Bhate-bhaat is a dish unique to Bengal in the Eastern region of India. A mélange of vegetables such as potatoes, green bananas, and squash are cooked, separately, until soft and mashed with onions, mustard oil, and cilantro. It was also a special meal my father made when he had to fend for me unexpectedly, without my mother. <br /> <br />Bapi, as I called my father, would go looking for whatever we could piece together for our special bhate-bhaat, with vegetables ranging from spinach to cauliflower, pumpkin to taro to green banana. The potatoes were usually a given. The vegetables were made separately, carefully mashed with the appropriate seasonings, and shaped into small balls so that the servings included a little of everything. <br /> <br />We would add red lentils, usually cooked in a cheesecloth in the same pot as the rice, and my father’s special touch was to add eggs to the pot towards the end, ensuring that they cooked to a semi-soft yolk, something he referred to as “quarter-boiled." It has taken me becoming a parent twice over to understand the importance of such precision in food rituals. <br /> <br />In this dish, the amount of oil, chile, and lime juice can be adjusted to personal taste. <br />

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