Ah, we're now in the food section. Arguably, this is the best page I like to talk. The spicy, aromatic and mouthwatering flavours of bengali dishes are real joy to eat. And we've a great great list of confectioneries and desserts of our own. Sandesh, Rosogolla, Chanar payesh, Lancha, Mouchak and lots of others. How many nations are there so rich in sweet dishes? Perhaps this is the only indigenously developed multi-course tradition from South-Asia that is analogous with the likes of Japanese, French and Italian cuisine in structure. If you're not a bengalee, you cannot imagine what you've lost.
You don't argue with me if I say Bengalees are very liberal. We can happily participate and take invitation from our Muslim or Christian friends in their festivals. Ah, we love cubub, like to have a party in 25th December. Bengalees are truly cosmopolitan and it reflects in their cuisines.
Originally, Bangla dishes are less spicy and taste sweet (misti misti) like Shukto, Shaak (leafy vegetables such as spinach, palong chard, methi fenugreek, or amaranth), Alu posto, various types of Dal/Pulses (soupy preparation from legumes), Charchari (vegetable dish, cooked without stirring, just to the point of charring), fish curry with less spice (patla macher jhol). These are some of the Bengal's indigenous dishes.
Now comes the other part - the Mughal influence - like preparations in meat - Biriyani, Korma and Bhuna. In Bangladesh, Biriyani is the staple food. In West Bengal, however, this has remained more than the other categories, the food of professional chefs; the best examples are still available at restaurants. Specialties include chap (ribs slow cooked on a tawa), rezala (meat in a thin yogurt and cardamom gravy) and the famous kathi roll (kebabs in a wrap). The local population absorbed some of the ingredients and techniques into their daily food, resulting in meat-based varieties of many traditional vegetarian dishes, but by and large the foods remained distinct.
The Mughal influence was also seen in desserts; traditional desserts were based on rice pastes and jaggery but under the Mughal influence moved towards significantly increased use of milk, cream and sugar along with expensive spices such as cardamom and saffron.
The British also influenced food in a somewhat different way. Many British families in India hired local cooks, and through them discovered local foods. The foods had to be toned down or modified to suit the tastes of the 'memsahibs'. The most distinct influence is seen in the desserts, many of which were created specifically to satisfy the British - most notably the very popular sweet leđikeni named after the first Vicereine Lady Canning; it is a derivative of the pantua created for an event hosted by her.
Chinese influence in Bengali style of cuisine can be seen by the way the Bengali people eat every dish during their mid-day meal that is served with Rice, which is very similar to the Chinese style of eating, where all kinds of food, boiled, braised and stir fried are served along with rice. Also, stir frying is similar to both these styles of cooking, along with the use of either ginger or garlic in most food, avoiding putting in both together to prevent the confusion of too many spices. The only item which probably had both ginger and garlic paste added to it simultaneously, is meat, and that is a very North Indian influenced idea. Only later did the concept of using the same gravy to cook other forms of protein and vegetable came. New Bengali cooks are fusing traditional aspects of Bengali cuisine with ingredients around the world.
My personal favourites are Shorshe Ilish (Hilsha fish with mustard seeds), Rui Macher Kalia (Rohu Fish curry), Chingri Macher Malaikari (Prawn Curry with coconut), Biriyani, Luchi-Alubhaja and Khichuri (a preparation mixing the pulse and rice) - Alurdam (potato curry) and last but not the least ROSOGOLLA. Um, I love that (in my childhood I've eaten 30 rosogollas in an wedding ceremony)!
I will post some special dishes and recipes in the blog section in later days.
 | |
| Shorshe Ilish |
 |
| Macher Kalia |
 |
| Chingdi Macher Kalia |
 |
| Luchi-Alurdam |
 |
| jive jal ana ROSOGOLLA |
