BENGALI RECIPES
Bengal is situated in the East coast of India. Bengal cuisine is known for rice and fish. Bengalis cooke their food using mustard oil and spices like zeera, kalaunji, saunf, fenugreek and mustard seeds are used in plenty. Bengal sweets like Rasugulla and Sandesh are known around the world. Try out this collection of our oriental dishes.
The Bengalis are said to be great food lovers and no wonder their cuisine finds an important place in the Indian cuisine scenario.
BANDHAKOPIR DALNA RECIPE 
Ingredients
Cabbage finely sliced
1 lb
Potatoes cut in small cubes
2
Oil
2 tbsp
Turmeric
1 tbsp
Green chilli paste
2 tsp
Ground cumin
1 tbsp
Ground corainder
1 tsp
Ginger grated
1 inch
Butter
1 tbsp
Bay leaves
2
Garam masala
1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
Method
- Fry cubed potatoes in hot oil in a wok until lightly browned.
- Remove from oil and keep aside. To the hot oil add cabbage. Sprinkle with salt. Stir and cover.
- Simmer for 3-4 minutes. Remove cover.
- Add the turmeric, chili paste, cumin, coriander and ginger.
- Stir and fry until the spices are well blended with the cabbage.
- The cabbage should be nearly cooked at this stage.
- Add 1/2 cup water and add potatoes.
- Adjust salt and add sugar to taste.
- Simmer over medium heat until potatoes are cooked and there is practically no gravy in the pan.
- In a frying pan, heat butter. Add the bay leaves and garam masala.
- Stir fry a couple of minutes and pour over bandhakopir dalna.
- Stir the cabbage and remove from heat.
CHOLA DAL RECIPE
Ingredients
Split bengal gram
1 cup
Turmeric powder
1/4 cup
Dry red chillies
2
Cloves
3
Cinnamon sticks
2
Cardamom powder
1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds
1/2 tbsp
Ginger
1 inch
Green chillies
2
Oil
3 tsp
Grated fresh cocount
1 tbsp
Sugar
1 tsp
Method
- Soak the dal in water for one hour.
- Pressue cook the dal with cloves, cinnamon sticks, turmeric powder, sugar, cardamom powder and salt.
- Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
- Add the red chilies, chopped green chillies and ginger. Fry for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the seasonings to the boiled dal and mix well. Cook for another 10 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh coconut and serve hot with rice.
ALU POSTO RECIPE
Ingredients
Potatoes boil peel and cut into thick cubes
4
Oil
1 cup
Green chillies minced
3
Bay leafs
2
Grind to paste:
Green chillies
3
Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp
Poppy seeds
2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Method
- Mix the ground paste with 1 Tbsp of water, and smear the potato cubes.
- Heat the oil. First fry the bayleafs and chillies.
- Then add the potatoes and fry on low heat , stirring all the while.
FISH STEAMED IN MUSTARD OIL RECIPE
Ingredients
Fish fillets mariated with a little salt with turmeric powder
1 lb
Ground turmeric
1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Mustard oil
3 tbsp
Green chillies slit
4
Tomato chopped
1
Mustard seeds
1 tbsp
Ginger pureed
1/2 tsp
Cilantro chopped
1 tbsp
Water
1/2 cup
Method
- Heat mustard oil in a large frying pan, and when hot add the chiles.
- Turn down the heat to low, and fry for 15-20 seconds.
- Add the chopped tomato and fry for 15 more seconds.
- Add the mustard, ginger, 1/4 tsp. of turmeric and salt to taste. Stir and blend together.
- Add the water, raise the heat to medium, and boil for a few minutes.
- Add the fish and cook until done (5-7 minutes), turning once.
- Garnish with cilantro. Serve.
BENGALI SWEET AND SOUR PANCHPORAN SQUASH RECIPE
Ingredients
Hubbard squash peeled and cubed
1 lb
Roma tomatoes chopped
2
Sunflower oil
2-3 tbsp
Onion cut into thin wedges
1
Garlic cloves finely chopped
2
Hot red chilli pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
1
Fresh ginger finely grated
1 inch
Panchporan
1 tsp
Sweet paprika
1 tsp
Ground corainder
2 tsp
Ground cumin
1 tsp
Hot chili powder
1/2 tsp
Brown sugar
2 tbsp
Lime/lemon juice
1 tsp
Method
- Heat the sunflower oil in a large frying pan.
- Add the onion wedges, garlic, chilli and ginger, panchporan to the pan and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onions are just tender.
- Add the spices and cook for a few seconds more.
- Add the pieces of squash and tomatoes and toss everything together until well coated in the spicy mixture.
- Put the squash into a roasting tin and bake/roast it for 35-40 minutes, or until the squash is tender and lightly browned around the edges.
- This is delicious served together with mint raita and bengali channa dal.
TOMATOR CHUTNEY RECIPE
Ingredients
Ginger
2.5 cm
Cooking oil
2 tbsp
Panchforan
1/2 tsp
Red chillies
2
Tomatoes
450 gms
Salt
1 tsp
Sugar
3/4 cup
Sultanas
1/4 cup
Dates
1/4 cup
Turmeric powder
frac 18 tsp
Lemon juice
1 tsp
Green chillies thinly sliced
2
Method
- Peel and cut the ginger into very thin long strips. Slice the dates into long strips.
- Heat the oil in a round bottomed pan. Add the Panchforan and the red chilli.
- Wait until it splutters and then add the tomato in it.
- Now add the turmeric powder, salt, sugar, ginger, sultanas and date pieces.
- Reduce the heat and cover the lid of the pan. Allow the tomatoes and the dates to cook.
- Once they are all cooked and it thickensa bit add the green chilli and sprinkle the lime juice over the top of the Chutney.
BENGALI SPINACH RECIPE
Ingredients
Raw almonds
2/3 c
Warm water
2 c
Oil/Margarine
3 tbsp
Black mustard seeds
1 t
Whole cumin seeds
1/2 ts
Fenugreek
1/4 ts
Brown sugar
1 1/2 tb
Grated ginger
1/2 tb
Minced green chillies
1 t
Trimmed fresh spinach
2 lb
Shredded coconut
1/3 c
Salt
1 t
Water
2 tb
Nutmeg
1/8 ts
Method
- Soak nuts in warm water for 4 hours or overnight.
- Drain, wash & drain again.
- Heat oil/margarine in a large pot over moderate heat.
- When hot, but not smoking, add the spice seeds & sugar.
- Fry till the seeds darken & the sugar caramelizes.
- Add the ginger, chilies, spinach, nuts, coconut & salt.
- Cover, reduce heat to low & cook for 10 minutes.
- Uncover, gently turn the spinach over.
- Add water if necessary.
- Cook for a further 10 minutes.
- Stir in the nutmeg & heat through for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Garnish with lemon & serve.
DHOI OR YOGURT MUTTON KORMA RECIPE
Ingredients
Mutton cut in cubed
2 lbs or 1 kg
Red potatoes peeled
6 small
Onion chopped ground
2
Ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp
Curds
1 cup
Turmeric
1 tsp
Chilli powder
1 tbsp
Garam masala powder
1 tbsp
Sugar
1 tbsp
Bay leaves
2
Oil
1 cup
Salt to taste
Ground coarsely
Peppercorns
6
Aniseed
1 1/2 tsp
Cloves
6
Cardamoms
3
Method
- Mix meat, curd, chilli, turmeric and garam masala powders.
- Add ginger-garlic paste, salt and sugar. Reserve for 3 hours. Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
- Add whole crushed spices and bay leaves. Add onion paste and brown. Add tomato paste and brown.
- Add meat with marinade. Brown till oil separates.
- Add 2 ½ cups hot water, salt if needed and cook slowly till meat is soft.
DHOI MACCHH RECIPE
Ingredients
Rohufish cleaned and cubed
2 lbs or 1 kg
Curd
1 cup
Turmeric powder
1 1/2 tsp
Onions ground to a paste
2
Garlic paste
1 tbsp
Ginger paste
1 tbsp
Mustard oil
3 tbsps
Salt to taste
For the gravy
Mustard oil
6 tbsps
Sugar
1 tsp
Bay leaves
2
Cloves
8
Cardamoms
4
Black cardamoms
4
Peppercorns
8
Cinnamon
2 pieces
Whole red chillies
6
Salt to taste
Method
- Mix curd, turmeric powder, ground onion, garlic and ginger. salt and oil.
- Apply to the fish and keep aside for 3 hours.
- Heat mustard oil and fry the whole spices.
- Add sugar and salt to taste.
- Add the marinated fish and cook till done.
CHAR CHORI OR VEGGIES BENGALI RECIPE
Ingredients
Cauliflower cut into flowerettes
500 gms
Potatoes peeled and cubed
3
Brinjals stems removed quartered
2
Red pumpkin peeled cubed
200 gms
Aniseeds
1/2 tsp
Cummin seeds
1 1/4 tsp
Onion seeds
1/4 tsp
Fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder
3/4 tsp
Chilli powder
1 tsp
Bay leaves
2
Mustard oil
1/2 cup
Salt and sugar to taste
Method
- Heat oil and add the five kinds of seeds and bay leaves.
- Add the potatoes and cauliflower and stir fry till slightly brown.
- Then toss in brinjals, pumpkin, turmeric, chilli powder, green chillies, salt, sugar, one cup of hot water and cook covered till vegetables are done.