Bengali cuisine is characterized by a strong preference for fish and rice, with fish being integral to daily meals and celebrations. The cuisine blends sweet and spicy flavors, featuring traditional dishes like hilsa fish curry, doi maach, and various vegetarian dishes such as aloo poshto. Bengali sweets are also notable, with popular varieties like rasgulla and mishti doi, which highlight the region's fondness for desserts.

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BENGALI
CUISINE

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Bengali's are perhaps the greatest
food lovers in the Indian
subcontinent. Rice and fish are
their staple diet. Many of Bengal's
famous dishes are fish based
items and they consider a meal
incomplete without fish.
INTRODUCTION
The specialty of Bengali food lies
in the perfect blend of sweet and
spicy flavors. For Bengalis, food is
one of the most essential aspects
of their day to day lives.

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The staple food of people in
Bengal is rice and fish. A typical
Bengali needs to have fish in
every meal; otherwise there is a
feeling that the meal is
incomplete. There is an ample
stock of fish in every household,
because fish is cooked frequently,
almost on a daily basis. Even the
Brahmin Bengalis relish fish. Fish
is a part of every festivity
celebration.

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Bengalis have a special
seasoning called
'Panchphoran' which includes
five spices - mustard, aniseed,
fenugreek seed, cumin seed
and black cumin seed.
The principal medium of
cooking is mustard oil. A
typical Bengali lunch or
dinner will generally
comprise of bhat (rice),
dal (lentils), tarkari
(vegetables) and
macher jhol (fish curry).

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NON-
vegeTaRIaN
DIshes

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shORshe ILLIsh
Hilsa fish, commonly known
as 'Ilish maachh' in Bengal
is very much popular fish
among Bengalees. Any
preparation with Ilish
becomes Bengal delicacy.
Ilish is actually considered as national fish of
Bangladesh and it is extremely popular in
the Indian states adjacent to Bangladesh
border. Shorshe Ilish‘is a famous Bengali
delicacy, which is actually Hilsa cooked in
mustard sauce.

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Doi maach
Doi maach is a very
authentic Bengali
preparation served typically
at lunch with pulao or white
rice on a festive occasion.
Fish Curry with yogurt, or Doi Maach,
as it is known in Bengali, is a dish
prepared during festive
occasions. The curry is cooked with
larger fishes like carp (katla) or hilsha
(Ilish).

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chingri macher
pulao
A traditional Bengali
dish made with rice and
prawns or shrimps with
a dash of bay leaves,
cumin seeds, chopped
onions, turmeric, red
chili and coriander
powder.

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Vegetarian
Dishes

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aloo poshto
Aloo Poshto is a very
popular dish from
West Bengal and is
popularly served in
marriages along with
Poori/Luchhi or
steamed rice. This is
a dry recipe in which
the potatoes are
cooked in Poppy
paste and has very
mild flavors.

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labra
Labra is one of the
traditional Bengali
dishes cooked widely in
festivals, pujas and
ceremonies where
vegetarian dishes are
mandatory. It offers a
distinct taste to the
Bengali palate.
It consists of a variety of vegetables like Red
Pumpkin, Cabbage, Cauliflower stem, Mulo/
Raddish, baigon / Egg plant, Potatoes, Misti Alu /
Sweet potatoes

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bengali baingan
bhaja
Baingan
Bhaja are pan
fried or shallow
fried marinated
slices of
Aubergines. This
is a popular
Bengali dish and
there are a lot of
variations to it.

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“Bhog Khichuri” is a traditional
version of Khichdi which basically is
a mixture of rice and pulses cooked
together. It is a popular Bengali
cuisine which is often made during
pooja or special occasions and
offered as Prasadam to Maa Durga.
The specialty of this Khichdi is the
rice used in it. It’s special rice which
is known as “Govindobhoog” and is
jam packed with fragrance.
Bhog khichuri

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Bengali
sweets

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Traditional Bengali food always ends up with
mishti and sweet curd. Bengali food is
famous for its mithais (sweets). The origin of
typical Bengali sweets can be traced back in
the traditional household kitchens. The most
popular Bengali mithai is rasogolla, which is
enjoyed by people all over the country.
If the popularity of Rasgulla,
Sandesh and Mishti Doi is
anything to go by, the Bengalis
sure know a great deal about
sweet making. This seems only
natural since they are, as a group,
known for having a sweet tooth!

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rosgulla
The most famous
of all Bengali
desserts is the
'Rasgulla' or
'Roshogulla'. It is
made up of
sweetened cottage
cheese or paneer
balls soaked in
sugar syrup and
has many varieties
according to the
region.

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sandesh
Sandesh is a Bengali dessert
created with milk and sugar.
Sandesh can be made with the
use of Chhena or cottage
cheese. The simplest kind of
Sandesh in Bengal is the
kanchagolla. It is basically
prepared by tossing the Indian
cheese (chhena) lightly with
sugar over low heat

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channar
payesh
Channar payesh is the
Bengali term for paneer
or cheese pudding or
'kheer'. It is yet another
one of the most popular
Indian sweets. Bengalis
love to prepare this
sweet dish on every
auspicious occasion. In
fact, they do not need
an occasion to prepare
channar payesh!

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Mishti doi
Mishti Doi in
Bengali means
Sweet yoghurt
which is a very
popular dish in
West Bengal and
is made with milk
and sugar or also
using yoghurt and
curd.

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PatishaPta Pitha
Patishapta Pitha, is a
variety of pitha that is
very popular in West
Bengal. Patishapta is a
sweet dish with its
outer layer made of
flour and stuffed with a
filling of coconut and
jaggery. It is the most
common sweet
prepared on festivals
like Durga Puja, Makar
Sankranti and Diwali.

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