Chicken malaikari to Kasundi fish, these dishes will surely make you drool. Kolkata, the City of Joy, is currently decked up in sparkling lights for the biggest festival of the Bengalis, Durga Puja. Though this year, the festivities have been restricted quite a bit because of the ongoing pandemic, […]
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Kolkata, the City of Joy, is currently decked up in sparkling lights for the biggest festival of the Bengalis, Durga Puja. Though this year, the festivities have been restricted quite a bit because of the ongoing pandemic, the 5-day-festival is still being celebrated with great grandeur and pomp. Numerous puja committees in the city have welcomed Devi Durga with some beautiful themes adorning the pandals. Jubilant crowds, friends reuniting, and whole night pandal hopping, these are some ways to sum up this huge festival. But the best thing about Durga Puja is obviously the scrumptious delicacies one gets to enjoy.
Not in Kolkata? Fret not! We have curated the perfect gastronomical journey one can take through a traditional Bengali kitchen and we promise that these dishes will blow your mind.
WHEN IS DURGA PUJA?
Durga Puja is celebrated this year from October 11(Shashthi) to October 15 (Vijaya Dashami).
5 UNCOMMON BENGALI DISHES
KUMRO PATA CHINGRI BORA ( PUMPKIN LEAF WRAPPED SHRIMP FRITTERS)
Recipe
Paste the shrimp with turmeric and salt. Add coconut paste, green chili paste and mash it properly. Heat up some oil and add kala jeera (kalonji) to it and add the shrimp mixture. Add salt and sugar accordingly. The stuffing is ready. Slightly blanche a few pumpkin leaves, then add the shrimp mixture and wrap it nicely and secure it with a toothpick. Then simply deep fry the bora and your crispy Bengali delight is done!
DUDH POTOL (MILK PARWAL)
This rich and creamy dish is a must have if you want to have a different kind of taste.
Recipe
Peel the parwals properly and slit both the ends. Heat up some oil and add a bay leaf and jeera. Add cumin and coriander paste and sugar and stir until light brown. Then add ginger paste and turmeric and a little bit of water. Add the parwal and red chili paste, then put boiled milk accordingly. Salt to taste. Cover until the vegetables are tender. Serve with ghee.
KASUNDI FISH
A Bengali's love for fish is just like the stars in the sky- infinite. This special dish is here to prove why.
Recipe
First fry the pieces of fish (any of your choice preferable bhetki, rui or basa) until light brown. Heat up mustard oil and add finely chopped chilies to it. Make ginger garlic paste with the content of garlic on the higher side. Now comes a tricky part. Take 3 tbsps of Kasundi (Bengali mustard sauce) for 5 pieces of fish. Put some chaat masala and little bit of garam masala in it. Add the fried fish in the sauce and cook it until the fish is tender. Garnish with lime juice and coriander leaves.
CHICKEN MALAI CURRY
You may've heard of Prawn Malai Curry. Here's the chicken version of the much loved dish.
Recipe
Start with pasting some almond, green chilies and garlic and chop some onions finely. Take the chicken and cut it into small pieces. Then heat up a pan and add some ghee to it to fry the onions until brown. Then add water, sugar and add the almond-chili-garlic paste. Mix chopped tomatoes, chicken and add salt accordingly. Then after stir frying the mixture add coconut milk. Add ghee and garam masala then cover for few minutes. Serve hot with a dollop of ghee.
PLASTIC CHUTNEY
End your meal with this uncommon dessert that is bound to tingle your taste buds.
Recipe
Slice up raw papaya very thinly (the thinner, the better consistency you’ll get). Start by making a sugar mixture (chasni). Add the slices to the mixture and add a pinch of salt. Boil for 10 minutes and you will see the papaya slices have become transparent. Add some cashews and kismis to the mixture and boil for another 2 minutes. Enjoy the sugary goodness at the end of your meal. Tastes best when chilled.
Shubho Sharodiya!
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