All about shingaras

I was at an Indian restaurant the other day, and without knowing why, ordered a serving of cocktail samosas as appetisers. Perhaps, the idea of having a tiny, crisp, triangle of filo pastry filled with minced meat dipped in mint chutney seemed tempting. I was shocked when the waiter brought a platter of small shingaras, beautifully garnished with pickled onions, instead!

There has always been a debate over which one -- shingara or samosa -- is the quintessential Bengali snack, but never has there been an identity crisis regarding the two. 

The shingara is a thick dough of pyramid-shaped snack, usually stuffed with a masala potato mix. At times peanuts or chopped beef liver is added to the stuffing to add to the oomph factor. The dough is invariably sprinkled with nigella seeds that add to the taste. Samosas, on the other hand, are a thin, flaky, crispy, snack filled with savoury semolina or beef tripe.

Two totally different types of roadside specials have somehow got mixed in the two Bengals -- Bangladesh's yummy shingara is called samosa in West Bengal. Yes, it is hard to comprehend, even revolting for true shingara enthusiasts.

Our staple mid-morning snack at any government, non-government office, or roadside tea stall is a plate of two shingaras sprinkled with rock salt and served with a mix of green chilli and onions. The onion mix can be easily omitted but as far as true shingara connoisseurs go, it is a must with the snack. A bite into the crumbly dough with steam coming out and a sip of sweet milk tea is all you need to feel amped up for the rest of the day.

It is also a go-to snack when you need to entertain unexpected guests. You run to the favourite shabby shingara joint at the end of your lane. In Uttara Sector 5, a small shingara maker has become so sought after that people from Dhanmondi place orders for 200 or more pieces to devour at leisure.

Packets full of fried shingaras sold at famous sweetmeat shops are the best of all. They have flavoured vegetable stuffing with peanuts in it. Peanuts in shingaras are a matter of debate for some but a delight for others. The pastry dough of the sweet shops is of better quality than the makeshift roadside ones.

There are area-based, sought-after shingara joints and I know of people who will brave the Dhaka traffic for a bite of kolija shingaras at any corner of Dhaka.

Some places are famous for their large shingaras while others are famed for their bite-size shape. The small ones have taken the mass by surprise, people can neatly finish eight or ten of them in one go.

Shingara makers are masters who have taken the preparation to an art form, adding their bits of imagination to the filling and the dough.

Shingara and samosas lovers have an unsaid enmity, but I will delve into the samosa story another time. For now, rainy evenings call for steaming hot shingaras and slurping sweet tea from the saucer -- a very Dhakaiite thing to do!