A Burnt Love Turns into a Biscuit: The Story of the Baqarkhani
Once upon a time, a man's tears turned a mill. He lost his love to a rival in the royal court.
Perhaps you can guess already, the object of his desire was too beautiful. But it was the time of kings and queens. And when the premier's son set his eyes on the same woman he loved, he found himself trapped in the royal chokehold.
After a while, his lover was dead in the swordfight that ensued. He could not save her.
He ordered to bake a new biscuit in her memory. It was his magnum opus, and an undying signature on time itself. Perhaps he too didn't know that it would become immortal. And every time it is baked, people will remember the love story - for centuries.
The delicacy is known as Baqarkhani - named after the couple who could not be together in life, Agha Baqer and Khani Begum.
It is not exactly a biscuit. Best to say, it is somewhere between a biscuit and a cookie. The subtle difference of its flaky and yet silky texture makes it a category of its own. But nevertheless, it is a baked good.
In the absence of a proper word in English, some call it a flatbread.
Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, is the location where it originates. Or more precisely, the 'old Dacca', the oldest part of the city which now looks like a downtown suburb, still littered with the ruins and the last remains of the Mughal buildings and structures - from five hundred years ago.
Mirza Agha Baqer lived in the 18th century. History says, he died in the year 1754. In different versions, he appears either as the adopted son or the son-in-law of Dhaka's Naib Nazim, the chief of the city, Murshid Quli Khan II. And Khani herself was a courtesan. Zaynul Khan, the son of the Wazir (the Prime Minister of the City), abducted her after she turned him down for Baqer.
As the story goes, Zaynul tricked the premier into believing he is dead when Baqer followed him. And out of fury, he ordered to lock up Baqer alive in a tiger's cage. But he was too much of a brave guy and ended up killing the tiger.
That did not end the turmoil. It is said that the premier himself killed Zaynul when he attempted to hurt Baqer. But at his last breath, he pierced his sword into Khani's chest, leaving her dead with him.
300 years later...
The biscuit never lost its popularity, but records of time are saying that it became impoverished after the second world war. The country came to a standstill and people were battling a famine.
So instead of milk and Malai - the locally churned cream, the bakeries at Old Dacca started baking it with oil and Dalda - a type of fat extracted from vegetables.
Originally, it might have been way silkier than it is today. The version that remains comes in mostly sweet and salty flavors. But the local, traditional bakers of the city aren't affluent enough to recreate the very authentic version.
For centuries, it served as the breakfast of the city's royalties. When it started losing its glamour, it slowly turned into a rather ordinary food.
Pic: Collected
It is no more a royal feast now and everyone can afford a piece or two. But lately, it has been commercialized. These days, it comes in dry chocolate flavors as well - which is the newest addition.
The factories of Baqarkhani in the city are now baking it in the commercial ovens. Although, these rather synthetic versions can neither beat the taste nor the texture of the traditional bakeries.
The traditional flavors still surviving from ages include sweet and salty Paneer (cottage cheese), sugar, salt, Kebabs, minced meat and coconut.
And it is still a hot favorite in at least three countries of modern times, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India.
Tips for Baqarkhani
If you ever come to see Dhaka, don't forget to try it out. I guess at this point, that goes without saying. But if you do, here's my suggestions.
You have to travel to Old Dhaka and hunt it down right from the shabby, dimly lit bakeries by the road. If you are going for the cheaper versions manufactured at factories, you will miss the entire taste profile.
It is a token of love, a melt-in-mouth delicacy. And it turns into dust if your grip is too firm when holding it, and it crumbles. Just like the lost love of Baqer and Khani. The only Baqarkhani that's fake is a hard one. The products made in its own land all retains the softness and the snowflakes that drops from its body.
My American friend tried to make it in her oven. It didn't exactly turn out as what it was meant to be. From the pictures she showed me, I could tell that it came out a rocky (and if not rockhard) buttertoast - sitting on her cookie tray. She wasn't as much of a Baqarkhani enthusiast as I am, but perhaps a few more tries could make it better. So, while you can always google up a recipe and make it at home, it would be best to taste the original thing that comes out of the traditional, clay oven dug on the ground.
It is addictive. Once you taste it, you will crave for more. So, every time I buy it, I make sure I'm having a mix of flavors in my rack - both sugary and salty. The sweet Baqarkhani is harder to resist, but it still satisfies my sugar cravings on a rather low sugar count than all the desserts I would have in place of it.
And when a jar of Baqarkhani ends up at your life, make sure to try it with desi meat curries. The cup-a-Baqarkhani sold nowadays is rather a new twist to it, turning it into a meatier and juicier wholesome dish. Fewer carbs than a regular rice Bento, and still a wholesome meal. And there's quite a few recipes available on the internet for the leftovers, too!
Everyone knows that the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan once built the Taj Mahal to immortalize his love for his wife, the empress Mumtaz. But the Baqarkhani was here, too.
And it will be here, like a brown moon - served on silvers. And on our plates - will be a story of love, to cherish and remember.
(Though it's just a dream, I'm pretty sure we will remember it lavishly one day. The story has everything one could ask for - kings and queens, the white marbles of the royal palace and the fountains in the room, streaming, the dancing courtesan girl, the heartbroken Baqer and the jealous Zaynul.
When the time is ripe, and the country finally gets a real film industry - Baqer and Khani will become the Romeo and Juliet of a desi blockbuster.
It is not just flour and sugar. All of these goes into the making of Baqarkhani.)
Asif Tamoso
12 July 2024