Good Old Bengali Cuisine

[ritu 1]

In a tradition borne Bengali family,( I am a part of one) ,marriages are real fun, the decoration, the mood of the people. the shopping and much more. Though a lot of efforts are put in all the departments, the things people notice the most are how the newly-weds look like and the food. Yes! the food..... these days different cuisines are included in the buffet, but that is severely criticised by the conservative lot and they have a reason . The traditional Bengali meal has a special place in their heart, the meal starts with a "Shukto", a curry with a tempering of mustard seeds, mildly spiced and a lot of vegetables, bitter gourd being the main one, as it makes your taste buds active, so that you enjoy the rest of the meal, next comes some leafy vegetable known as a "Saag" which is cooked in the form of a paste,there is an assorted platter of deep fried vegetables dipped in a batter to make it crispy or it can be a piece of fish which is deep fried, it has to be eaten with lentils , any of the kind , then comes the vegetarian main course, traditionally not much vegetarian is included for a wedding, but nowadays this much of modification is tolerated ,it can be cottage cheese curry(the home-made one), or fried balls made out of lentils cooked in a thick gravy or a rich jackfruit curry or banana stems and green banana curry. The most awaited part now comes in which various kinds of fish are cooked in the most suitable way. Meat also occupies an important position in the "Kasha" form. The desserts are awesome with "Roshogolla" an "Mishti Doi", the former being a cheese ball soaked in sugar syrup and the latter being sweetened yoghurt. The meal is completed with a "Paan" or a betel leaf which acts as a mouth freshener. So, next time you happen to attend a Bengali wedding, check the food out.