To enjoy the delicacies of Bengal, you need not be a Bengali. If you have a Bengali friend, you must be knowing about the variety of meals the Bengali people have. Its always been said that Bengalis are famous for Rasogulla, Fish Curry and Rice. But no, that’s not all, because there are many other Bengali dishes also which you should taste. We all would have tasted these delicious Bengali food items, but we might not be aware of their names. Even if you have never tried Bengali food before, but you are a big foodie, we suggest you try a Bengali meal once, and you will get to know how delicious the Bengali dishes are. Whether it is a sweet or a full meal or a curry, we can surely tell you that you will not be able to say no to them. Let’s know about some of the popular Bengali Foods.
Shukto – If you want your kids to eat vegetables especially the bitter gourd, then you must cook this Bengali Dish. This is a healthy Bengali dish which is prepared using different vegetables like bitter gourd, bori, drumsticks, sweet potatoes, and brinjal. This dish is incomplete without the bori and bitter gourd. Apart from these vegetables, there are a few other things which are added to this dish like milk and different types of spices. Milk is added to the dish to make a thick paste-like gravy. You should also know that this dish is being prepared in the Bengali marriages and Bengali Puja also. As it is considered a very special dish to be served with the meal especially during lunch. We suggest you try this dish, and we can bet that you will not hate eating bitter gourd anymore.
Tangra Macher Jhol – This is one of the most loved dishes of Bengalis. If you know a little bit of Bengali, you would have guessed that this dish is made using the fish (catfish). Or you can also say that it is a catfish spicy curry. The gravy or the curry of this dish is quite thick and very tasty also. A variety of spices are being added to this dish to make it full of flavor. Not just this, but the Bengalis also add a good amount of red chili in this dish to make it fiery and tastier. If you want to enjoy this dish, you should have it with hot steamed plain rice. You will enjoy the most when you will taste this dish hot, so just go for it, especially, if you love eating fish curry and spicy food.
Sandesh – We all are well aware of the different types of Bengali Sweets especially the Rosogulla. And here is another one, which is famous not just in Bengal but in other parts of India also. This sweet dish is prepared using dairy products like milk and paneer. Once it is being prepared, it is then garnished with different types of dry fruits like pistachios, almonds, and Kesar (saffron). It is soft like the rosogulla only, however, it is different in taste. And the addition of Kesar in this sweet dish adds a unique taste to the dish. Be it the Durga Puja or any other Bengali festival or any Bengali wedding, you will find this sweet everywhere. We suggest that if you want to get the real taste of Sandesh, then just visit the streets of Kolkatta, and there you will get the best Sandesh.
Cholar Dal – We all have tasted chana dal, but what if we tell you to taste a Bengali Chana Dal dish which is a bit sweet. Yes, you heard it right, Cholar Dal is one such Bengali dish which is being prepared using Chana Dal only. And as most of the Bengali dishes are incomplete without the spices, so does this dish also. It contains different types of spices in it, out of which the main spices are cinnamon and bay leaves. Although a lot of spices are being added to this dish, it has a sweet taste also. Another ingredient that Bengalis add in this dish to make it crunchy and to add texture to Cholar Dal is the coconut bits. This is a common dal which is being prepared in most of the Bengali ceremonies. You can enjoy this dish during lunchtime with rice.
Luchi – You would have heard the name of this Bengali dish. Many people mistake it like puri. But you should know that Luchi is not Puri, it is different than Puri. As Puris are prepared using whole atta, whereas Luchis are prepared using maida. However, the method of preparation is almost the same, as maida dough is prepared for making Luchis. Luchis are deep-fried in the oil and are very fluffy flatbreads. They are of light golden color and are very soft especially when you eat them during hot. Generally, Bengalis serve luchi in breakfast only with some dry spicy sabzi. But it can be served along with other meals also and you can eat it with gravy sabzi or dal also. Some people prepare luchis by stuffing them, however when they are stuffed, they are no more luchis, they are then called as kochuri.
Above we have mentioned just a few of the Bengali Dishes which are quite popular in Bengal. But the list of the popular Bengali Dishes, do not just end here. As there are a few more Bengali dishes which you should know about like Aloo Posto, Kolar Bora, Ilish Macher Jhol, Mishti Doi, Potoler Dolma, Doi Macch, Kosha Mangsho, and many others. You cannot have enough of Bengali Dishes, so just take our suggestion and visit Bengal once to get the authentic Bengali taste.
