Durga Puja is all about eating, whereas Navratri is about fasting for nine days. A variety of fried foods, including beguni, batter-fried eggplant slices, payesh, a sweet rice pudding, labra, a mixed vegetable curry, and khichuri, a rice and lentil dish, are usually included in the bhog dedicated to the goddess Durga. We contacted chefs across as Pujo draws near to find out what’s on their special menus for the holiday season. Durga Puja is traditionally as much about the festival food as it is about devotion, particularly in Bengali communities. In Durga Puja, food is a major symbol of joy and thankfulness. The dishes stand for devotion, love, and community, according to chef de cuisine Jagdish Naidu of Ishaara in Bengaluru. Among other delicious dishes, chef Naidu’s Pujo special menu for the occasion includes Kosha Mangsho, a slow-cooked, fiery Bengali mutton stew, and Moong Dal with Peas, a hearty lentil dish.
In contrast, Sushanta Sengupta, the chef and partner at 6 Ballygunge Place in Delhi, has created a menu that showcases the finest Bengali cuisine. “The menu’s highlights include Pur Bhora Achari Lonka, which are big green peppers filled with cottage cheese and pickled chillies that offer a delightful fusion of flavors, and Gondhoraj Fried Chicken, which consists of succulent strips of chicken marinated to perfection with the aromatic Gondhoraj lime,” says Sengupta. On Maha Ashtami, certain households, particularly those in East Bengal, make a special contribution of Jora ilish, a hilsa delicacy. The JW Marriott Kolkata serves Shorshe Ilish, which consists of hilsa fish in mustard sauce, after that. Among other delicacies, the prawn-based Chingri Malai Curry is particularly noteworthy. The Hilton Bangalore Embassy Golflinks’ Sarodiyar Bangaliyana event is bringing back Bengal’s lost culinary gems. “Lost royal recipes are highlighted, like the prawn medley Chingri Hurra, the oil-free mutton fry Mangsher Pani-Fry, and the strangled cabbage Bnadhakopir Golai Dori. We want to take you back to a time when eating was a revered art form with these delicacies,” says executive chef Gaurav Paul.
Executive chef Sunayan Pramanik highlights some of the restaurant’s specialties, saying, “The Lalit Great Eastern Kolkata has a delightful menu of sweets from North Bengal’s countryside, including Malai Cham Cham, Chanar Dudh Puli, and Gurer Khaja.”
