri, in true undivided Bengal harmony.
Wild, generous and unmistakably coastal, Sundorboner Masala Kakra pairs juicy crab with earthy masalas, echoing the raw charm of the Sundarbans with every bite.
Bold yet beautifully balanced, Gota Masalar Nobabi Mutton lets the intact spices do the talking — aromatic, regal and richly layered on the palate.
Shiter Komola Delight arrives soft and fragrant, capturing winter citrus at its sweetest, brightest peak.
Dining and Cooking