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home » bengali

bengali

These are our favourite Bengali recipes.

Bengal is the region that includes Kolkatta, or Calcutta as was then called, which was the centre of the British administration. Most of the time the family was in India this is where they called home.

At that time Bengal included Bangladesh. The west Bengali and Bangladeshi cuisine are the basis of much of what the Raj loved about Indian food. For many of them and their descendants, this is comfort food.

a serving plate of beef bhuna

beef bhuna

This recipe for bhuna gorur mangsho produces a dish that is rich and intense. Beef bhuna cooks in its own juices, giving the dish a deep flavour.

a cooking dish of beef shatkora

beef shatkora

This beef curry features an unusual citrus fruit, shatkora, to provide a contrast to the richly spiced meat. It is a Bengali dish, from the Sylhet region of Bangladesh .

a serving bowl with Bengali dal

Bengali dal

Bengali dal is the local version of tarka dal. This Peyaj dal has a slightly sweet taste because of the way the onions are caramelised in jaggery which balances the bite of the chilli.

a plate of Bengali fried rice

Bengali fried rice

The traditional and delightful Bengali fried rice. Called ghee bhaat, it is sometimes referred to as Bengali vegetable pulao. It is a simple, wholesome rice and vegetable dish, suitable to accompany almost any lentil or vegetable dish in this book.

a plate of bengali prawns with a side dish of rice

Bengali prawn curry with mustard and coconut

This popular and traditional Bengali prawn curry, chingri macher, features a distinct mustard taste that works well with the coconut and the sweetness of the prawns.

a serving bowl of diced carrots and beans with lime

carrots and beans with lime

This is a simple dish of carrots, beans and lifted with lime. Gajar sem ki sabzi is a common Bengali preparation.

four chicken roti rolls on a platter

chicken kathi roll

From the street food vendors of Kolkatta comes this spiced chicken, wrapped in an egg soaked flatbread. Kathi rolls are quite possibly the world's best snack.

a plate of white rice with a serving of dal with spinach on top

dal and spinach

Creamy, nutritious, protein-rich, iron and mineral-rich, fibre-rich, this dal and spinach dish, or dal palang is probably the healthiest recipe in this cookbook.

a heap of garam masala

garam masala

Of all the masala mixes that exist in Indian cookery garam masala is the best known. It is usually added to a dish towards the end of the cooking process.

A bowl of grated green apple raita

green apple raita

The coolness of the yoghurt, with the sweetness of the fruit, makes this apple raita, or hare seb ki raita, the perfect accompaniment for hot food

a serving spoon of hot lime pickle

hot lime pickle

With chunky pieces of fruit and robust spices, this tangy lime pickle, nimbu ka achaar, is an ideal accompaniment to everything in this cookbook.

serving dish of mango chutney

mango chutney

This Bengali mango chutney, am ki chutni, is a tangy, and slightly spicy chutney which goes well with any rice or lentil dish.

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contents

  • essays
  • general
  • ingredients
  • menus
  • recipes
    • accompaniments
    • baking
    • basics
    • breads
    • breakfasts
    • desserts
    • drinks
    • eggs
    • fish and seafood
    • meat and poultry
    • rice, pulao and biryani
    • salads
    • snacks
    • soups
    • starters
    • vegetarian
  • techniques
© 2015-2023 Keith Pfeiffer
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