Bengali Cuisine(Part 1)
Bengali cuisine is mainly less on spice and more on flavors.
It is all about flavors extracted from herbs, roots and seeds. In other words,
you can say that Bengali dishes are rich because of the whole spices. Many
dishes from this cuisine are healthy for your gut as well as are low on spice.
So, let’s now talk about those simple dishes that make Bengali
cuisine an interesting one!
P.S.: If you are health freak then this is especially for
you!
·
Aloo bhate - Mashed
potato (combined with few drops of mustard oil or ghee, salt and coriander) and
it is eaten with steamed rice. You can even add sliced green chilies and chopped
onion to have it like a royal dish (as Bengalis call it).
·
Posto bata- Posto (poppy seeds),
green chilies, coriander leaves are grinded together with a few drops of water
and mustard oil over the “sil batta”. You can relish it with steamed rice.
By now, you must have realized that
Bengali cuisine is very healthy and delicious at the same time. The very important
part of Bengali meal is ‘rice’; it is the soul partner of every dish. No
meal is complete without steamed rice. It is mandatory to have at least one
rice meal in a day for Bengalis, it is a kind of ritual, one can say.
Now let’s talk about the staple
food of Bengalis, Fish, and bong loves it when you say ‘Maach’! There
are different kinds of fish available in the market like Rohu, Katla , Bhetki,
Ilish, Mahseer, Magur, Chingri and Vaam.
Note: Bengalis always prefer freshwater fish over
sea water fish. There is a huge difference between the two. Freshwater fish are
more sweet and succulent in taste in comparison to sea water fish.
Ilish is known to be the king of
all fish for Bengalis. It is also used in auspicious occasion like marriage.
Ilish
paturi – In this, the fish is marinated with mustard paste and then wrapped
into a banana leaf. It is then steamed in a steamer and tastes like heaven.
Doi
ilish – In this, the fish is cooked in mouthwatering mustard sauce
and yoghurt gravy. It is slightly spicy, but creamy in taste.
Sorshe
bata diye ilish er jhal- The fish is cooked with the rich taste of mustard
paste and mustard oil is used to prepare the dish, so yes, the key
ingredient is mustard only.
Other than ilish (hilsa),
Bengalis have a wide variety of other fish dishes as well. We have listed a few
for you.
Daab
chingri- It is rather a weird yet scrumlicious dish. The prawns or shrimps
are slowly cooked inside a tender green coconut shell. It has a unique taste
that reminds the rich and traditional culture of Bengalis.
Rui maacher kalia- Rohu fish is something
that Bengalis can have almost every day and in every meal. If you have a Bengali
friend then you must already know that it is kind of staple food for them. Rui
maacher kalia is oily, spicy and rich dish that can be teamed up with steamed
rice.
View Bengali cuisine part 2 to know more about this cuisine.
Till then Happy burping!!
