Bengalis love their food. When a bunch of Bengalis get together, the conversation mostly revolves around food, football and politics. Any guesses to which topic takes precedence?
We are sure that you must have heard of roshogullas & sondesh, and may have even tasted the magic of these cultural inventions. But when it comes to Bengali cuisine, there are endless surprises for foodies like you and us.
Right from the starters to the main course followed by dessert, the city offers culinary treats on a silver platter, and we bet you can’t just have one! (Shotti!)
So whenever you take a trip to this paradise, make sure you go out and relish these seven Bengali dishes that would make for an absolutely lip-smacking full course meal!
Shukto
Bengalis love their gourds, especially bitter gourds. This is a special dish, and meals are started with it. The idea is to begin with the bitter and end with the sweet. One special thing about this recipe is that while it is a part of your regular home meal, it is also a part of wedding meals.
Aalu posto
A Bengali’s comfort food, aalu posto comes in many variations with vegetables. However, the traditional recipe is a potato dish with poppy seeds.
Bhaja
Bhaja is a prerequisite for any Bengali meal, be it for festivities or your regular home meal. Bhaja means fry, and this could be any vegetable that has been fried crisp. Potatoes, brinjal, pointed gourd, lady finger, and pumpkin are the usual favourites.
Mochar ghonto
This is one of the most famous household dishes in Kolkata which is a traditional add-on at every Bengali restaurant and home. Made with banana flower and grated coconut, this vegetarian tastes heavenly with rice.
The meaning of 'mocha' in Bengali is flower which is cleaned properly and requires a lot of time and patience. After removing the petals, the flower is pressure cooked and later the spices are added to give a relishing flavour.
Lobongo lotika
Bengalis eat a sweet for every occasion, and that is no secret. Lobongo Lotika is one such treat and gets its name from the fact that the pastry is folded and sealed with the help of a clove; lobongo means clove.
Made with maida, cardamom, raisins, grated coconut, khoya, ghee, nuts, nutmeg powder and, of course, cloves, the mixture is blended with powdered sugar. This is then added to the center of pastry dough and shaped and deep fried.
Macher muri ghonto
This is another traditional Bengali dish and its recipe has been passed down by generation after generation. Macher muri ghonto is made of Rohu fish and the gravy is made of onion, chili, cumin paste, and ginger paste which add all the authentic flavour to this ancient recipe.
This fish dish is served with white rice and makes for an excotic delicacy to enjoy in the city.
Chelo kebab
If you’re a hardcore chicken lover, this platter of mutton seekhs and chicken kebabs is one thing you must definitely try in Kolkata. Served along with steamed rice and veggies, it is an exceptionally lip-smacking cuisine and can be enjoyed both as a starter and in the main course.
