I have met many food lovers. Some are connoisseurs. I myself love my food. one thing I find in common between all of us, who think eating is not just a biological function, but an art itself, is that we might have tried cuisines from around the world, but if you ask us to name a favorite, it will certainly be the cuisine from the native place. In my case I come from Bengal, where we have a food connoisseur in almost every other house and culinary heritage is considered an important part of culture. but it's a pity that very few people outside Bengal know about these wonderful delicacies. People generally associate Bengalis with fish and rasgullas but do not know much about the variety of our fish dishes and desserts. In this article I shall try to enlighten readers about some of my favorite delicacies from Bengal. though before starting let me give two important disclaimers:
1. I am not even a mediocre cook, and the dishes are challenges for even the experienced ones. So I shall not try to give the recipes. If any of the readers have the recipe for any of the dishes, he/she can give it as a comment. Much simpler ways will be going to a nearby Bengali restaurant or befriending a Bengali neighbor.
2. the list is not at all exhaustive. it is not possible for a single connoisseur to give a holistic picture of Bengal's culinary heritage and there may be dishes even I have not heard of. So I would request readers to share their experience with Bengali food as well, in this blog
Now with this introduction and disclaimers let's begin in our culinary journey.......
1. gorom bhaat - Steamed rice. now lets make it straight, if you want to relish Bengali food, have it with rice. no pulao, no fried rice, no roti, no paratha. hot rice, preferably basmati brings out the best of bengali dishes. the rice should be served hot, and please sit down and eat with your hands.
2. ilish macherdim vaja - eggs of hilsa fish deep fried in mustard oil. this desi version of caviar is served with the oil in which it is fried and a bit of salt and eaten with rice.
3. Alu vorta/vaate - this preparation, called alu vaate among Hidus and alu vorta among Muslims is mashed potatoes, mixed with a paste of onion, mustard, and chillies, with a sprinkling of mustard oil.
4. sona moog daal - moong dal cooked in Bengali style, with grated coconut, raisins, green peas and other vegetables. some like to add head of a fish, but i prefer it veg. and please do not add makhan to the daal. it kills the taste
5. topse mach beson die vaja - topse or topsi fish was a hot favorite among the British rulers of India. they had it steamed, but we have it covered in a batter of gram flour and then deep fried
6. alu vaja - i guarantee this shredded potato fry tastes better than any french fries or potato chips you ever had.
7. muri ghanta - this is a specialty of Bengal, made of the head of rohu fish and rice.
8. lau chingri - a heavenly preparation of bottle gourd cooked with shrimps.
9. vetki macher patuuri - my personal favourite, bekti fish, covered with a layer of mustard paste and mustard oil, folded in a banana leaf and steamed.
10. ilish macher beguun jhol - hilsa fish in any avtar is delicious, but this is the simplest and perhaps the tastiest form. a light soup of hilsa cooked with green chillis and brinjals
11. sarshe pabda - the whole pabda fish cooked in traditional bengali mustard paste curry
12. mourala macher bati chochori - these are very tini fishes cooked with vegetables, to be had along with the bones
13. aar macher jhaal - a rich spicy preparation of aarh, a fish found near the deltas, which tastes like meat
14. faler chatney - chutney cooked with mango papad, pineapple, dates, raisins and other fruits
15. rasagolla - the most famous sweet in bengal, and I don't think I need to add to it's fame. but no Bengali meal can be completed without this
16. rasamalai - tiny rasgullas in fresh cream, seasoned with pistas, badam, raisins and kesar. when served frozen it can give any ice cream a run for its money.
17. mishti doi - sweet curd is another eternal favorite.
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1 comment:
Keep up the good work.
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