Bengali dishes are the perfect illustration of the wonderful cooking that you will find in India. This huge country has so many wonderful regional specialities that will stimulate your tastebuds, but the food from the Bengal region (divided into West Bengal in India and separate nation of Bangladesh) is unique. There’s a lot of rice dishes here, with the flavours of ‘panch phoron’ in most dishes. This Bengali spice includes a combination of five spices – cumin, nigella, fenugreek, aniseed and mustard seed.
You might not be able to travel there right now, but we wanted to highlight some of the best recipes from the region. These recipes come from the very best food bloggers in the world, so make sure to bookmark their sites.
With many of these dishes designed for sharing it is time to invite some friends and family over to enjoy your cooking. You will instantly fall in love with these delicious Bengali dishes.
The Best Bengali Dishes
1. Masoor Dal Khichdi
Masoor dal khichdi or Bangali chaale daale is a comfort food. It is a rice and lentil porridge with soya chunks and onions.
Recipe created by Olive.
2. Steamer Fowl Curry
A rustic chicken curry that has many local variations. It is simple to make and the flavour from the bones creates a wonderful rich sauce.
Recipe created by Deepshikha.
3. Chittagong Chicken
The Bangal Chittagong Chicken is a delicious Bengali dish in which the chicken is cooked in thick Chittagong style gravy, flavoured by red chilies, coriander seeds and cashew paste.
Recipe created by Antara
4. Mixed Bengali Shukto
This mixed veggie dish is kept for special occasions; when you taste it, you will instantly see why. Rich, flavoursome and utterly delicious.
Recipe created by Debjanir.
5. Bengali Roast Chicken
A Bengali roast chicken (often pronounced as ‘Roosht’, by Bengalis) is often served as a starter to a formal invitation for guests (dawat) or to the start of a wedding meal.
Recipe created by Afia.
6. Bengali Fish Curry
Maacher kalia or maacher jhol is a simple Bengali fish curry that is a favourite in many Indian families. The key is getting the freshest possible ingredients.
Recipe created by Petrina.
7. Bengali Style Cabbage & Potato Curry
Try this Bengali style Cabbage Potato stir-fry that is a perfect side for roti/rice. This hearty vegan dish is loaded with flavours and is very simple to make.
Recipe created by Priya.
Spending time in the country? Check out Holi Festival: 7 Things To Know About The Festival Of Colours.
