Bengali New Year is celebrated by people in West Bengal and Bangladesh. Poila baisakh(i.e. the first day of Baisakh month) is all about celebration and of course, good food. People gorge on traditional Bengali food on this day. Here are some foods eaten during Bengali New Year.
1.Basanti Pulao
This is a popular dish in Bengali cuisine. The ingredients include rice, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaf, clove, garam masala, raisin, cashew, oil, and salt. It has a slightly sweet aroma. It can be served with any curry-based item, especially mutton. The first traces of Basanti Pulao can be found in Shahjahani Zard Pulao.
2.Mutton Kosha
This dish consists of a rich and spicy gravy with soft mutton pieces. The ingredients are mutton, turmeric, garam masala, yoghurt, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaf, clove, garlic, ginger, red chilies, Kashmiri red chili powder, and salt. Mutton kosha is usually cooked in low flame. It can be eaten with pulao or parathas.
3.Daab Chingri
“Daab” means “coconut,” and “chingri” means “prawn.” This prawn curry is light and tasty. The ingredients are prawns, mustard, coconut, coconut milk, turmeric, chilies, garlic, ginger, onion, salt, and oil. Sometimes, it is served in a coconut shell.
4.Bhetki Paturi
The fish is coated with mustard paste, wrapped in banana leaves, and steamed. The ingredients are bhetki fish, mustard seed, chilies, turmeric, yoghurt, lemon juice, banana leaf, and salt. Bhetki Paturi is a popular dish during Bengali New Year and other festivals of this culture.
5.Shorshe Ilish
The fish is cooked with delicious gravy made of mustard. It is not only famous in West Bengal but also Bangladesh and certain regions of Assam. The ingredients are ilish fish (or hilsa), green chilies, mustard, turmeric, red chili powder, salt, and oil.
6.Aloo Dum
“Aloo” means “potato.” This dish is famous all over India, especially West Bengal, Jammu, and Kashmir. The Bengali cuisine has a variation of it. The ingredients are potatoes, red chilies, clove, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, Kashmiri red chili powder, cumin, turmeric, chilies, and salt. Peas can be added as well. This is usually served with luchi, radhaballavi, kachuri, or puri.
7.Aloo Posto
This is a traditional Bengali dish. It is popular during the Bengali New Year, other festivals, or daily cooking. The ingredients are potato, turmeric, chilies, mustard, poppy seeds, salt, and oil. It tastes best when served with rice.
8.Shukto
It is popular in West Bengal and Bangladesh. It is a light, curry-based vegetable dish. It has a slightly bitter and sweet taste. The ingredients include various vegetables like potato, bitter gourd, brinjal, drumsticks, bori (dried lentil dumpling), and plantain. Other ingredients are mustard, ginger, turmeric, panch phoron, and oil.
9.Payesh
It is a sweet dish popular in Bengali cuisine. It is made during every happy occasion like someone’s birthday, New Year, etc. The ingredients are rice, milk, sugar, cashew, almond, and cardamom. It is sweet and creamy.
10.Dhokar Dalna
“Dhoka” is made with Bengal gram. They are roasted with spices and cut into diamonds. “Dalna” is a rich curry in which the dhoka is added. The ingredients are Bengal gram, green chilies, ginger, garlic, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, flour, and oil.
11.Beguni
It is one of the most popular evening snacks in Bengal. Brinjal is coated in a flour batter and deep fried. The ingredients are brinjal, flour, turmeric, salt, and oil. Black salt is added after frying to enhance the taste. It is a typical street food. It is crispy and salty.
12.Cholar Daal
It is a sweet and savoury dish. It can be served with luchi, kachori, or any type of puris. It has a light curry. The ingredients are chana daal, cinnamon, cardamom, clove, turmeric, cumin, ginger, and salt.
13.Rasgulla
This sweet is prevalent in many regions of India. This is eaten during New Year or any other happy occasion. A spherical dumpling is doused in sweet syrup and served. The ingredients to make this are milk, lemon juice, sugar, cardamom, and rose water.
14.Muri Ghonto
It is an authentic Bengali dish. It is a dish made by mixing fish and rice. The ingredients are rice, head of a fish, potato, onion, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, red chili powder, and salt.
15.Pomfret Fry
The ingredients are pomfret fish, turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, and salt. Pomfret fries are delicious and can be served as an appetizer. It can also be eaten with rice.
16.Pabda Fish Curry
This is a light and slightly spicy fish curry. This dish is eaten as a day-to-day meal or during special occasions. The ingredients are pabda fish, potato, red chili powder, turmeric, garlic, panch phoron, and salt. It is relatively easy to make and delicious.
17.Sandesh
Sandesh is a popular Bengali sweet. It is eaten during any occasions or festivals. Sandesh is available in every sweet shop in West Bengal. But it can also be made at home. The process is easy. The ingredients needed are milk, lemon juice, cardamom, sugar, and salt. Saffron can be added as well.
18.Luchi
Luchi is a Bengali style puri. It is made with maida instead of atta. It is deep-fried and usually served with Alur Dum, Chana Dal, or Mutton Kosha. The ingredients are maida, water, and oil. It is easy to make and delicious.
19.Bhaja
“Bhaja” means “fry.” It is an umbrella term used to define all types of fry. It can include potato, brinjal, pumpkin, or fish. They are a standard part of every Bengali platter. They are eaten with rice and daal. It enhances the taste. They are deep-fried in oil.
20.Lal Sak
“Lal sak” is the Bengali term for red amaranth leaves. This dish is usually eaten at the beginning with rice. The ingredients are red amaranth, garlic, green chili, salt, and oil. This has a juicy texture.
