West Bengal is a state in eastern India, with Kolkata being its capital city. It is famous for its culture, literature, music, art, and of course, food.
The state is home to a wide variety of dishes that are unique to the region. Many of these dishes have become popular throughout India and even abroad.
Rice and Fish
The staple food of West Bengal is rice accompanied by fish curry. Fish curry is often cooked with mustard paste or coconut milk and can be either dry or with gravy.
Some of the most popular fish used in curries include Hilsa, Catla, Rohu and Bhetki. Other accompaniments to rice include dal (lentil soup) as well as various vegetable dishes such as aloo posto (potato cooked with poppy seeds), beguni (fried eggplant slices), chorchori (mixed vegetables) and bhaja (fried vegetables).
Sweets
West Bengal has a reputation for its sweets, which are mostly made from milk and sugar. The most famous sweet dish from the region is rossogolla, a soft spongy ball made from fresh cheese curds cooked in syrup. Other popular sweets include sandesh (made from fresh cheese), rasgulla (soft balls made from fresh cheese curds soaked in syrup), payesh (sweetened rice pudding), cham-cham (balls made from fresh cheese curds soaked in thick syrup) and murki (grated coconut dipped in thick syrup).
Street Food
West Bengal also has a vibrant street food culture. The most popular street food item is phuchka – small balls of dough filled with potato and spices then deep fried until crispy. Other popular street food items include jhalmuri – puffed rice tossed with spices and onion; alur chop – potato dumplings served with chutney; kochuri – deep fried flatbread stuffed with lentils; rolls – paratha stuffed with various fillings like egg or paneer; ghugni – chickpeas cooked in a spicy gravy; kathi roll – paratha rolled around egg/paneer/vegetables; luchi – deep fried puris served with vegetable curry; and much more!
In conclusion, West Bengal has many unique dishes that have become popular throughout India and even abroad. Rice accompanied by fish curry is the staple diet here while sweets such as rossogolla and sandesh are renowned all over the country.
Street food items like phuchka and jhalmuri are also very popular here. All these dishes make West Bengal one of the most interesting destinations for anyone looking to explore Indian cuisine!