5 Bengali dishes you must try
If you are a Bengali you are probably already in love with these dishes. But if you are not and have an affinity for good and nutritious food, try out these Bengali delicacies at a friend's place or at your nearest restaurant that serves Bengali cuisine. The real Bengali taste lies in the simple dishes prepared in the common Bengali household.
Luchi and chholar daal
Luchi, a favorite Bengali breakfast dish that often transits into evening snacks, and supper, is a palatable fluffy deep-fried sphere made with flour. It looks like a mini bhatura, and much like puri, a fan can gobble over 10 at a go! Chholar dal is slightly sweet and spicy and goes perfectly with luchi. They are like a match made in heaven!
Basanti pulao
Although a savory rice dish, it is quite sweet. The intensity of the sweetness varies depending on the person. Also known as Mishti pulao, it is a Bengali festive delight prepared during auspicious occasions. This fragrant rice dish is cooked with raisins and cashews and a generous touch of sugar. If you are someone who inclines toward sweet recipes, this dish is for you!
Mochar Ghonto
Mochar means banana flower in Bengali. The banana plant is found in abundance in West Bengal and every bit of the plant is useful. This lip-smacking vegetarian dish is made primarily with banana florets, desiccated coconut, small cubes of potato, and garam masala. This authentic Bengali vegetarian dish, among many others, proves that there is more to Bengalis than just fish and rice.
Bhetki paturi
Fish lovers, this one is for you! One of the most blissful fish items, this melt-in-the-mouth preparation will definitely send you into a food coma. Bhetki paturi is a slow-cooked fish coated in mustard and coconut paste, wrapped in a banana leaf. The word paturi means leaf, signifying the leaf parcel used in the recipe. This dish goes very well with steamed rice.
Chingri machher malai curry
This jumbo prawn dish is an age-old favorite. Synonymous with daab chingri, this is a dish to die for. Traditionally, prawns marinated with turmeric, mustard, green chilies, garlic, onion, and tender coconut paste are stuffed in a tender coconut shell and slow-cooked in a clay oven for an aromatic and smoky flavor. This seafood dish goes perfectly with steamed rice.
