With Durga Puja here, it's time to celebrate the dishes that every Bengali loves to eat every day.
So, Durga Puja is almost here, and you're gearing up to head off to some pandal in your city to get a taste of authentic Bengali food. You might have already checked your friend list on social media to check out all your Bong friends who can take you along on a tour.
But allow us to share this little gem of advice which every Bengali knows: The food served at Puja pandals is nothing compared to the dishes Bengalis enjoy at home every day. Their idea of food--and believe us, their idea of food is quite in-depth and obsessive--is all about comfort and the simple joys of home cooking.
No pandal stall offers anything more than mukhorochok (literally, what appeals to the taste buds) food that you can enjoy once-in-a-while, and they're not parts of any Bengali's everlasting food-dreams. If you don't believe us, just mention any one of the dishes we've listed here, and you'll know what we mean.
These dishes are some of the best flavours Bengali cuisine has to offer, and they're so simple that you can indulge in them anytime (but preferably, in a Bengali home).
1. Aloo bhaja
Ask any Bengali and they'll tell you that aloo bhaja or fry can never be overrated. Simple, matchstick-sized potatoes are rubbed with salt and turmeric, fried till they turn crispy, and served. To have it with hot rice and musuri or masoor dal is a Bong's ultimate food dream. Aloo bhaja is so popular that it's even served at weddings! No dish can compare with an honour like that, can it?
2. Fish fry
Where there are Bengalis, there will be at least one fish dish. But fish fry or maachh bhaja is so simple and easy to make that every Bengali can cook it up for a meal, and so can you. Just rubbed with salt and turmeric, and fried in shorshe tel or mustard oil, this dish can be eaten with rice, or just as a snack with chillies and onions.
3. Begun bhaja
While there are a number of veggies that adorn a Bengali thala or thali every day, including potol or parwal fry, begun bhaja or eggplant fry holds a special place. Once again, it's simply cooked with salt and turmeric. The fried begun adds so much to a simple vegetarian meal of dal and rice that a Bengali feels like he or she is actually at a feast. No, we're not overrating this dish. It's simply that good!
4. Aloo posto
There's a reason why Bipasha Basu named her little pet Posto. This little ingredient is extremely popular among Bengalis. Before you ask, posto is basically poppy seeds. While it's also cooked with cauliflowers and a number of other veggies, this invention by Bengal's widows is mostly prepared with the other favourite, potatoes. Every posto dish also helps Bengalis get in the mood for their bhaat ghoom, or afternoon nap. No wonder they love it so much!
5. Maachh-Bhaat
The simplest of fish curries, maachher jhol, is a Bengali favourite. Whether it's cooked using rahu or hilsa doesn't matter as long as Bengalis get to eat it with hot rice. Maachh-bhaat is the ultimate comfort food for Bongs, and each and everyone of them can testify to this fact. And why not? A bowl full of rice and a simple curry is a dream come true for every foodie.
Instead of heading out to eat at Durga Puja pandals with a packet of antacids in your bag, why not make a difference this year. Just ask your Bengali friends for a taste of these dishes, and you'll actually have the best of their cuisine.
(Source: India Today)
So, Durga Puja is almost here, and you're gearing up to head off to some pandal in your city to get a taste of authentic Bengali food. You might have already checked your friend list on social media to check out all your Bong friends who can take you along on a tour.
But allow us to share this little gem of advice which every Bengali knows: The food served at Puja pandals is nothing compared to the dishes Bengalis enjoy at home every day. Their idea of food--and believe us, their idea of food is quite in-depth and obsessive--is all about comfort and the simple joys of home cooking.
No pandal stall offers anything more than mukhorochok (literally, what appeals to the taste buds) food that you can enjoy once-in-a-while, and they're not parts of any Bengali's everlasting food-dreams. If you don't believe us, just mention any one of the dishes we've listed here, and you'll know what we mean.
These dishes are some of the best flavours Bengali cuisine has to offer, and they're so simple that you can indulge in them anytime (but preferably, in a Bengali home).
1. Aloo bhaja
Ask any Bengali and they'll tell you that aloo bhaja or fry can never be overrated. Simple, matchstick-sized potatoes are rubbed with salt and turmeric, fried till they turn crispy, and served. To have it with hot rice and musuri or masoor dal is a Bong's ultimate food dream. Aloo bhaja is so popular that it's even served at weddings! No dish can compare with an honour like that, can it?
2. Fish fry
Where there are Bengalis, there will be at least one fish dish. But fish fry or maachh bhaja is so simple and easy to make that every Bengali can cook it up for a meal, and so can you. Just rubbed with salt and turmeric, and fried in shorshe tel or mustard oil, this dish can be eaten with rice, or just as a snack with chillies and onions.
3. Begun bhaja
While there are a number of veggies that adorn a Bengali thala or thali every day, including potol or parwal fry, begun bhaja or eggplant fry holds a special place. Once again, it's simply cooked with salt and turmeric. The fried begun adds so much to a simple vegetarian meal of dal and rice that a Bengali feels like he or she is actually at a feast. No, we're not overrating this dish. It's simply that good!
4. Aloo posto
There's a reason why Bipasha Basu named her little pet Posto. This little ingredient is extremely popular among Bengalis. Before you ask, posto is basically poppy seeds. While it's also cooked with cauliflowers and a number of other veggies, this invention by Bengal's widows is mostly prepared with the other favourite, potatoes. Every posto dish also helps Bengalis get in the mood for their bhaat ghoom, or afternoon nap. No wonder they love it so much!
5. Maachh-Bhaat
The simplest of fish curries, maachher jhol, is a Bengali favourite. Whether it's cooked using rahu or hilsa doesn't matter as long as Bengalis get to eat it with hot rice. Maachh-bhaat is the ultimate comfort food for Bongs, and each and everyone of them can testify to this fact. And why not? A bowl full of rice and a simple curry is a dream come true for every foodie.
Instead of heading out to eat at Durga Puja pandals with a packet of antacids in your bag, why not make a difference this year. Just ask your Bengali friends for a taste of these dishes, and you'll actually have the best of their cuisine.
(Source: India Today)
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