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ishita18c · 3 years ago

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Bengali & Their Taste Buds

The state of West Bengal & Bengalis is famous or well-known all over the world for their cuisine. Bengali foods are responsible for the uniqueness of Bengal's culture. The foreigners & also people from several states of India have just come to Bengal craving for Bengali dishes. The origin of this special Bengali cuisine is traditional. From Nawabs, Zamindars, sweet makers of villages to British officers, all are behind this delicious and famous Bengal cuisine.

As India has a diverse culture, every zone from the north to the south offers something special dishes when we talk about a variety of foods. But in the case of Bengali traditional cuisine, you get the opportunity to have non-vegetarian to vegetarian and mouth-watering sweet desserts as well. Bengali's love for fish dishes will never-ending, and you will not be able to see any kind of love for moreish fish dishes among any other community of the world.

There is an old saying “Breakfast like a King”. And Bengali is the real king in that matter. " Ak CUP-CHAA e Sokal ta Suru" Bengalis are happy to see or happy to start their day with Luchi (round and small in shape, deep-fried and puffed homemade bread), Kochuri (stuffed Luchi), Porota (triangular or round pan-fried homemade bread with or without stuffing) served with Alurdum (a spicy and extremely luscious dish made by the potato) & Daal curry. Without these fried dishes, you can also find some foods which are made of puffed rice like Muri, Khoi, Chira. You will still get in the village areas of Bengal the leftover rice called "Panta Bhaat" as a preferable breakfast dish of the villagers. Bengal's people never limit their breakfast to only these Bengali dishes. They also like to plump for South-Indian, Chinese, Italian & Fry-up or English breakfast during weekends, holidays or on special occasions.

Now come to "lunch like a Prince". A Bengali meal is something where you can find every taste from Bitter to Sweet. Vegetarian to Non-vegetarian dishes. They always start with something bitter like Sukto (a dish prepared with bitter vegetables & herbs) & something called like Shak or leaves (fried). Next is Daal with Bhaja, there are several types of grams called Mushur Daal, Mugh Daal, Chola & Motor Daal with Bhaja called Aloo Bhaja(finger chips), Begun Bhaja (fried brinjal), so on.

Bengali always find their happiness in non-veg dishes. Without any recipe for fish, there is incompleteness in Bengali cuisine. From Maacher dimer bora (deep-fried of fish eggs) to Maach er Jhol (fish stew), Fish Kalia (spicy gravy preparation of fish), Maach er Bhapa (Steamed fish), Ilish maach bhapa, Ilish maacher paturi, Chingri maacher malaikari, Chital maacher muitha, Tel Koi, Pabda maacher jhaal all these are very famous parts of Bengali cuisine. Bengali can't imagine their occasions without fish.

"Maache, Jhole Bangali".

Any meat items are always considered as Bengali's favourite dishes. Kosha Mansho (spicy & delicious preparation of chicken or goat), Kochi Pathar Jhol or Murgir Jhol also mouth-watering preparation of Bengali cuisine. Bengali never desired Sunday without meat dishes.

Other loveable items of Bengali are Bengali Sweets or Desserts (Misti). Mik is one of the important ingredients from which a plethora of Bengali sweets & desserts like Rassogolla, Payesh, Misti Doi, Rabhri etc. are made of.

Ms Chatterjee as a homemaker gave her opinion on Bengali cuisine. She said as a Bengali she preferred Bengali dishes the most but she also expresses her support for Mughai & South-Indians Foods. She has remembered some traditional dishes which were made by her grandmother, mother like Kochur Shak with Ilish Maacher matha, Echor Chingri, Potoler Dorma and so on. She thinks in this busiest life schedule sometimes Bengali women can't manage all these dishes all the time but that doesn't mean they don't like those to eat. She has mentioned some simple but tasty dishes like Alo Bhaja, Maacher Jhol, Daal which are always liked by Bengali.

The traditional & key ingredients of Bengali food culture are Shorsher Tel (Mustard Oil), & Deshi Ghee. Kashundi a special sauce prepared out of Mustard paste is served with fried items is very well-known to Bengali.

Bengal has a past with several rulers like Nawabs & Mughals & British, So that in their list of preferable dishes we can be the witness of the Mughlai dishes like Biriyani, Kababs and murg tandoor, Chinese dishes like Chinese soups, Chowmin, Chilli Chicken & as well as British baked confectioneries, chops and cutlets, continental and so on. Bengali is in the habit of having tea from the Christian community, and nowadays, Bengali proposes their gossip or starts a brainstorming discussion with a cup of tea.

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According to Sarbari Chatterjee, Bengalis love their food. When a bunch of Bengalis get together, the conversation mostly revolves around food, football and politics.

When we speak of Bengali cuisine, fish and rice (maach-bhaat) come to mind. But Bengali cuisine isn’t as fishy as one thing. A fabulous vegetarian spread and an amazing range of sweets are also hallmarks of the cuisine.

According to a report, it says that 98% of Bengalis are non-vegetarian and the rest of the people live on vegetables only.

Here is a graph on the vegetarian and non-vegetarian Bengalis.

Bengalis

Total

Non-vegetarian

2 %

Vegetarian

98 %

China Town, Park Street, BBD Bag, Dacre Street or Dacre Lane, Burabazar, College Street, Lord's more and so on places of Kolkata which are always in the mind of Bengali whenever they think about dishes which are different from "Bangali-Aana".

Bengali food is the concept of creativity & innovation which they styled from Breakfast to Dinner table.

#Youtube

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justwravel-blog · 7 years ago

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10 Essential Dishes from Eastern India [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="385"] Rosogulla[/caption]

Eastern India comprises of the diverse states of West Bengal, Orissa, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura and Sikkim. It offers a wide variety of cuisine that is in sharp contrast to the rest of the country. With a strong geographical influence from China and Mongolia, Eastern Indian cuisine can be broadly classified into three schools: Bengali, Assamese and North Eastern and Odiya.

Owing to its climate, this corner of the subcontinent produces a lot of rice and proximity to the coastal region means it has a deep affinity towards fish. Two of the most essential ingredients that lend Eastern Indian cuisine its unique flavour are mustard (seed, paste and oil) and a special medley of five spices known as Paanch Phoron namely cumin seeds, nigella seeds, black mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and fennel seeds.

Sweets are a predominant part of the meal and no meal is complete without them.

So, here is a list of 10 essential dishes from Eastern India:

Shukto – Trust Bengal for a perfect beginning to your meal. This magical mix of vegetables will make any vegan fall in love with Bengal. The veggie wonders used are red potato, bitter gourd, plantain, brinjal, drumsticks, bori (hardened lentil dumpling), all of which are cooked in a creamy gravy.

2. Chingri Maacher Malaikari – You can’t imagine a Bong menu without fish, right? Although, technically it is not a fish, however Chingri (prawn) still finds the highest place in the Bong palate. The combination of prawns and a milky coconuty gravy is too good to resist, I am sure!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="369"] Chingri Macher Malaikari[/caption]

1. Rosogulla – As they say, “All’s well that ends well”. And what better way to end than a tinge of sweetness. Trust Bengal when it comes to sweets. Rosogulla is a household name in Bengal. These little dumplings of chenna (cottage cheese) and semolina dipped in sugar syrup are so famous that they are exported abroad as well.

2. Dahi Vada-Aloo Dum – Odiya people know how to bring a twist in the taste. This sumptuous street snack does just that and brings a best of both worlds. While the dahi vada (flour dumplings dipped in yoghurt) cools your taste buds, the hot alur dum (deep fried potato) and ghugni (yellow peas with gravy) leaves you with a tinge of spice.

3. Pakhala Bhata – With the sweltering summers around, nothing like a cooling dish to beat the heat. Try the traditional Odiya dish: fermented rice (rice, curd, cucumber, cumin seeds and mint leaves) served with roasted vegetables like bori, potato, papad or fried fish. It is considered to be the perfect antidote to heat stroke.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="354"] Pakhala Bhata[/caption]

1. Khar – Another vegan delicacy from Assam, this is a delectable dish made of pulpy vegetables such as papaya, pulses, cucumber, gourds and the main ingredient, khar, made by distilling water through ashes of banana peels.

2. Smoked pork – With the Nagas’ love for pork and beef, even chicken and mutton take a backseat. Thus Naga style smoked pork is worth a try. Cooked with dried soya beans, the typical Raja Mirchi and served with dried yam leaves or bamboo shoot, it is one of the most iconic dishes from the region.

3. Iromba – One of the most unique dishes from the remote corners of India, Iromba will surprise your taste buds with its tanginess. Prepared from fermented fish along with boiled or steamed vegetables with a plethora of red chillies, Irumba has a strong, pungent taste.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Iromba[/caption]

1. Bai – One of the regulars in Mizo cuisine, Bai is traditionally a mixture of vegetables, salt, soda, fermented pig fat and water cooked in the same pot. Though it usually made with pork sauce, it can also be turned into a vegetarian dish with butter. It is spiced with local herbs.

2. Tungtap – Pickles and chutney are common to any cuisine. So is it for Meghalayan cuisine. Tungtap is a tangy chutney hailing from this little state of North East India. A dry fish paste where the fish is burnt and mixed with onion, green chilli, and red chilies, it is commonly had with Jadoh, a rice and meat speciality.

Which are your favourite dishes from Eastern India, Wravellers?

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