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East or west, which Bengali delicacies is the perfect?

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Bangladesh has been on everybody’s minds and information feeds just lately, particularly with the long-lasting picture of one of many protesters who vandalised Sheikh Hasina’s home proudly holding up a 20 kg rahu fish. This appears like the precise time to debate the variations between West Bengal and East Bengal (Bangladeshi) delicacies.

Opposite to what some may assume, Bengali meals isn’t uniform. The delicacies and folks of West Bengal are known as “Bangalis” or “Bengalis”, if one’s anglicised, and are known as “ghoti.” In distinction, the residents and delicacies of Bangladesh are generally known as “Baangal.” Many, like myself, have household roots in each components of undivided Bengal, permitting us to take pleasure in the perfect of each worlds.

These distinctions might sound trivial to non-Bengalis, however there’s a wealthy number of flavours and cooking types that differentiate the 2 Bengals—excess of only a border. And any Bengali can be comfortable to present you a lecture on which facet’s meals they like.

In fact, there are commonalities. Rice is a staple, as wheat wasn’t historically grown in Bengal and solely grew to become widespread after the Japanese entered World Conflict II, introducing a ration system for rice, wheat, sugar, and textiles in Calcutta. Moreover, potatoes and tomatoes, generally known as “vilayati alu” (English potato) and “vilayati begoon” (English brinjal), respectively, weren’t a part of conventional Bengali delicacies till they have been launched within the 1700s and have become a part of the repertoire.

One of many distinctive options of West Bengal delicacies is using sugar in most dishes, and deep-frying of greens and fish earlier than cooking it with spices in a gravy. In distinction, Baangal or East Bengal delicacies is thought for its sharper flavors, lighter frying (if any), and the absence of sugar in cooking. It’s additionally spicier, with a greater variety of greens and a higher use of garlic and onion—elements that have been historically taboo in Bengal and far of India, reflecting a Muslim affect on the delicacies.

I keep in mind my Baangal grandmother telling me how appalled she was seeing “many bowls of sugar” being added to dal and greens, after marrying my Ghoti grandfather. Though she insisted it was extreme, given how scrumptious the meals was in my grandfather’s dwelling, I feel she was exaggerating — just a bit bit.

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There are some similarities within the delicacies, although. For example, doi (yoghurt) is rarely eaten at evening, which is why desserts typically include kheer, rabri, or the iconic sandesh and rosogolla. Using chhana (cottage cheese) in desserts is exclusive to each West Bengal and Bangladesh and isn’t discovered elsewhere in India.

Whereas yoghurt isn’t eaten plain at evening, it’s utilized in cooking and served as borhani in Bangladesh—a yoghurt-based drink flavored with salt and freshly floor pepper. In Bangladeshi delicacies, dishes like korma and rezala are nonetheless flavored with yogurt. This Bengali Muslim delicacies is distinct from the Mughal delicacies of northern India or Hyderabadi delicacies. It’s much less wealthy, extra refined, and makes use of lemon and yogurt rather than cream and thick kheer.

A preferred dish in my house is paalong saag, or spinach with pumpkin and shrimp. In Bangladesh’s Chittagong, the place this recipe originates, dried shrimp is used as a substitute of recent, a results of the abundance of fish in Bangladesh’s rivers and the necessity to protect it. Fermented fish can be extremely fashionable, notably in Sylhet, the place my grandmother is from. Massive punti fish are preserved in earthen pots stuffed with mustard oil and buried underground. After months, the fish, now an oily paste, is served as a relish with rice or added to the gravy of freshwater fish.

Batter-fried spinach (pata bhaja) and bhorta––a mash made with fish, prawns, greens, and even simply spices like poppy seeds flavoured with onion, garlic, dried pink chilies, and mustard oil––are staples, served with plain rice. In West Bengal, there’s an analogous dish known as bhaatey, a mash meant to be blended with rice (bhaat).

A visit to Bangladesh simply to style the dhakai porotha—a small paratha with fifty or sixty layers beneath a golden, flaky floor—can be effectively suggested. One other uniquely East Bengal dish is a dessert fabricated from lauki with evaporated milk, ghee and sugar.

I’ll finish on the one unifying issue, the hilsa, a fish which is born within the sea and travels as much as the estuaries of the Ganga and Padma rivers. Even individuals from West Bengal will grudgingly admit that the Padma ilish or hilsa is the perfect. The significance of this fish is so vital that “hilsa diplomacy” typically performs a task in conferences between Bangladesh’s premier and Bengal’s chief ministers, the place the amount of hilsa exports to India is mentioned.

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Bengalis eat the complete hilsa. The top and tail are cooked with greens, the fish eggs are fried, and the fish itself is both ready in a light-weight gravy or fried and eaten with mustard oil. Bangladesh additionally deserves credit score for paturi—steamed fish wrapped in banana leaves—extra widespread in East Bengal than in West Bengal. In Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district, hilsa is cooked with coconut milk, onions, and ghee, making it a delicacy. Hilsa roe can be mixed with a bitter berry present in Bengal known as karamcha.

Baangal delicacies is thought for combining fruit with fish or meat—one thing not practiced in West Bengal. There are pleasant recipes like hilsa with pineapple and koi (climbing perch) fish with orange. An ideal ending to a Baangal meal is perhaps kamala jarda, an orange-flavored candy rice, topped with almonds, pistachios, and raisins.

Maybe, now it is smart why those that vandalised Sheikh Hasina’s dwelling have been extra excited to stroll out with a monstrously massive fish than with another beneficial. The revolution, you see, have to be fried—or cooked in a gravy.

As a deal with, I’ve included an fascinating recipe for Kalo Jeera Bhorta (Kalonji bharta), a dish ready particularly in Baangal properties to fight monsoon sniffles and flu.

Kalo Jeera (kalonji) Bhorta

1 tsp of kalonji/nigella seeds
8 cloves of garlic – crushed
2 entire inexperienced chilis
1 tsp ghee
1 tsp Mustard oil
Salt to style

*Dry roast the kalo jeera/kalonji on a tawa.

*Warmth the ghee and add the crushed garlic and the inexperienced chilis.

*Combine all of the elements collectively in a bowl and crush in a mortar and pestle with mustard oil and salt.

*Roll the combination into tiny balls and eat blended with sizzling rice as a starter.

Subsequent week, I’ll write about my latest go to to Jaipur and the intricacies of Rajasthani delicacies.

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Food & Wine

The very best time to take pleasure in sweets in the course of the festive season is…

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With Navratri underway and Dussehra just a few days away, there’s a festive spirit within the air. However, as a lot as festivities are about happiness and the approaching collectively of households and mates, they’re additionally about indulging in sweets. Nonetheless, many individuals are likely to over-indulge and danger gaining extra weight, feeling bloated, and in addition consuming empty energy. What’s the best way ahead? TV host and mannequin Roshni Chopra caught up with vitamin and wellness marketing consultant Neha Sahaya, who recommended some suggestions for if you wish to indulge a bit extra.

*Eat sweets put up meals however not on an empty abdomen

*Select conventional Indian sweets like kheer, ladoo, and halwa, made from nuts and ghee, as a substitute of brownies and sweets, that are empty energy.

*To keep away from acidity, have water with sabja seeds 15-20 minutes earlier than your meals.

*You don’t want to do intermittent fasting. All you’ll want to do is maintain a niche between your dinner and breakfast for not less than 12 hours. This can assist your digestion, stated Sahaya.

Concurring, Dr Bhavana P, chief dietitian, Gleneagles Hospitals, Lakdi Ka Pul, Hyderabad stated moderation and timing are key when having fun with sweets in the course of the festive season. “The very best time to take pleasure in sweets is after a balanced meal, ideally in the course of the afternoon,” stated Dr Bhavana.

Pairing sweets with meals excessive in fibre or protein may assist “stabilise blood sugar ranges”. “Keep away from having sweets on an empty abdomen, as this could result in a speedy enhance in blood sugar, adopted by a crash, leaving you feeling sluggish,” elucidated Dr Bhavana.

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It’s additionally clever to be aware of portion sizes. “Moderately than overindulging, savour smaller parts of your favorite festive treats. Go for sweets made with more healthy options like nuts, seeds, or pure sweeteners corresponding to dates or honey, which supply some dietary advantages,” stated Dr Bhavana.

What to notice?

Get pleasure from sweets in the course of the festive season, however intention for moderation. Have them after meals, and select more healthy choices each time attainable to keep up stability and well-being.

Dr Bhavana harassed that these don’t apply to individuals with power points like diabetes, who ought to ideally not indulge a lot and should search their nutritionist’s recommendation.

DISCLAIMER: This text is predicated on info from the general public area and/or the specialists we spoke to. All the time seek the advice of your well being practitioner earlier than beginning any routine.


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Durga Puja and Navratri: Of the culinary conflict of cultures and a few ‘vegetarian’ mutton by Bengalis

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It’s that point of yr once more when two festivals dedicated to Goddess Durga are celebrated in vastly other ways. October 2 marked the beginning of Durga Puja, a 10-day competition celebrating Ma Durga’s return to her parental house together with her youngsters earlier than she returns to her husband’s abode within the Himalayas. These festivities are marked by numerous delicacies and gastronomical excesses, replete with fish, meat, prawns, and sweets. These ten days are infamous for pushing Bengalis’ BMI off the charts.

Throughout this time in North India, Navratri—a nine-day competition celebrating the triumph of fine over evil and goddess Durga’s 9 avatars—is widely known. We truthfully by no means heard a whiff about Navratri whereas in Calcutta, even from our North Indian pals. There are 4 Navratris, however Sharad Navratri coincides with Durga Puja. In contrast to Bengalis throughout Durga Puja, Navratri is a time of abstinence and fasting. Meat is strictly prevented, common grains like wheat and rice are off-limits, and a few devotees even chorus from consuming water throughout the day. It’s the antithesis of the Durga Puja food plan. It’s presumably the one time eating places in Delhi’s well-known Pandara Street, well-known for its butter hen, put up indicators stating no meat or hen might be served till Navratri ends.

Whereas Bengalis feast as in the event that they’ve simply come off a Keto food plan on most days of Durga Puja, restraint is exercised on Ashtami, crucial day of the pujas. On Ashtami, folks would usually have vegetarian meals, having fun with delicacies like khichuri served with an array of fried greens, luchi, alur dom, and sweets, as a lot as their ldl cholesterol permits.

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Nevertheless, the day after Ashtami, Navami, is when the feasting resumes in full swing. Historically, mutton is ready after the ceremonial sacrifice of a goat throughout the pujas. These days, the sacrificial goat has been changed by watermelon or sugarcane, which is anointed with a sindoor tikka after which “sacrificed”.

Navami can also be the day you possibly can savor the well-known “Niramish Mutton” or “Vegetarian Mutton” bhog. You would possibly marvel what makes mutton vegetarian—effectively, right here’s the reality: nothing. It’s a textbook instance of an oxymoron.

In its protection, although, the dish might be thought of “partly vegetarian” as a result of it’s made with out onions or garlic—just like many different Bengali dishes. It’s harking back to the delicacies of Kashmiri Pandits, who put together meat with out utilizing onions or garlic.

This scrumptious conventional moist lamb dish has a surprisingly wealthy gravy. It’s best eaten with some piping sizzling, fluffy luchis or simply with a plate of good previous gobindobhog rice. I wish to share this recipe with you.

Thamma’s Niramish Mutton Curry (Grandma’s Vegetarian Mutton Curry)

Serves 3

Elements

500g – Mutton, cubed
60g – Yoghurt
500ml – Sizzling water
3 tsp – Turmeric
1 tsp – Salt
1 tbsp – Mustard oil
2 tbsp – Ghee or refined oil
3-4 – Bay leaves
4 tsp – Cumin, freshly floor
4 tsp – Coriander, freshly floor
4 tsp – Ginger, floor
4 tsp – Mustard, floor
2 tsp – Pink chillies, floor

(‘Garam masala’ powder is made with 2 cardamoms, 4 cloves and a 3-inch piece of cinnamon)

Technique

* Marinate the mutton in yoghurt, turmeric, a teaspoon of salt, and mustard oil. Refrigerate for an hour.

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* Warmth 1 tablespoon of ghee or oil in a thick-bottomed pan and add the bay leaves. Add the meat with the marinade and cook dinner on excessive flame for 3-4 minutes.

* Scale back the flame to medium, cowl and depart for 5-6 minutes.

* As soon as the meat releases a bit moisture, add all of the spices besides ‘garam masala’.

* Preserve stirring until the moisture evaporates.

* Add the recent water, cowl and simmer until the meat is tender.

* Stir within the ‘garam masala’ powder. Cowl instantly to entice the perfume.

Subsequent week, I might be travelling to the land of connoisseur meals and can return from overseas shores to share what I ate, noticed and ate extra of.


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The Web believes your chopping board has extra micro organism than a rest room seat; we confirm

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In the case of kitchen hygiene, many could not realise that their chopping board might be an even bigger breeding floor for micro organism than they think about. However the Web appears to imagine that chopping boards could be worse than rest room seats. We talked to specialists to know if that’s true.

Are chopping boards dirtier than rest room seats?

In keeping with dietician Suhani Seth Agarwal, Head of Division, Dietetics, Yatharth Tremendous Speciality Hospital, Noida, chopping boards can harbour dangerous micro organism equivalent to E. coli and Salmonella, primarily as a result of they arrive into contact with uncooked meats and greens.

Whereas the comparability to bathroom seats could be a bit a lot, she stated that chopping boards, particularly wood ones, generally is a hotspot for bacterial progress if not correctly cleaned. The porous nature of wooden permits micro organism to penetrate and multiply within the grooves and cracks, growing contamination threat. This emphasises the significance of correct sanitation.

Including to the dialog, Kanikka Malhotra, advisor dietician and diabetes educator, highlights analysis by microbiologist Charles Gerba, which reveals that reducing boards can carry considerably extra faecal micro organism than rest room seats. This occurs as a result of chopping boards are sometimes uncovered to uncooked meats, and micro organism could turn out to be trapped within the board’s floor. Though rest room seats aren’t proof against germs, they’re cleaned extra frequently and with stronger disinfectants. Subsequently, common cleansing could not fully take away micro organism from reducing boards, making them extra vulnerable to contamination.

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Although our specialists don’t agree on whether or not a chopping board has as a lot micro organism as a rest room seat, they do say it carries a big quantity of it, sufficient that warrants correct cleansing. So, let’s learn to clear a chopping board properly.

Methods to correctly clear your chopping board

Correct cleansing of chopping boards is important for lowering bacterial contamination. Agarwal recommends washing boards with sizzling water and dish cleaning soap instantly after use, particularly after dealing with uncooked meat. For deeper cleansing, pure disinfectants like white vinegar or lemon juice could be efficient.

Often, sanitising the board with a diluted bleach resolution might help. It’s vital to let the board air dry fully since moisture can encourage bacterial progress. Over time, changing chopping boards that develop deep grooves is suggested to stop micro organism from hiding in these cracks.

Preventive measures to cut back contamination

To stop cross-contamination, Malhotra advises utilizing separate chopping boards for uncooked meats and greens. Extra thorough cleansing strategies, equivalent to utilizing a kitchen disinfectant or working boards by the dishwasher, are beneficial over pure cleansers like salt or lemon juice, which can not eradicate all micro organism. Wood reducing boards require additional care and ought to be sanded down periodically to take away any deep grooves the place micro organism could reside. Following these practices will assist cut back the chance of bacterial infections from contaminated boards.

DISCLAIMER: This text is predicated on info from the general public area and/or the specialists we spoke to. All the time seek the advice of your well being practitioner earlier than beginning any routine.


This page includes affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Disclosure.

See also  7 foods that can help you prevent allergies this monsoon | Food-wine News
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