Bengal cuisine is renowned for its sweets, abundant fish, and rice as the staple diet, reflecting the region's rich geographical diversity and historical influences. The cuisine showcases a variety of seasonal vegetables and fish, with unique cooking styles and special dishes for festivals. Kolkata, as a cultural melting pot, incorporates influences from Bengali, Marwari, and Anglo-Indian communities, contributing to its vibrant street food culture.

1. BENGAL CUISINE
• KNOWN FOR SWEETS, WHICH ONCE SAVOURED
CANNOT BE FORGETTEN
• BENGAL PEOPLE FISH AS THEY CONSIDERED IT AS TO
BE THE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES OF SEA
• CLOSE TO BAY OF BENGAL AND SEAFOOD IS
ABUNDANCE
• RICE IS THE MOST PREFERRED STAPLE DIET HERE
AND KNOWN AS BHAAT

2. GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION
• SURROUNDED BY THREE INTERNATIONAL BORDERS,
NAMELY NEPAL, BANGLADESH AND BHUTAN
• THE STATE IS BORDERED ON ONE SIDE WITH HIMALYAN
RANGE AND OTHER SIDE LIES THE FERTILE BASIN OF
SUNDERBANS
• BENGAL IS FAMOUS FOR ITS JUTE, SILK AND TEXTILE
INDUSTRY AND SINCE IT HAS COASTLINE FISHING IS ALSO A
COMMON TRADE
• RIVER GANGA FLOWS THROUGH BENGAL

3. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
• AT PARTITION TIME BENGAL WAS SPILT UP INTO PARTS – EAST
BRENGAL AND WEST BENGAL. TODAY EAST BENGAL IS A SEPRATE
COUNTRY CALLED BANGLADESH
• BENGAL HAS A RICH HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AS IT IS VISITED BY
PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD
• IT WAS INVADED BY ARYANS FOLLOWED BY MAURYAN EMPIRE AND
THEN GUPTA DYNASTY WHISH THEREBY TAKEN BY PALA DYNASTY
AND RULED THE STATE FOR 3 CENTURIES
• BY THE END OF 12TH CENTURY BENGAL WAS BROUGHT UNDER THE
RULE OF MUSLIMS. EVEN TODAY MANY PARTS OF BENGAL IS FAMOUS
FOR ITS MUGLAI FOOD

4. • IT WAS BELIEVED THAT WHEN NAWAB WAJID ALI SHAH MOVED
FROM LUCKNOW. BROUGHT WITH HIM HUNDERDS COOKS AND
MASALCHIS
• TODAY KOLKATA IS A METROPOLITAN CITY WITH THREE GENRES ,
NAMELY BENGALIS, MARWARIS AND ANGLO INDIANS
• STREET SNACKS SUCH AS EGG ROLL, CHOP OR CUTLET IS REMINISCE
OF THE CUISINES OF ANGLO INDIANS
• IN THE 18TH CENTURY THE CHINIESE POPULATION SETTLED IN A
VILLAGE CALLED ACHIPUR IN BENGAL. TODAY TANGRA REGION IN
KOLKATA IS HOME TO 100000 ETHIC CHINESE

5. SEASONAL AVAILABILITY
• RUNNER BEANS(barbatti)- thin long beans
• SNAKE GOURD(chichinga)- vegetable that resembles like
snake
• OVAL GOURD(potol)- used to make vegetable as well as
sweet
• SPINY GOURD(kakrol)- small spiny vegetable. Similar to
bitergourd
• MALABAR SPINACH(pui shaak)- leafy green vegetable
• RED SPINACH(lal shaak)- red leafy vegetable

6. RUNNER BEANS
SNAKE GOURD
OVAL GOURD
SPINY GOURD
MALABAR SPINACH
RED SPINACH

7. • BANANA FLOWER(mocha)- small flowers inside the banana flower are
cooked with poppy seed paste
• PUFFED RICE(muri)- it is used to make jhal muri
• JACKFRUIT(ainchor)- raw jackfruit is eaten as vegetable when ripened
it is eaten as fruit
• BANANA STEMS(thor)- inner white part of a banana plant
• STEMS OF TARO PLANTS(kochu shaak)
• WATER LILY STEMS(shapla shaak)- fibrous stem that is peeled and cut
into smaller pieces and eaten as vegetable
• BROAD BEANS(shim)- flat broad stems

8. BANANA FLOWER PUFFED RICE
JACKFRUIT
BANANA STEMS STEMS OF TARO PLANTS
BROAD BEANS

9. COMMON FISH AND SEAFOOD IN BENGALI
CUISINE
• HILSA(ilish)- river fish found in river padma in Bangladesh.
Considered a delicacy as it migrates from salt water
• CARP(rui)- it can be fried and served as bhaja or it can be
cooked in watery gravy known as jhol
• DRIED FISH(shootki)- small fish that are sun-dried
• CLOWN KNIFE FISH(chitol maach)- freshwater tropical fish
that has a strange shape with an elongated head
• MANGO FISH(topsey)- freshwater fish from river ganga.
Mainly eaten as deep-fried

10. HILSA(ilish)
CARP(rui)
DRIED FISH(shootki)
CLOWN KNIFE FISH(chitol maach) MANGO FISH(topsey) SEA BASS(bhetki)

11. • SEA BASS(bhetki)- grows in sea as well as river. Its is
expensive fish with is cooked on special occasions
• PRAWNS/SHRIMPS(chingri)
• CATFISH(tangra/shinghi)- this fish is found in shallow waters
of river.
• PERCH(koi)- species of freshwater fish. Commonly eaten as
curries
• CARP(katla)- freshwater fish. Eaten in the form of curries or
shallow fried. This fish grows very quickly
• INDIAN BUTTER FISH(pabda)- fresh river fish. The fish has a
fatty texture that is usually 6 inches in length

12. PRAWNS/SHRIMPS(chingri) CATFISH(tangra/shinghi)
PERCH(koi)
CARP(katla)
INDIAN BUTTER FISH(pabda)

13. SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
• BONTHI- it has a long curved blade set on a platform which is held
down by the foot
• KHUNTHI- flat metal spatula with long handle
• HATHA- it as a scoop with a long handle
• JHANJRI- large wire meshed flat spoon used for deep-frying
• SHARASHI- kind of pincer. Used for holding hot vessels
• GHUTNI- wooden hand blender used for pureeing lentils
• SIL NORA- flat grinder stone with a stone grinder used for grinding
• HARI- round-bottomed cooking pot that has a slightly narrow neck

14. BONTHI
KHUNTHI
HATHA JHANJRI
SHARASHI
GHUTNI
SIL NORA

15. STAPLE DIET
• RICE- the staple diet of west Bengal is rice. Kolkata is also known as
the rice bowl of india
• VEGETABLES- apart from rice and fish, vegetable that are grown
abundantly.
• LENTILS- many kinds of dals or lentils are available here. Most
preferred variety is moong dal and cholar dal
• DAIRY PRODUCTS- milk and yoghurt are an important part of Bengali
diet. One of the favourite deserts are misti doi
• CHUTNEYS- made with mangoes or tomatoes are frequently
tempered with mustard seeds often eaten with the meal
• FISH- it is most dominant of all meat in Bengal.

16. RICE
VEGETABLES
LENTILS
DAIRY PRODUCTS- CHUTNEYS
FISH

17. SPECIALITY CUISINE FOR FESTIVALS AND
OCCASIONS
• LUCHI- deep-fried bread made with refine flour
• RADHA BALBHOBI- similar to puri but is stuffed with urad dal and
eaten with aloor dum
• BHAJA- refers to fried items
• SHORSHE BATA ILISH- hilsa fish braised in mustard paste and slit
green chillies
• MACHER PATURI- darne or steak of fish marinated in freshly grounded
mustard paste and wrapped in banana leaves and steamed
• ALOO POSTO- potato cooked with freshly ground poppy seed paste
flavoured with whole spices and termeric

18. BHAJA
SHORSHE BATA ILISH
MACHER PATURI ALOO POSTO

19. • CHITOL MACHER MUITHA- fish preparation where the bones are
removed and shaped into koftas and simmered in gravy
• PABDA MACHER JHOL- pabda fish stewed in gravy predominant
of red chilli powder
• CHINGRI MALAI CURRY- small-sized prawns are stewed in gravy
made with boiled onion paste, thickened with coconut milk
• DOI MACH- classical preparation of fish stewed in a yoghurt-
based gravy which is thickened with coconut milk
• KOSHA MANGSHO- brown semi-dry preparation of lamb
• POTOLER DOLMA- baby oval gourds are stuffed with a mixture of
cottage cheese, potatoes, raisins and spices. Which is then
simmered in an onion-based gravy

20. CHITOL MACHER MUITHA PABDA MACHER JHOL
CHINGRI MALAI CURRY
DOI MACH
POTOLER DOLMA

21. • DHOKAR DOLNA- gram flour batter is cooked with spices and
then spread on a tray and steamed. It is cuted into small
pieces and deep fried. Fried dumplings are then stewed in a
gravy of boiled onion paste and whole spices
• KABIRAJI CUTLET- chicken marinated in turmeric, salt, ginger
and garlic paste, onion paste and spices then in batter of rice
flour and eggs and deep-fried
KABIRAJI CUTLET
DHOKAR DOLNA

22. COOKING STYLES USED IN BENGALI CUISINE
• AMBOL- sour dish made with either fish or vegetable. Souring
agent is taramind
• BHAJA- anything deep fried
• BHAPA- process of steaming
• BHORTA- made with boiled vegetables, pumpkins or even lentils
and is tempered with spices and mustard oil
• BHUNA- refers to th items that has been roasted
• CHORCHORI- vegetable dish tempered with paanch phoran spice.
It is flavoured with poppy seeds and mustard seeds paste

23. • CHENCHKI- preparation of very fine cuts of vegetables flavoured
with paanch phoran, chopped onions and garlic
• CHANCHRA- preparation of vegetable with heads and entrails of
fish
• DALNA- preparation of vegetables cooked in medium thick gravy
seasoned with ground spices and garam masala
• DOM- refers to the potato that is cooked over slow flame
• GHANTO- finely chopped and grated vegetable cooked with
paanch phoran and ground spices
• JHAAL- means chillies
• JHOL- refers to the gravy
• KALIYA- the base of the gravy is made with ghee and combination
of oil, ground onion paste and garam masala. Usually made with
big pieces of rohu and mutton

24. • PORA- means burnt. Vegetable are wrapped in banana
leaves and roasted over a wood fire or charcoal fire
• TARAARI- local words for curry
• KASHA- refers to something that has been dry-roasted with
spices, onions, garlic and tomatoes

25. THANK YOU
COMPILED BY
CHEF MOHD ABDULLAH
ALUMNI IHM HAJIPUR