35 Bengali Food Dishes You Must Try in West Bengal

Bengali food is recognized for its distinctive tastes, liberal use of spices, and careful balance of savory and sweet meals. Bengali food is renowned for its complex flavor combinations, which expertly blend sweet and salty components to produce a wide variety of dishes that appeal to a variety of palates. Everyone may find something they like in Bengali food, whether they like seafood, vegetarian dishes, or sweets.

Here are 35 Bengali meals you really must try if you're in West Bengal or intend to travel there:

1) Machher Jhol

This is the traditional fish curry from Bengal. The fish is usually prepared in a light, spicy sauce that includes ingredients like turmeric, cumin, and mustard seeds.

2) Shorshe Ilish

Hilsa fish dubbed the "king of fish" in Bengal, is marinated and prepared in a hot mustard sauce. It's a treat that's frequently taken in during the monsoon season.

3) Chingri Malai

This creamy prawn dish is cooked with coconut milk, green chilies, and spices. It tastes thick and a little bit sweet.

4) Alu Posto

A distinctive meal with a nutty flavor is made by cooking potatoes with poppy seed paste. It's a household favorite in many Bengali homes.

5) Bhapa Ilish

A tasty and fragrant dish is produced when Hilsa fish is cooked with mustard and coconut paste.

6) Dhokar Dalna

Lentil cakes prepared from ground lentils are referred to as Dhokar Dalna. Sliced versions of these cakes are cooked in a hot curry sauce with potatoes and tomatoes.

7) Luchi

Luchi is a fluffy bread that is deep-fried and produced from refined flour. Although often smaller and fluffier, it is comparable to puri.

8) Aloo Dum

With luchi or paratha, this hot, slow-cooked potato curry is frequently served.

9) Cholar Dal

This dish is spiced and cooked with coconut. It's mildly sweet and frequently served with festive dinners.

10) Sorshe Chingri Bati Chorchori

A meal of mixed vegetables and prawns in a mustard sauce. It's a meaty dish with lots of flavor.

11) Mutton Kosha

This is a slow-cooked, spicy mutton curry with tender pieces of meat that soak up the rich flavors of the spices.

12) Shorshe Maach

A spicy fish curry made with a mustard gravy. The tanginess of the mustard pairs wonderfully with the fish.

13) Mochar Ghonto

A unique preparation made from banana flowers (mocha). It's cooked with spices and coconut for a delightful dish.

14) Patishapta

These are thin rice crepes filled with a sweet coconut and jaggery mixture. They're often made during the festival of Poush Parbon.

15) Mishti Doi

Literally translated as "sweet yogurt," this dessert is made by caramelizing sugar and adding it to yogurt, resulting in a sweet and creamy delicacy.

16) Rasgulla

These soft, spongy cheese balls are soaked in sugar syrup and are one of the most famous Bengali sweets.

17) Sandesh

A delightful sweet made from fresh paneer (cottage cheese), often flavored with cardamom and shaped into various forms.

18) Rasmalai

Similar to Rasgulla, this sweet features cheese dumplings soaked in sweetened milk, garnished with pistachios.

19) Malpua

These are sweet pancakes made from a batter of flour, milk, and sugar. They are fried and soaked in sugar syrup.

20) Sondesh

A simple yet delicious sweet made from fresh paneer, often flavored with cardamom or saffron.

21) Bhapa Sandesh

This is a steamed version of the popular Bengali sweet, Sandesh. It's made from fresh paneer, sugar, and flavored with saffron or cardamom. Bhapa Sandesh has a delicate, melt-in-the-mouth texture.

22) Chanar Payesh

Chanar Payesh is a creamy dessert made from freshly prepared paneer (chhena). The paneer is cooked with milk and sugar until it thickens, and it's often garnished with nuts and raisins.

23) Bhutte Ka Kees

While not traditionally Bengali, this dish is popular in parts of West Bengal. It's made from grated corn cooked with spices like mustard seeds, turmeric, and green chilies, resulting in a flavorful, spicy snack.

24) Aam Pora Shorbot

This is a tangy and refreshing drink made from roasted green mangoes. It's a popular summer beverage in Bengal, known for its cooling properties.

25) Aloo Potol Posto

Aloo Potol Posto is a vegetarian dish made from pointed gourd (potol), potatoes (alu), and poppy seed paste (posto). The poppy seed paste adds a unique nutty flavor to the dish.

26) Shobji Diye Bhaja Muger Dal

This dish features roasted moong dal (split green gram) cooked with mixed vegetables. It's a simple, nutritious, and wholesome meal.

27) Lau Chingri

Lau Chingri is a dish made from bottle gourd (lau) and prawns (chingri). The combination of these ingredients in a spicy curry is a delightful Bengali delicacy.

28) Dimer Devil

Dimer Devil is a popular Bengali snack made from boiled eggs that are coated in a spicy masala, dipped in beaten eggs, and deep-fried. It's a savory delight.

29) Shorshe Bata Maach

This is another fish preparation where the fish is cooked in a spicy mustard paste. The sharpness of the mustard adds a bold flavor to the dish.

30) Tomato Chutney

Tomato Chutney is a tangy and spicy relish made from tomatoes, sugar, and spices. It's a common accompaniment to various Bengali dishes.

31) Keema Matar

A non-vegetarian delight, Keema Matar consists of minced meat (usually mutton or chicken) cooked with green peas and aromatic spices. It's a hearty and flavorful dish.

32) Chanar Dalna

In this dish, soft cottage cheese dumplings are cooked in a rich curry made with spices, tomatoes, and sometimes yogurt. It's a creamy and satisfying vegetarian option.

33) Doi Maach

This is a fish curry made with a yogurt-based gravy. The yogurt imparts a creamy texture and a hint of tanginess to the dish.

34) Mochar Chop

Mochar Chop is a deep-fried snack made from banana flowers. The banana flower is mixed with spices and deep-fried to create a crispy, flavorful fritter.

35) Mutton Kosha

This is a slow-cooked, spicy mutton curry with tender pieces of meat that soak up the rich flavors of the spices.