TYPICAL BENGALI HESEL.. RANNABANNA

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Rice and fish are traditional favorite foods, fish and rice make a Bengali. Bengal's vast repertoire of fish-based dishes includes preparations, a favorite among Bengalis. Bengalis make distinctive from milk products, includingChômchôm, Kalojam, rasgolla and several kinds of are specialties of winter season. Sweets like coconut-naru, til-naru, moa, payees, etc. are prepared during the festival of Lakshmi puja. Popular  (rice soaked overnight in water) with onion & green chili is a traditional dish consumed in rural areas.

Common spices found in a Bengali kitchen are, etc. People of erstwhile use a lot of ajmoda, coriander leaves, tamarind, coconut and mustard in their cooking; while those aboriginal from West Bengal use a lot of sugar, gram masala and red chili powder. Vegetarian dishes are mostly without onion and garlic. The style of food preparation in West Bengal is different from other parts of the country. Bengalis are famous for various preparations of fresh water fishes. The cuisines are rich in specialized spices and flavors giving unique tastes. The Bengali meals include fish curryprepared with spices and chilies. Snacks include Singada, Beguni, Piazi, Muri and Pudi. The major attractions of the city are Jhal Muri, Rasagolla, Sandesh and Misti Doi.The Christian influence came to Bengal a few hundred years after its arrival on the Western borders of India. While the religion propagated in the populace, the region remained isolated from the political and religious centres of Christian India. This meant that people retained many of their local customs and especially food habits. Though the Dutch and the French also had colonies in West Bengal, they have had little impact on Bengal's culinary habits. That came from the British, and other Western immigrants such as the Baghdadi Jews who set up Kolkata's famous Jewish Bakeries. West Bengal's flourishing community of Anglo-Indians formed a once-influential cuisine, but it is now dying along with the reduction in numbers of their communities. The key culinary influence of the Christian community was the ritual of tea (introduced by the British and now central to Bengali identity), and in Bengal's snack food traditions. Baking, which was pretty much unknown till the British came along, became widespread. The popularity of baked confectioneries was a direct result of the British popularising the celebration of Christmas. The Jewish community, though always tiny in numbers, picked up the trend and made it hugely popular to the masses - now every railway station in West Bengal serves puff pastries to go with tea to millions of commuters across the state. Chops and cutlets, once British in origin but now firmly Bengali, are served every day in every little shack. The pound cake is a treat every kid has grown up stealing. Kolkata's big Jewish bakeries are dead or dying, but their influence is everywhere.

Kolkata came into prominence in Western eyes as the original capital of . The city quickly became one of the largest and richest in the world, completely overshadowing Dhaka. After partition, Kolkata continued to wield an outsize influence in the cultural and food habits of West Bengal. Its offices, ports and bazaars attracted many communities from the rest of India, most notably the Marwari community, millions of whom have made the city their home for three generations. Their influence has been, in particular, in the sweet shops (e.g. Ganguram's)and street foods of Kolkata and West Bengal; many famous sweet shops in the state have Marwari origins.




SOME BEST RESTAURANT IN KOLKATA

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1. Kebab-e-Seraj - The Astor, Shakespeare Sarani (Theatre Road)
2. Peter Cat - Park Street
3. Mocambo - Park Street (Kyd Street)
4. Cinnamon - Park Street X Camac Street (X=crossing/intersection)
5. Restaurant on the First Floor - Golpark (Purnadas rd)
6. 13 Parbon (Tero Parbon - Bong for 13 seasons) - Golpark (Purnadas rd) - bong food
7. Indus Valley - Syed Amir Ali Avenue (near Ice Skating Rink)
8. Oh! Calcutta - Forum, Elgin Rd
9. Sher-e-Punjab Dhaba - Jessore Rd (near Airport)
10. Opium - Sector 5
11. Abcos - near Saltlake Stadium
12. Haveli - near Karunamoyee H.E.
13. Mishra's - near Karunamoyee H.E.
14. Zeeshan - Syed Amir Ali Avenue (Biriyani Sp)
15. Arsalan - Park Circus (")
16. Royal (Chitpur) -  best biryani in town plus the mutton pasinda kabab i
17. Iceberg (Golpark) - love the chicken shaslik roll. 
18. BarBQ / Mocambo - my regular watering holes  
19. Someplace Else 
20. Aaheli (Peerless Inn) : Bengali Cuisine
21. 6th Balligunge Place: Bengali Cuisine
22. KK Fusion (Bside 89 Cinemas) : Good chinese food.
23. Kimbling (Tangra) : Good Chinese 
24. Ban Thai : Good for thai food.
25. Kewpies : Bengali Cuisine
26.Amber - waterloo st (still one of the best in town)
27.Mainland China - gurusaday road (bit expensive)
28.Magnolia - Park St.
29.Trincas - Park St. (very reaonable price)
30.Honey da Dhaba - VIP Road(old fashioned - for chops and cutlets only)
31.Chacha's Restaurant - near Hatibagan
32.Mitra cafe - near Sovabazar metro stn


Bengali Food Items

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Sorse Bata Diya Maach: Fish cooked in spicy mustard paste. This is a simple fish dish. Tastes great with green chillies and boiled rice!!

Hilsa machher jhal: This is a well known recipe of Kolkata. The curry is prepared from hilsa fish, cooked with spicy mustard paste.


Fish and Potato curry: Light Fish curry cooked with potatoes.

Chicken Dopiaja: Spicy chicken cooked with extra onions, adds a punch to almost any meal.

Egg Chop: A tasty all time snack.

Rehu Fish Curry: Rehu fish cooked in red chili and spicy sauce.

Machher Kalia: Rich spicy curry which makes fish everybody's favorite.

Dal Pakora: A tasty tea time snack made out of Lentil.

Saag Chicken: Spicy chicken cooked with spinach - a delightful combination.

Beguni: A delicious and mouth watering snack made of eggplant – a favorite for Bengali people. Hot Beguni with hot mudhi is excellent.

Singada / Samosa: This wonderful crispy snack does not need any introduction because of its popularity, once tried you will like to have it every day.

Eggplant Cutlet: Crunchy sliced eggplant (brinjal) fries.

Gharelu Murga: Hot and Spicy red gravy based chicken drumsticks (home style prep).

Egg Bhujia: Fried scrambled egg with onion and green chili - an excellent quick snack or side dish for main course.

Alu Jhuri Bhaja: Finely chopped crispy fried potato. Eat it just like that or as a side dish with Lentil & Rice.

Mutton Cutlet: Delicious snack as starter for any occasion.