| West Bengal Cuisine--Something To Die For! |
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Sunderbans Wildlife || West Bengal Map
Sunderbans Wildlife || West Bengal Map
The eastern Indian state of West Bengal boasts of a lip-smacking cuisine. In fact, the West Bengal cuisine is one of the best among all Indian cuisines. The state was ruled by several Christian and European powers. It also remained under the rule of the Nawabs and Mughal emperors for long. They all influenced the state’s cuisine in one way or the other.The local widows of West Bengal also much influenced the cuisine of West Bengal. The Hindu widows shun the use of onion and garlic to make food. Food prepared by them though may not please some, especially the Punjabis, it is quite tasty.
On the whole, the Bengalis love to season their vegetable dishes with Paanch Phorna--much like the neighboring states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Orissa. It is a clever mix of five spices -– Aniseed, Mustard Seed, Fenugreek Seed, Cumin Seed and Black Cumin Seed.
They also liberally use mustard paste and mustard oil to prepare the various mouth-watering dishes of the state. The people of Bengal also commonly use mangoes, bananas, coconuts, milk and yogurt to come out with several tasty food items.
Of all food stuffs, rice and fish are used the most in the state, and they constitute the main food for most of the Bengalis. Rice is eaten after steaming, frying and stewing it. Much like rice, fish is also eaten in the state after preparing it in many ways. They are fried and boiled along with a few vegetables and then eaten, or simply mixed with various spices, deep fried and then eaten.
Even though the Bengalis love having almost all types of fishes (mostly fresh water), these are the most widely eaten in the state–-Rohu, Magur, Katla, and Hilsa. Macher Jhol--a typical fish curry prepared using various spices--is perhaps the most popular dish of the state. The Bengalis, literally, cannot live without it.
Much like rice and fish, curd and sweets also constitute the main diet of the Bengali people. A special type of Curd is enjoyed called Misti Doi (Sweetened Curd). And in sweets, Rasogulla, Rajbogh, Shondesh, Pantua, and Chomchom are much loved and savored. In fact, the Bengalis consider their meal incomplete if it does not have at least one or two types of sweet food item to go with it.
Of these sweet dishes, Rasogulla, a highly delicious food item, made with cottage cheese and soaked in sweet syrup, is the most loved one. Actually, Rasgulla is the most popular export of West Bengal to the rest of the world.
The Bengalis are also fond of enjoying the various types of light snacks. Muri, Jhal-Muri…these are just a few of the many of the well-known snacks of the state. They much add to the appeal of the West Bengal cuisine making it something to look for while on a visit to the state.
