Bengali Cuisine

Historical Background
• Inherited influence from foreign travelers
• Holds authenticity though ruled by Mughal emperors and been
capitol to British colonization
• Cuisine influenced by Nawabs, Chinese and British
• Baking which was pretty unknown till the British came along became
widespread
Historical Background
• Chops and cutlets were British origin.
• Chinese community in Indian sub continent are community of
immigrants and descendants that emigrated from China for work.
• MSG and sweet corn was also used in popular Bengali Chinese
cuisine.
Ingredients used
• Runner beans (Barbatti) • Spine gourd (Kakrol)
• Snake gourd (Chichinge)
• Wax gourd (Potol)
• Banana flower (Mocha)
• Jackfruit (Aichor)
• Banana stem (Thor)
• Broad beans (Shim)
• Stem of taro plant (Kochu Shaak)
Fish and seafood
• Hilsa (Ilish) • Catfish (Tangra)
• Carp (Rui) • Carp (Katla)
• Indian butter fish(Pabda) • Tilapia
• Clown knife fish (Chitol Maach)
• Mango fish (Topsey)
• Bhetki
• Prawns (Chingri)
• Perch (Koi)
Equipment used
• Boonthi
• Khunti
• Haatha
• Sil nora
Spices
• Panch phoran
Combination of five spices mainly fennel, fenugreek, cumin, nigella
(onion seeds), radhuni (celery seeds).
Dishes
• Luchi • Kosha mangsho
• Radhaballabi • Potoler dolma
• Sorshe illish • Dhokar dalna
• Bhetki paturi • Muri Ghanto
• Chitol macher muitha • Kabiraji cutlet
• Pabda macher jhal • Aloo posto
• Chingi malai curry • Daab chingri
• Doi maach • Macher matha diye moogaer dal
• Shukto • Cholar dal narkal diye
Cooking Terminologies
• Ambol • Jhol
• Bhaja • Tarkari
• Bhapa • Kaliya
• Chorchori
• Chenchki
• Dalna
• Ghanto
• Jhaal