Top 10 must-have dishes in Durga Puja

Durga Puja is here and we are set to celebrate the five-day fiesta of happiness and zeal. It’s that time of year, when the celebration of good over evil is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm. Durga Puja is all about friends, family, fun, music, rituals and of course good food. If you are in Kolkata during the festival you cannot miss the celebrations and the gala events. You must have the ‘ashtami bhog’ which is specially prepared and distributed in all most all pandals.

Food is a major part of festivities all over the world, but even more so for Bengalis and their festivals. The best part of Bengali festivities is that any other festivals there is no boundation to what one can eat. A huge array of possibilities, from sweet to spicy, veg to non-veg, simple to exotic and authentic to fusion, there are hundreds of options to choose from. We have attempted to filter some of the best and all time favourite dishes which will be loved by everyone and people of all ages, and curate a list of top 10 must have food items this Durga Puja. However, do not restrict yourself to just these items and try out as much of Bengali dishes as you can and enjoy its goodness in the spirit of the festival.

Auspicious to the celebrations, khichuri is a traditional preparation during the festival of Durga Puja. Prepared by roasting yellow dal and rice and in a mix of vegetables, this dish is easy and quick to make and will appeal to people of all ages.

Essentially a dish of Hilsa fish, its rich taste and flavours cannot be compared to any other dish which makes it a favourite of all the Bengalis. This dish is a must have during the festival of Durga Puja.

A delight for all vegetarians this is a simple recipe in which potato is cooked with poppy seeds. A traditional breakfast recipe, is you start your day with this dish you will never want to stop doing so.

A street food dish, ghugni is prepared using white peas and can be enjoyed with puffed rice and with the side of chopped onions. This snack recipe is a must have during Durga Puja.

A non-vegetarian alternative for aloo poshto, in this dish prawns are the main ingredient. Prawns make for an essential ingredient in Bengali cuisine so prepare this dish and serve with hot rice.

A sweet savoury, you cannot miss on sondesh if you have a knack for sweet. A typical bengali sweet dish, sondesh is prepared in milk, sugar and jaggery. It cannot get any sweeter than this.

Lucchi is said to be the Bengali cousin of pooris. But unlike lucchi is not made in wheat flour but in maida, which makes it softer than puris. Have any curry on your plate and be assured that lucchi will go well with it.

We cannot talk about Bengal and not mention rasgulla. Reason behind the unmatched sweetness of all Bengalis, rasgullas make for a perfect after meal sweet. Any ordinary day can be special with the preparation of rasgullas, so its preparation during Durga Puja is inevitable.

A very traditional and unheard of chaap recipe, mochar chop is actually banana chops. Prepared by frying a mix of mashed bananas, potatoes and spices this dish is best enjoyed with a piping hot cup of tea, and serves as a catalyst in reaping quality family time.

A quintessential Bengali dish, Doi maach is the preparation of rohu fish in curd and spice gravy. Mix of sweet and spicy, this dish will take on a taste ride like none other. Enjoy the tasty indulgence with hot steamy rice.

Other than these 10 dishes, you must also try mishti doi, channar payesh,kosha mangsho,muri ghonto and many other Bengali delights to truly enjoy the festival of Durga Puja.