Chef Ananya Banerjee, the owner of LAB studio, who hails from West Bengal, lists the top five must-try food items from the streets of Kolkata:
(1) Kathi-roll: The Kathi-roll of Bengal is a famous Mughlai influenced dish. The dish comprises of mutton and chicken rolls, spiced with fresh lemon juice, finely chopped green chilies, red onions and salt and is served as a roll in an egg paratha. Simply mouth-watering!
(2) Jhal Muri: This Bengali take on Chaat, distinguishes itself with the use of mustard oil or paste. This pungent treat is a must-have for a tete-a-tete over tea!
(3) Kobiraji Cutlet: "Kobiraji", is a juicy cutlet, usually made with prawn coated with a lacy fried egg on outside. "When I was young, I remember going down to the Shyam Bazar- crossing for evening walks with my grandfather. After our walk, we would regularly eat prawn- Kobiraji from a food stall called Allen's Kitchen. This tiny place has been serving the delicacy for more than 80 years," says Banerjee.
(4) Moghlai Porota: This is surely not for the faint-hearted! It's a flaky, crispy porota (parantha) stuffed with mutton mince and eggs. Have one and it will keep your tummy full for the rest of the day! The Anadi-Cabin, a restaurant on Dharmatala streets in Kolkata, is one of the pioneers in making "Mughlai-porota".
(5) Macher Chop: Among the many influences that the British gave us in their 200-year reign, the "chop" preparation is very popular. You go anywhere in the world, the word "chop" usually means "cut-of-a-meat". However, in Bengal, it typically means fish, meat or vegetables, crumb-fried. You will typically get a whiff of that appetizing aroma, from the local roadside snack counters every evening around 5 pm.
It's barely a preface into the sheer delights Bengali cuisine has to offer, but this must-try is enough to get you hooked!(Puja Gupta can be contacted at puja.g@.in)
( With inputs from IANS )