For everyone who’s been blessed with Bengali food growing up, they’ve had the happiest childhood. Okay, while that might have been an overstretch, the blessing part of it is true. Bangla food is a cuisine that hardly has any mainstream alternatives. As a Bong, I have had the privilege of eating authentic Bengali food all my life. That is, until I moved to Delhi and could never find anything remotely close to the flavours of home. You can take me to C.R. Park or Mayur Vihar, shove me in a Durga Pujo stall anywhere but the dishes that are eponymous to Bengali cuisine is rarely something you find so easily.
Here are a few dishes I terribly miss and no, they’re not available in 99% of restaurants that claim they’re running the authenticity show!
1. Murighonto
Made with the head of either the Rohu or Katla fish, this dish is for the hardcore Bangali. It’s spicy with a thick gravy that kinda coats your rice instead of combining to be a stew. There are bones as well which is why it is only for the seasoned foodie. Usually, it’s kept as the finale dish after all the dals and saags are over.
2. Tel Koi
Koi is a type of fish that is found in Bengal, especially during the winter. The spice level is quite high, cooked in the typical Mustard oil and is extremely high on flavour. One more preparation that needs to be devoured with rice but you won’t feel guilty about it later!
3. Kosha Mangsho
This preparation might be signature Bengali, but trust me when I say this, no one does it quite as perfect as home. The gravy needs to be a dark-ish brown and the thickness, that of yogurt for the right consistency that will always be home for a Bong.
4. Ilish fry with tel
Ilish is hilsa and is quite emblematic of the whole community. Although the preparation is super easy, the accompanying oil that the fish releases on frying is considered an additional delicacy. Oh we can already feel ourselves salivating at the thought!
5. Bokphool bhaja
This is one dish you will not find in any restaurant. The flower is coated in besan and fried but it is the flower that cannot be easily sourced. It is eaten as a side to the regular yellow dal but what flavour it can bring? Oh ho!!
6. Shukto
Shukto is one of the starting dishes for Bengali cuisine. Technically eaten cold with rice, the dish is mainly a culmination of a number of veggies like sweet potato, bitter gourd, raw banana among other things. Yes, it sounds disgusting but give us a better tasting veggie dish--we’ll wait!
7. Aloo Posto ( with or without jhinge)
Another one of them potato dishes, aloo posto can literally get you high and we’re not even kidding! The posto is basically extracted poppy seeds which makes for opium later. The dish is best served with kolai dal. The jhinge is optional!
8. Chingri machcher bati chorchori
The dish is a spicy soupy gravy filled with baby or shredded shrimp and pointed gourd or parwal. It is so tasty, we really cannot think of where to go from here.