Fill your heart with the deliciousness of authentic Bengali cuisine

Perhaps one of the biggest foodies in the Indian subcontinent are the Bengalis. Bengali cuisine is known for its exquisite fusion of sweet and spicy tastes.  The nostalgic smell of spices, ingredients and mustard oil, Bengali food is more than that. Every component of Bengali cuisine is intriguing in its own unique manner, from the textures to the flavours to the aromas. Bengalis have a special seasoning called "Panchphoran". Panch means five and phoron means spices, hence the name Panch Phoron. It’s a mix of the five most basic spices in seed form—fenugreek, black mustard, nigella, cumin and fennel. It's the essence of every Bengali kitchen and has the power to enhance the taste of any dish without the need to add any other flavors to it. The region of Bengal had been the source and development of Bengali cuisine. The two main ingredients in this meal are rice and fish. For this reason, a Bengali is frequently referred to as a "Maache-Bhaate-Bangali," where Maach is Bengali for fish and Bhaat is Bengali for boiling rice. A Bengali meal has a set structure in which the food is often delivered in courses. A typical Bengali dinner begins with a bitter dish called Shukto, is followed by green vegetables called Shak, Dal, Sabzi, a meat or poultry dish called fish, mutton, chicken, or egg, Chutney, and ends with a sweet dish called curd, sandesh, or rosogolla. Bengali food has evolved alongside Mughlai, Chinese, and British cuisine over time to suit their individual taste buds.

Shukto

The gentle, cosy stew with a variety of vegetables—most notably potatoes, sweet potatoes, bitter gourd (korola), green bananas (kachkola), raw papaya (pepe), brinjal, drumsticks (shojne), and flat beans—is the most well-known Bengali shukto (sheem). Although this particular type of shukto has recently started to be linked to "traditional" biyebaris and other feasts and is also quite popular in restaurants, there are many more varieties of shukto that are a part of Bengali cuisine. As a result, contrary to popular belief, "shukto" refers to an entire class of curries, including dishes like dalna and ghonto. The Bengali meal is structured so that shukto is consumed first, sometimes straight after shaak (greens) and before dal (lentils). It is said to stimulate the appetite and prepare the palate for the oncoming spicier courses.

Dhokar Dalna

A traditional Bengali niramish (without onion and garlic) delicacy is dhoka'r dalna. Since "dhoka" means "betrayal," this dish is frequently served on days when families consume vegetarian fare and deceive themselves into thinking the lentil cake, which is flavorful thanks to spices, coconut, peanuts, and other ingredients, is actually meat. It is a very common Bengali dish that is prepared for visitors and special occasions. Bengal gramme that has been soaked is dry-roasted into a paste, cut into diamond shapes, and then fried. The dhoka is as it is. Additionally, you can eat it by itself as a snack with tea. The dhoka is then briefly cooked in a dalna (a type of thick, gingery sauce) before being served as a side dish.

Mochar ghonto (Banana Blossom)

Anyone who has lived in Bengal their entire life will appreciate Mocha'r ghonto. The banana flower is mocha, also known as Banana Blossom. The traditional treat known as mocha ghonto, sometimes known as mochar ghonto, is wildly popular among Bengalis. It is one of the most adored vegetarian traditional Bengali foods and a pure Bengali delicacy. Mocha ghonto aka mochar ghonto recipe is a signature dish and it can be prepared in both ways, vegetarian and non-vegetarian. The niramish (vegetarian) mocha'r ghonto with coconut (narkel) and chola (Bengal gram) is loved as much as mocha chingri, which is garnished with small freshwater prawns.

Jhuri Aloo Bhaja

An iconic traditional Bengali dish is jhuri aloo bhaja. An incredibly well-liked side dish in Bengali cuisine, this crispy grated potato fry is adored by the entire country for its distinct crunch and texture. Bengalis also refer to Jhuri aloo bhaja as Jhuri jhuri aloo bhaja. It is well known as Bengali Aloo Bhaja or Crispy Potato Fry in other areas of India. This particular variety of fried potatoes is unique due to the crispiness and cut of the potatoes. The words "jhuri," "jhuri," and "jhurjhure," which refer to crunchy, stick-like fragments which refers to the potato pieces.

Katla Kalia

The two foundational dishes of Mughlai cuisine are kali and qorma. Ghee serves as the foundation of qorma; water, even when added for cooking, gradually dries out. Kalia, on the other hand, is made with milk or water and the resulting dish is runnier. Kalia is more of a daily preparation, whereas qorma is for exceptional events. Under the Nawabs of Bengal, they likely evolved using regional flavours and ingredients. A delicious curry-based dish called katla kalia is made with deep-fried fish steaks. Freshwater carp fish is typically used to prepare fish kalia. This lip-smacking fish dish uses mustard oil as the flavouring agent in this curry, and then cooked with onions, potato, tomatoes and a melange of spices in which the fish is cooked.

Bhetki Paturi

The Calcutta food scene has just welcomed bhetki paturi, or more precisely bhetki machh'er kolapaturi. Ilish used to be the standard fish for kola paturi, but due to rising costs and the difficulty of picking out small bones at wedding buffets while attempting to maintain at least the appearance of amicability, boneless bhetki fillets have since taken its place.

According to food historian Pritha Sen, the word "paturi" derives from the word "patri," which means a tablet (not a pill, but a slab of stone), and refers to the way that paturi is cooked in a flat layer over low heat, frequently in a leaf leaf bundle like in this dish. Simply ground mustard, green chilies, turmeric, mustard oil, and salt make up the basic fish paturi marinade. Yogurt (which also contributes some sourness), coconut (which also adds texture and flavour), poppy seed paste, or just using more yellow mustard than brown mustard can all help to lessen the pungency of the mustard.

Kosha Mangsho

One famous Bengali dish is mutton kosha. The word kosha has a similar definition to the word bhuna, which describes the process of gently simmering a gravy over a low heat for a very long time to produce a rich, dark-brown gravy and tender mutton bits. Noting that mutton is frequently used to refer to goat's flesh in Bengal as well as India is important. But without a question, the honour must go to Kosha Mangsho, a distinct mutton curry made in Bengali manner. Bengalis become excited at the mere thought of mutton since, unlike chicken or fish, kosha mangsho is pricey and only prepared on rare occasions, such as Sundays or festivals.

It's a gradual process that needs time and perseverance.

Chingri Machh er Malaikari

A classic Bengali prawn dish called chingri malaikari is produced by simmering gigantic tiger prawns (bagda chingri) or enormous freshwater prawns (golda chingri) in a super-silky, super-creamy coconut-milk sauce. Beware of this popular Bengali dish's attractive appearance; although it appears to be difficult to prepare, chingri malaikari is actually simpler to make than chicken or egg curry.

This chingri macher dish has a name that has a dual connotation. The word "Malai," which means "cream," refers to the coconut-milk base used to boil the prawns. However, it appears that contact with Malaysian traders helped this prawn recipe find its way into Bengali kitchens. As a result, "malaikari" is actually "Malay" curry that has through time been transliterated as "malai" curry.

Roshogolla

The Bengali people's culture and traditions place a high value on sweets. Bengali sweets are always the main attraction, whether they are served at weddings, celebrations, or just as a means to welcome guests. Additionally, sweets have repeatedly appeared in Bengali pop culture, such as in movies and books. An outstanding recipe for this West Bengali regional favourite is the Bengali rasgulla. They are also known as Rosogolla, delicate cottage cheese dumplings that are soaked in sugar syrup. The lengthy process results in a very soft rasgulla that is cooked before being dipped in a flavorful sugar syrup. An outstanding recipe for this West Bengali regional favourite is the Bengali rasgulla. The perfect dessert to accompany an Indian lunch are these exquisite cottage cheese dumplings drenched in sugar syrup.

Mishti Doi

The iconic Lal Mishti Doi requires no introduction when it comes to Bengali sweets. The yoghurt fermented in the Bengali method with sugar is unique in its sort. Although the Misti doi from the shop is delicious, Bengalis frequently produce something similar—or even better—at home. Doi in its richer form is also referred to as Lal Doi, Chakku Doi, and Kheer Doi. A traditional Bengali dessert called mishti doi is created using milk, curd culture, and either sugar or jaggery. Palm jaggery is the type of jaggery historically used to produce mishti doi. "Mishti" means sweet and "doi" signifies curd in Bengali. Mishti Doi is a staple of Bengali cuisine and is typically prepared for religious and celebratory events. This mild, delicate, and highly addicting dessert is a fantastic choice when hosting friends for an Indian supper. The sweetness is provided by sugar that has been barely caramelised, and traditionally, the curd is placed in earthen pots.