Rasmalai is a super popular Indian sweet which is soft, delectable and quite easy to make at home. Made with Chhana (homemade cottage cheese) and whole milk, this sweet is a must during festivals. This sweet cannot be catagorised as Bengali sweet as it is equally popular in many other parts of India as well. The flavoured milk soaked Chhana balls are just too good to resist. This festive season,…
Well, this is not something I grew up eating. Also, this is not something that people were crazy about in the places where I spent my childhood. I hail from Assam and while there are hundreds of street food and snacks that are super popular there, Dimer Devil ( egg croquettes) is definitely not one of them. I was not even introduced to the name “Dimer Devil” until I moved…
Ilish or Hilsa, a fish that brings happiness, as fish that is an emotion, a fish that hold a very special place in every Bengali’s life, a fish that brings taste, flavour and aroma along with it, a fish that is expensive but worth every penny, a fish that is the Queen of all fishes. Bringing Ilish home is like bringing home a celebration. Bengalis across the world may have…
Chal Potol is one such thing that we used to have every year at Pishimoni’s place during Kojagori Lokkhi Puja. Pishimoni’s husband’s family had the tradition of offering Anna Bhog (prasad offered to God that consists of rice) to the Goddess and the Puja used to happen during Diwali. Every year we used to eagerly wait for the day. I remember Pishimoni along with her in-laws cooking the grand Bhog…
This is such a comforting dish! Pair with Daler Bora or any Bhaja (fry) and your meal is done. Light on stomach, protein rich and highly falvourful, this is something Bengalis just love to have with steamed rice. Dal is a compulsory element of a proper Bengali meal. For that matter, it is a must in almost all Indian meals. A bowl of hot dal is not only packed with…
Nothing fancy, nothing exotic, just simple Daler Bora or Lentil Fritter. Bengali cuisine consists of many such dishes that are too easy to make, yet, taste utterly delicious. Bora (fritter), Bhaja (fry), Bhorta (mash) and Chutney are few things without which a Bengali platter is considered incomplete. We often start our meals with these quick bites served along with a bowl of Dal (lentil soup) and end meals with Chutney.…
The advent of Mahalaya marks the beginning of Matri Paksha and the beginning of Durga Puja preparation. We Bengalis eagerly wait an entire year just to get a glimpse of Maa Durga and that makes the long wait worthy for us. The biggest Bengali festival always demands grand celebration and we literally leave no stone unturned to make it grand. Durga Puja is not just a festival, it’s an emotion…
Macher Matha (fish head), also called as Macher Muro in Bengali can be used in a number of ways in Bengali kitchens. We eat fish from head to toe (here, tail). Almost all the freshwater fishes can be eaten this way and we just know how to make use of the entire fish in various delicious ways. Macher Matha diye Lau Ghonto is an age old Bengali dish and is…
Phuchka or Panipuri or Golgappa, as you may call it, brings water to one’s mouth with just mere utterance of its name or with a quick thought about it. Called by different names in different parts of the country, this one snack is loved by all equally. Young or old, male or female, urban or rural, if you are an Indian, you got to love Phuchka. We Bengalis lovingly call…
This is a traditional Bengali style chingri mach (prawn) curry. The otherwise boring bottle gourd made interesting with prawns/shrimps. This is an age old recipe and one of the stars of Bengali non-vegetarian kitchen. Interestingly, though it is a non-vegetarian dish, it contains absolutely no onion or garlic. A truly mild comfort dish which is full of flavours and goes amazingly well with rice. This dish is one of my…
