Visiting Kolkata for Durga Puja 2024? Try these 10 traditional dishes of Bengal

Though there is no bar on non-vegetarian food for the general masses — and many in fact cannot imagine surviving on veg food during their most-awaited festival — those who organise the puja in their homes do skip non-veg food during the five days of festivities. But then, not entirely. Many households have the practice of offering “vegetarian meat” — goat cooked without onion and garlic — as bhog to the Goddess, which, sanctified, they consume as prasad.

If you are visiting Kolkata during Durga Puja, do try to get the bhog-prasad from one of the community pujas. Usually, they sell packed plates of prasad for a price. It will be vegetarian, usually with pulao/khichudi, fried vegetables, curries or stir fries, the Bengali-style sweet chutney, and mishti.

At the same time, to get an authentic taste of Bengal, you can try these 10 offbeat traditional dishes that you may not find anywhere else in India. And though Kolkata is no city for vegetarians, we have listed five veggie dishes, too, keeping in mind ritualistic preferences. After all, Durga Puja is for everyone.

1. Bhapa Ilish/Ilish Paturi

Hilsa is the darling of Bengalis. It is cooked in several ways — in a mustard gravy (shorsher jhaal), in a yogurt gravy (doi ilish), in a spicy light gravy (jhol), fried (bhaja), and in myriad other forms. Hilsa is even eaten as a dessert — by cooking the fish in a sour tamarind syrup (ilish macher tok). Even the fish roe is highly relished as a fry or in other ways.

However, one of the most iconic preparations is the fish steamed in mustard paste. Some may use coconut paste and/or poppy seed paste along with mustard in the gravy. The beauty of this dish lies in the fact that the fish retains its taste and flavour in the best possible way because of the minimal ingredients used. And, it is light on the stomach.

When the fish is steamed in banana leaf (or pumpkin/gourd leaf) in a similar gravy, the dish is called a paturi, which is also a delicacy. So, if you are in the mood for some hilsa while out pandal-hopping, do try one of these traditional hilsa dishes of Bengal. Almost all restaurants serving Bengali cuisine, including 6 Ballygunge Place, Oh! Calcutta, and Bhojohori Manna, offer these dishes. Be prepared for the pocket pinch though!

2. Shukto

This is an everyday vegetarian dish of Bengal. It is essentially a mixed vegetable stew cooked in a gravy of milk and mustard paste with a tempering of the Bengali panch phoron (five spices). However, some may use a tempering of whole mustard seeds too.

There was a time when it was a staple in weddings and other functions. Even now, a lot of families serve shukto as the first item of the wedding lunch. Dinner is usually fancier though.

A feature of this dish, which is eaten as an appetiser, is that it will have a bitter element, such as bitter gourd. Hence, it may not suit every taste bud. However, if you want an authentic taste of Bengal, do try shukto or shuktoni during your Durga Puja visit. Almost every restaurant, including 6 Ballygunge Place, Bhojohori Manna, and Kasturi, serve shukto.

3. Kosha Mangsho/Mutton Kasha

If there is one iconic goat curry that stands out as quintessentially Bengali, this would be it. The word “kosha” means to sauté. The meat is slow-cooked with a host of spices to give a rich and fiery goat curry. It makes for a Sunday meal in many households, along with white rice.

For Kolkatans, Golbari restaurant at the Shyambazar five-point crossing is synonymous with kosha mangsho, though it is unlikely that you will actually manage to get a plateful during Durga Puja. The Golbari kosha mangsho vanishes like hot cakes even on a normal day!

However, almost all Bengali-cuisine restaurants, including 6 Ballygunge Place, Kasturi, Bhojohori Manna, and Ghare Baire, offer this iconic dish. We promise, it’s finger-licking good!

Also read: Kolkata Durga Puja 2024: 10 must-visit theme pandals this year

4. Alu Posto

This is another iconic delicacy of Bengal though its origins lie in the exploitative British opium trade. Sometime during those days, the impoverished Bengali homemaker realised that the residue of poppy seed left after extracting opium could be turned into a delicacy when cooked with potatoes or other vegetables. It could feed the many mouths at home and also work as a mild sedative.

And hence was born the iconic alu posto — potatoes cooked in a poppy seed paste. Equally relished are the posto bata (poppy seed paste) and posto bora (poppy seed fritters). Posto is often used to cook prawns and fish too, used in a sauce along with mustard and/or coconut paste.

From its humble origins, the alu posto has today graduated to a permanent position on the menu cards of all high-end restaurants, including 6 Ballygunge Place and Oh! Calcutta, and the mid-range ones such as Kasturi, Bhojohori Manna, Ghare Baire, and literally every other Bengali restaurant present in Kolkata. Ridged gourd (jhinge) is also commonly cooked with posto.

5. Macher Matha Die Dal

Fish and Bengal are synonymous. Even the fish head is not spared and is often used to cook delicacies. The rohu head is often cooked with the aromatic Gobindobhog rice to make murighonto. But the more easily available dish made with fish (rohu) head is the macher matha die dal.

It is essentially moong dal that is cooked with the rohu head, with an assortment of spices. This is another traditional Bengali dish that used to be common in wedding feasts and on other occasions. Many restaurants, including Aaheli, Kasturi, Bhojohori Manna, and Ghare Baire, serve macher matha die dal. So, do try it. But be prepared to pick the bones!

Also read: Here is a complete guide on Kolkata street food and more

6. Dhokar Dalna

If you cannot relish the non-vegetarian dal, you can surely enjoy this uniquely Bengali way of cooking chholar dal (chana dal) — by making a paste of it, cooking it in spices, cutting it into diamond-shaped cubes, and then once again making a curry out of those cubes.

This is yet another vegetarian dish that used to be common in weddings and other festivities. Now, you can relish it at restaurants such as 6 Ballygunge Place, Kasturi, and Bhojohori Manna. This is one item that suits every taste bud, and we highly recommend that you try it.

7. Chitol Macher Muitha

The origins of this dish lie in the erstwhile East Bengal (now Bangladesh) and came to West Bengal along with those who migrated from there over the decades. Chitol (Indian featherback) is a variety of knife fish and is much relished in much of eastern India.

While chitol macher peti (belly of the fish) is also a common treat served at restaurants, the more iconic preparation is the muithya, which is basically fish balls in gravy. The flesh of the fish is scraped out, turned into dumplings, and then further cooked in a spicy gravy.

Interestingly, the chitol macher muitha has now become a popular item at Bengali weddings even on this side of the border and you can savour some at restaurants such as 6 Ballygunge Place, Kasturi, Bhojohori Manna, and Ghare Baire, too.

8. Mochar Chop

Banana blossom or mocha is a delicacy in Bengal. And this dish is essentially street food though many restaurants also serve it. Banana blossoms are chopped and cooked with spices and then deep-fried into croquettes.

While you will find this at many street-corner shops selling similar snacks such as the Kolkata-style fish fry and chicken pakoras, restaurants such as 6 Ballygunge Place, Oh! Calcutta, and Bhojohori Manna, serve mochar chop.

You can also try other mocha or banana blossom dishes such as mochar ghonto (a vegetarian stir fry) and mocha chingri (with prawns), while Bhojohori Manna even serves a mocha chingrir chop (croquettes of banana blossoms with prawns).

Also read: Have a penchant for prawns? Try these iconic Bengali prawn dishes in Kolkata

9. Topshe Macher Fry

Once again, this used to be a staple at weddings, though not anymore. It is still a well-known delicacy though and is quite unique in its preparation. Topshe mach or mango fish is batter-fried whole, including the bones, and this dish is certainly not for those not used to tackling their mach.

It is not available in too many restaurants despite its iconic status, and Aaheli is one of the rare high-end restaurants that does. If you have the guts to try a whole batter-fried fish, bones and all, give this one a try.

10. Khejur Amsattar Chutney

Bengal is one of those rare Indian states where “chutney” means a dessert — rather, a pre-dessert — and not a condiment that goes with other food items. A chutney, along with papad, is a must to end Bengali meals, and is usually served before mishti. One of the most iconic chutneys is the one made with amsatta and khejur (dates).

Amsatta (aam papad in Hindi) is essentially a chunk of dried mango sheets. Along with dates, raisins, and a liberal dose of sugar, it is turned into a “pre-dessert” that is usually eaten in small amounts to end a meal on a double-sweet note, because, of course, the main dessert will follow. There can be other kinds of chutneys too, and many restaurants have a “chutney of the day” on their menu cards.

Even if you don’t find the khejur-amsatta chutney, do try any other chutney after your main course, before you wait for your dessert. It is sure to make your Durga Puja experience doubly sweet!

WBTDCL package tours: The West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Ltd (WBTDCL), like other years, is offering a day trip to some select bonedi bari (heritage house) pujas, which usually ends with a gala meal of bhog prasad at Sovabazar Rajbari. Check out the packages for October 10 and 11.