10 Delicious But Not So Popular Bengali Dishes You Must Try

1. Raw Banana Peel¡¯s Paste a.k.a. Kacha Kolar Khoshar Bata

At some point in time, every Bengali must have come across a variety of dishes in his mother¡¯s kitchen. Some of them linger on in your memories for long and the rest of them are just forgotten. Here¡¯s a list of 10 such offbeat lip-smacking Bengali dishes that you must definitely try.

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This isn¡¯t very famous, but once in a while this dish pops out from a Bengali kitchen. A Bengali would definitely admit that even though it doesn¡¯t look very appealing, yet this dish definitely makes love to your taste buds. Do not judge a dish by its look, we say.

2. Colocasia Stems a.k.a. Kochur Loti

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Tuber Colocasia or Arbi is a dish that every Indian household makes, especially during winters. Now Bongs go one step further and make a dish out of the stems. Kochur Lotir Ghaet or Arbi stem¡¯s mixture is a dish that leaves you wanting for more. This is a slimy affair though.

3. Bottle Gourd With Prawns a.k.a. Lau Chingri

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This lip-smacking amalgamation of bottle gourd and prawns pleases you like nothing does. It makes a visit once in a while on every Bong's dinner plate but it goes unnoticed. Give it some respect and don¡¯t forget to try it if you haven¡¯t still!

4. Bombay Duck Dry Curry a.k.a. Loitta Mach or Lote Mach

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This dish was brought to Indian by Bangladeshi migrants. It is known as Bombay Duck or Bombil on the West Coast, but when you move to the East Coast it is famous as Loitta Maach. It is meant to be very spicy. Make sure you cook it in a very air controlled space as this smells really bad during cooking, but tastes divine once it¡¯s ready.

5. Lentil Cakes In Satvik Gravy a.k.a. Dhokar Dalna

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This is famous and most Bengali vegetarians feel proud of it and how! This dish is purely vegetarian and is almost considered god-sent for any vegetarian visiting a Bengali home. Lentil cakes are generally cut in diamond shape and cooked in a red satvik curry.

6. Vegetable Medley a.k.a. Chochori

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It is a medley of the vegetables¡ªmainly potato, egg plant and pumpkin. The key is to get the spices right. Ever heard of a spice mix called Paanch Phoron? Get that spice mix right and you have another great pure vegetarian Bengali dish.

7. Poppy Seed Paste a.k.a. Posto Bata

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Mind you, you do not need a stove for this, and this requires no cooking. Grind poppy seeds with very few drops of water, essentially to make it in a paste. Add green chilies, garlic and salt for taste. Top it up with mustard oil and chopped onions. This dish goes best with steamed rice.

8. Puffed Rice Sweet Balls a.k.a. Murir Moa

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This yummy thing has become limited to a sweet dish that is served as an offering during Puja. It¡¯s a light sweet snack that doesn¡¯t harm you in any way.

9. Sweet Coconut Balls a.k.a. Narkeler Nadu

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Another one of the offering that is used mostly during pujas is Narkeler Nadu. It¡¯s grated coconut mixed with khoya kheer and jaggery. We guarantee you¡¯ll be left craving for more.

10. Stale Rice a.k.a. Panta Bhaat

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Most people consider it as poor man¡¯s food. This is basically leftover rice from last night mixed with water, green chilies, mashed potatoes and fried fish. It¡¯s easy and it is tasty. Add a few drops of mustard oil to bring some zing!

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