Image from MY BANGLADESH KITCHEN by Saira Hamilton, published by Lorenz Books.Īs is the case with many Indian cuisines, turmeric is a go-to ingredient in Bangladeshi and Bengali cooking. Hamilton agrees: “you put a little bit of on some fried fish or whatever, and it instantly tastes Bangladeshi to me.” “There are no extra spices, apart from turmeric and salt, it’s just gently cooking the vegetables until you take them to a place where the flavors melt together, but you can still taste them separately,” he says. For him, the “high point of Bengali cuisine” is infusing mustard oil with panch phoran and using it to cook vegetables.
BENGALI SPICES PLUS
The blend serves as the foundation for much of Bengali and Bangladeshi cuisine.Īs Chakraborty notes, “undivided Bengal is a very riverine, fertile place,” so everyday food is mostly comprised of leafy vegetables and freshwater fish, plus panch phoran. Panch Phoran, which translates to “five spices,” is a mix of fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, and fennel seeds. Chakraborty defines it as “different kinds of pickles, which are made in summer, some use green mango, others use other vegetables, but it’s basically a very hot raw mustard paste.” Kasundi is the Bangla word for hot mustard-based sauces and relishes-the most popular condiment in Bengali cuisine. Hamilton recommends adding a teaspoon of mustard oil at the final stage of curry as well, to “brighten all the flavors.” However, it's easy to make your own by infusing vegetable oil with freshly crushed mustard seeds. Mustard oil is hard to find in the U.S., EU, and Canada, due to the presence of erucic acid, which some (questionable) studies have linked to increased risk of heart disease when consumed at high levels. Chakraborty says that he’ll use mustard oil even in a simple omelet for breakfast. Most Bangladeshi or Bengali dishes, and especially curries, start with mustard oil, which imparts a pungent, sharp, and clean flavor. “Mustard oil is the predominant flavor,” Hamilton says.