Kolkata food to try as recommended by a local

India is a country with a huge variety of culture. And with each culture comes its own cuisine. People have mostly categorized them with the location. Like South Indian food, North Indian food, Gujrati food, Bengali food (Kolkata food) and so on.

If you have seen my first post where I am blabbing about myself and my travel plans, you might already know that I am a Bengali. Even though I have not lived here extensively, my parents have been living here since childhood. So, taking some insider insights from them, here I am listing the dishes you must try when you visit Kolkata the next time.

1. Telebhaja

Literally meaning fried in oil, this is a famous snack item which is mostly eaten during breakfast or evening time with moodi (crispy rice flakes). It is simply a vegetable/flower fritter dipped in gram flour. And there is a variety of chops available. 

• Aloor chop (Potato) (My favourite)
• Beguni (Eggplant)
• Peyaji (Onion)
• Kumro phuler boda (Pumpkin flower)

2. Ghugni

Another Kolkata food enjoyed with moodi/luchi for breakfast is ghugni. This local dish can be categorized as street food too. Many locals who are commuting to office have this dish while on the road. It is a curry made of dried yellow peas.

3. Shukto

The only dish among this whole list of Kolkata food that I am not fond of. But a very traditional dish served mostly during lunch on auspicious days. It is a stew of vegetables like potato, bitter gourd, raw banana, drumsticks, beans and bari. It is not easily available at restaurants because not everyone is fond of bitter foods.

4. Aloo Posto

I am a big-time potato lover. Give me any dish, and if it has potato, I will eat it. Same goes with this dish. It’s a very simple dish with just 2 main ingredients. Potato and poppy seeds. It is considered an appetizer but you can also enjoy this as a main dish too.

5. Lau chingri

Literal meaning as bottle gourd prawns, I am pretty sure you have got the idea of what this dish is. It is a very common dish in Bengali households and is mostly served as an appetizer. Best enjoyed with white rice.

6. Kochu shak

Ok. So kochu is arbi/Colo cassia and shak is leaves. Together, it’s a dish prepared by arbi leaves. Again, not a fan of this dish, but once in a while, I enjoy it. In some households, they might add prawns to enhance the flavour. 

7. Kacha kolar kofta

Raw banana is a very common vegetable used in many Kolkata food. But it is the main ingredient for this dish. It is simply deep-fried raw banana balls prepared in some sort of spicy gravy. You could never guess what it is made of if no one tells you.

8. Potoler dolma

It is prepared by stuffing pointed gourd and cooking in a curry. There are two famous variations of this dish where the only difference is the stuffing. One, where the stuffing is of prawns. Secondly, where the stuffing is prepared with paneer/cottage cheese. I prefer the paneer one.

9. Mudi ghanto

I have literally never ever seen this dish served in any Bengali restaurants till date. I mean I am sure there must be some but I have never encountered any. So, this is a fish head and rice porridge. Of course, if you are not a fan of the idea of having a fish head, this is just out of options. But being a Bengali, I love having this when I am sick. It is comfort food.

10. Hilsa fish curry

Ah, the taste of this fish is just sooooo yumm. It is a seasonal fish and only found in the market during monsoon season (July-September). If you happen to visit during this time, just don’t miss trying this Kolkata food. There are many ways it is prepared. But all of them are just to die for. Oh, just FYI, it has too many bones. 

11. Shorshe bata diye Macher jhal

One of the variations of preparing a fish curry but the most royal one. It is prepared with mustard and poppy seeds and often served with a drizzle of raw mustard oil. Jhal literally means spicy, so be prepared for the spice kick.

12. Macher dimer bora 

Macher dim is fish eggs but not like caviar or something of that sort. You need to cook it in order to eat it. Well in my house, we love to have them as fritters. They are one of my must-haves when I visit my parents. Always a must-have.

13. Chingri malai curry

I am pretty sure you must have heard of this famous Kolkata food. It is a prawn stew prepared in coconut milk. You can definitely find this in any restaurant you wander to. Even though I am not a fan of coconut myself, but I still somehow try it once in a while.

14. Plastic chutney

Don’t worry. We are not literally using plastic to prepare this chutney. The key ingredient is raw papaya. And when it is boiled to prepare this chutney, it turns translucent, and hence the name plastic chutney.

15. Koraishutir kachori with matar dal

Ohhhhh. I just love it. This is a sort of puri with mashed peas stuffing. Since peas are seasonal, so whenever they are prepared, I just devour them. It is mostly served with matar dal, but I prefer them just by themselves. 

16. Churmur

You might be familiar with phuchka or gol gappa or pani puri. It is one of the most famous street foods that you can find in most of India. But in Kolkata, you have another addition, that is churmur. It is simply a mixture of the potatoes and crushed phuchka with extra lime and chillies. 

17. Jhalmuri

Another favourite among the Kolkata food is Jhalmuri. It is a typical evening time snack to enjoy at home and also at fairs. A mixture of puffed rice and an assortment of vegetables like onion, cucumber, boiled potato and boiled channa topped with coconut slice.

18. Taler fuluri

Tal is basically sugar palm and fuluri means fritters. So, taler fuluri is nothing but sugar palm fritters. It is a bit sweet and coconutty too. Ripe sugar palm has such a strong and pungent aroma. My parents just love it. But me???? Well, I pass.

19. Joynagarer Moa

If you ever visited West Bengal and ask someone about Moa, they will always say Joynagarer moa. Not just moa. They really are one a kind of dessert. It is made of khoi and date palm jaggery. I am personally not a huge fan of it but since it is seasonal so I like it when it comes in the market.

20. Nolen gurer Rasgulla

Whenever someone gets to know I am a Bengali, everyone just assumes that my favourite sweet must be Rasgulla. Well, this is another version of it where the sugar is replaced with date palm jaggery. But, keep in mind that it is only prepared in winters as the date palm jaggery is produced in winters.

21. Sondesh

Pretty damn sure you must have heard of this sweet. Just like rasgulla, it is one of the iconic and traditional sweets that tops in this list of Kolkata food. It’s a milk dessert and there are way too many shapes and varieties for this. 

22. Mishti doi

AH! The perfect way to end a fantastic Bengali meal is with mishit doi (sweet curd). They have a pinkish/brownish hue due to the jaggery. And I really like the tradition of forming as well as serving them in earthen pots. I think somehow it enhances the flavour too.

Even though I am stopping here for right now, but I am sure I might be preparing another post soon enough. Hope you get to enjoy some of them on your next visit to West Bengal.