Differences between Bengali Hindu and Bengali Muslim

[Joe Shearer]

LOLOL.

 

[Bilal9]

There is NOTHING to match Bengali sweets, and there is a reason for this, this isnot


I'm learning to make it. Once I've nailed it, you are welcome to Hyderabad (unfortunately, there are too many distractions in Hyderabad - haleem and biryani, for instance - Hyderabadi biryani is one of the top two or three varieties in India, and is not much like Kolkata biryani).



Dur, bod chhele!

Dada - some of the local invites I have been to (even in the US), the women have invented a shortcut to Mishti doi by using a mix of Carnation condensed milk as well as evaporated milk (heavy cream) mixed in with authentic Bengali Doi starter (Chhaach). Was not half bad and pretty close to authentic as I recall....

This is one,

Of course the Mishti doi can come after the Biryani and Haleem. Dhaka had early Awadhi cooks come in with Subah-daar of Bengal sultanate back in the day and they invented the local dum-pakht Biryani Variety called 'Kacchi', you have to try it when you are back in Dhaka sometime. Whatever meat used (usually mutton), just falls off the bone.

 

[Joe Shearer]

Dada - some of the local invites I have been to (even in the US), the women have invented a shortcut to Mishti doi by using a mix of Carnation condensed milk as well as evaporated milk (heavy cream) mixed in with authentic Bengali Doi starter (Chhaach). Was not half bad and pretty close to authentic as I recall....

This is one,

Of course the Mishti doi can come after the Biryani and Haleem. Dhaka had early Awadhi cooks come in with Subah-daar of Bengal sultanate back in the day and they invented the local dum-pakht Biryani Variety called 'Kacchi', you have to try it when you are back in Dhaka sometime. Whatever meat used (usually mutton), just falls off the bone.

I have never had biryani in Dhaka

After my 'procedure', I'm forbidden red meat anyway.

That 'short-cut' mishti doi sounds interesting, but why don't they just make the regular version? It is as easy as regular doi. Perhaps because of the time factor? My doi doesn't come perfect every time, because I get impatient and don't give it the time to settle down.

 

[Bilal9]

So was my favourite diary based sweet ,ros malai, invented in comila modern day Bangladesh or modern day India?

Is there a link or any evidence you can provide? Wikipedia, subtly says west bengal.

I have no reference but obviously I have second hand information from my Grandfather who had visited the Matri Bhandar restaurant and Sweet shop before WWII and the King of Tripura had his capital in that city (Comilla) at that time.

Ask your elders and grandparents, everyone knows that quite a few of the Bengali sweets came from East Bengal (now Bangladesh), they were used as offerings for deities back in the day (prasaad) and both Muslims/Hindus were Mishti (sweet) eaters during Harvest and Puja festivals. Like @Joe Shearer Dada says, the sweet dessert tradition is uniquely Bengali, rest of India has other traditions but that is one uniquely our own.

As far as WB or East Bengal, who cares, there may be subtle differences in desserts. @Joe Shearer dada, what is you opinion on Ghati Vs. Bangal cuisine differences, which do you like better?

 

[Joe Shearer]

I have no reference but obviously I have second hand information from my Grandfather who had visited the Matri Bhandar restaurant and Sweet shop before WWII and the King of Tripura had his capital in that city (Comilla) at that time.

Ask your elders and grandparents, everyone knows that quite a few of the Bengali sweets came from East Bengal (now Bangladesh), they were used as offerings for deities back in the day (prasaad) and both Muslims/Hindus were Mishti (sweet) eaters during Harvest and Puja festivals. Like @Joe Shearer Dada says, the sweet dessert tradition is uniquely Bengali, rest of India has other traditions but that is one uniquely our own.

As far as WB or East Bengal, who cares, there may be subtle differences in desserts. @Joe Shearer dada, what is you opinion on Ghati Vs. Bangal cuisine differences, which do you like better?

Don't be silly. I had a mami-ma who was ghoti, from Jorasanko, but I can't think of anyone else who was even remotely ghoti. Even the foreigners (a Kayastha kakima) were Bangal. My grandmother (Thakurma) was a brilliant cook who knew over 50 Payesh and Peetha recipes, and was really cheesed off at her eldest grandson being a vegetarian (at that time, and until well into my teens, I couldn't tolerate fish or meat after a childhood attack of diptheria that nearly killed me). So I would get very special treatment, with dhoka'r dalna, mocha'r ghonto, echorer torkari, doi begun, chhana'r dalna and the like, and scoffed it all, while the cousins looked on and radiated hate. How I wish I had learnt to cook then, and teased those recipes out of her.

Somehow ghoti food tastes sickly sweet to me.

PS: about sweets, only after I returned to Calcutta to look after my aged father in his last years did I find out that south Calcutta sweets were entirely phony, and you had to go to north Calcutta for the real thing. An incredible difference, as if they were two different worlds.

 

[Bilal9]

I have never had biryani in Dhaka

After my 'procedure', I'm forbidden red meat anyway.

That 'short-cut' mishti doi sounds interesting, but why don't they just make the regular version? It is as easy as regular doi. Perhaps because of the time factor? My doi doesn't come perfect every time, because I get impatient and don't give it the time to settle down.

The local Baudis and Bhabis believe in 'jhotpot ranna'. Some of them have all four burners, the oven AND the microwave going at the same time.

One of the mal-dar Doctor bhais in our neighborhood has a 'Wolf' equipped kitchen, almost restaurant grade range/ovens (somewhere around $15,000) along with a walk-in 'Sub-Zero' refrigerator (again as much). Envy of many a Baudi/Bhabi.

 

[Joe Shearer]

The local Baudis and Bhabis believe in 'jhotpot ranna'. Some of them have all four burners, the oven AND the microwave going at the same time.

One of the mal-dar Doctor bhais in our neighborhood has a 'Wolf' equipped kitchen, almost restaurant grade range/ovens (somewhere around $15,000) along with a walk-in 'Sub-Zero' refrigerator (again as much). Envy of many a Baudi/Bhabi.

Orey baba re! Sounds terrifying. I have a humble two-burner gas and an electric induction hotplate and that keeps me busy enough.

 

[Bilal9]

Don't be silly. I had a mami-ma who was ghoti, from Jorasanko, but I can't think of anyone else who was even remotely ghoti. Even the foreigners (a Kayastha kakima) were Bangal. My grandmother (Thakurma) was a brilliant cook who knew over 50 Payesh and Peetha recipes, and was really cheesed off at her eldest grandson being a vegetarian (at that time, and until well into my teens, I couldn't tolerate fish or meat after a childhood attack of diptheria that nearly killed me). So I would get very special treatment, with dhoka'r dalna, mocha'r ghonto, echorer torkari, doi begun, chhana'r dalna and the like, and scoffed it all, while the cousins looked on and radiated hate. How I wish I had learnt to cook then, and teased those recipes out of her.

Somehow ghoti food tastes sickly sweet to me.

PS: about sweets, only after I returned to Calcutta to look after my aged father in his last years did I find out that south Calcutta sweets were entirely phony, and you had to go to north Calcutta for the real thing. An incredible difference, as if they were two different worlds.

Ha ha ha -well said, Dada.

I take it Bangals live in North Kolkata...?

 

[Joe Shearer]

Ha ha ha -well said, Dada.

I take it Bangals live in North Kolkata...?

No, no, pure ghoti, but the real moiras live there. Bangals are scattered all over, perhaps a slightly thicker concentration in New Alipur, or in Behala. We are refugees, don't forget.

 

[Bilal9]

Orey baba re! Sounds terrifying. I have a humble two-burner gas and an electric induction hotplate and that keeps me busy enough.

Those restaurant grade ovens are more status symbol than anything. You don't need a $15,000 oven to cook delicious yummy things.

No, no, pure ghoti, but the real moiras live there. Bangals are scattered all over, perhaps a slightly thicker concentration in New Alipur, or in Behala. We are refugees, don't forget.

Bujhlam. Thanks.

 

[DalalErMaNodi]

Those restaurant grade ovens are more status symbol than anything. You don't need a $15,000 oven to cook delicious yummy things.

I agree, some of the best food I have ever tasted were cooked by my grandmother on/using a "lakri'r chula" a wood fired traditional stove.

Actually, not sure what they're called in Bangla, all the names I know beside the above are in the region dialect.

I don't know if I am adding details out of nostalgia, but I recall a distinct smoky flavour in the food.

 

[Joe Shearer]

Those restaurant grade ovens are more status symbol than anything. You don't need a $15,000 oven to cook delicious yummy things.



Bujhlam. Thanks.

You made me think. Until recently, say about twenty years ago or so, you couldn't get a Bengali restaurant in Calcutta (other than the All Bengal Women's Home on Elliot Road). All these - 31 Ballygunge Place, Bhojohari Manna and the whole streetful on leading off Gol Park - came up recently. The most expensive is Kewpie's, named after the famous cook Kewpie DasGupta, now run by her younger daughter. All of them make it a point to serve both ghoti and bangal food. Sadly, only two little-known shops on Southern Avenue for dhakai porotha.

Now look what you've done! Made me pine for real Bengali food. I wish my friend Mizan were alive; I'd land up in Dhaka.

I agree, some of the best food I have ever tasted were cooked by my grandmother on/using a "lakri'r chula" a wood fired traditional stove.

Actually, not sure what they're called in Bangla, all the names I know beside the above are in the region dialect.

I don't know if I am adding details out of nostalgia, but I recall a distinct smoky flavour in the food.

You're right, that's the best way to cook, you can cook with a low flame (kom aanch), and that is the best food. Those intimidating ranges that Bilal Bhai mentioned are really best for Chinese fast food, all the prep. done early during the day, and customers served rapidly only in the evenings.

Why do you think the best pizzas are from wood-fired ovens?

Amar ma jekhanei jeto Sarkar chulo boshato.

 

[Michael Corleone]

Dada - some of the local invites I have been to (even in the US), the women have invented a shortcut to Mishti doi by using a mix of Carnation condensed milk as well as evaporated milk (heavy cream) mixed in with authentic Bengali Doi starter (Chhaach). Was not half bad and pretty close to authentic as I recall....

This is one,

Of course the Mishti doi can come after the Biryani and Haleem. Dhaka had early Awadhi cooks come in with Subah-daar of Bengal sultanate back in the day and they invented the local dum-pakht Biryani Variety called 'Kacchi', you have to try it when you are back in Dhaka sometime. Whatever meat used (usually mutton), just falls off the bone.

To me mishti doi is a half assed attempt at desert, how can it win against firni, payesh or khir I have no idea

There is NOTHING to match Bengali sweets, and there is a reason for this, this isnot

Pakistani sweets
Barfi made of nuts and ghee... I remember my uncle used to bring gourmet sweet companies box from Lahore everytime he went to Pakistan. may he Rest In Peace

among Bengali sweets, I love the ones made in my village... bikrampur... you could taste and smell the milk in the misti. God I miss em

 

[Joe Shearer]

To me mishti doi is a half assed attempt at desert, how can it win against firni, payesh or khir I have no idea


Pakistani sweets
Barfi made of nuts and ghee... I remember my uncle used to bring gourmet sweet companies box from Lahore everytime he went to Pakistan. may he Rest In Peace

among Bengali sweets, I love the ones made in my village... bikrampur... you could taste and smell the milk in the misti. God I miss em

What do you mean, Bikrampur? I thought it was no longer existent, that it was washed away ages ago?

To me mishti doi is a half assed attempt at desert, how can it win against firni, payesh or khir I have no idea


Pakistani sweets
Barfi made of nuts and ghee... I remember my uncle used to bring gourmet sweet companies box from Lahore everytime he went to Pakistan. may he Rest In Peace

among Bengali sweets, I love the ones made in my village... bikrampur... you could taste and smell the milk in the misti. God I miss em

Tastes differ; I am fond of payesh, but don't think much of north Indian sweets like firni and kheer. As for barfis, I make them at home. They aren't very much next to rossogollas, pantuas, ros malai, cham cham and the like.

As I said, tastes differ.

 

[Bilal9]

What do you mean, Bikrampur? I thought it was no longer existent, that it was washed away ages ago?

Bikrampur was the capital of Bangladesh starting in the 700-800 AD and until 1200 AD when Bakhtiar Khalji attacked. It was the capital of Pal and Sen dynasties for multiple centuries. Some ruins still exist at Baliati.

Sen Rajas moved their capital at that time to Swarnagram (Sonargaon) which remained so until the start of the Bengal Subah Sultanate around 1500 AD I believe. The ruins of Sonargaon (which was a textile traders community in the later stage) still exist and are a tourist attraction now.

Bikrampur (Manikganj) is the maternal abode of Nobel Laureate economist Amartya Sen by the way, if you did not know. His family later moved to Shanti Niketan, a very illustrious family close to the Tagore family.