The nine-days-long Navratri 2023 festival and the five-days-long Durga Puja 2023 celebrations are now coming to an end with Maha Navami here. The celebrations of Maa Durga around the country and the world have included fasting, worshipping through Pushapanjalis and Aartis and well as pandal hopping. As the festival wraps up, people are now looking forward to Dussehra 2023 and Vijaya Dashami 2023 celebrations. In states like Bengal, Assam and Bihar, the main festival to be celebrated is Vijaya Dashami, and eating non-vegetarian delights is a must.
You might raise your eyebrows at non-vegetarian food being such an integral part of Vijaya Dashami 2023 celebrations, but the fact is that in Indian states like Bengal, Bihar and Assam, the story associated with Durga Puja 2023 and the traditions dictate that eating non-vegetarian foods—especially fish and mutton—is important. In Eastern Indian states, the idea is that Maa Durga is not just a goddess but a daughter and member of the family who is coming for an annual visit. So, feasting on essentials like fish and meat is a must!
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Significance Of Fish And Meat On Vijaya Dashami
What’s more, in these Eastern states of India, eating fish—especially those sourced from rivers like Ganga and Padma—is considered to be a sacred part of Vijaya Dashami celebrations. According to Shakta Hindu traditions especially, feasting on fish and meat on Vijaya Dashami and offering these dishes to Goddess Durga and her children on the last day of Durga Puja is a necessity. Also, given that the last day of Durga Puja marks the end of Hilsa season, this fish in particular becomes a part of the rituals.
In fact, in many places across Bengal, married women first feast on the fish offerings given to Maa Durga, then do the “baran” ceremony, engage in Sindoor Khela and then send off the goddess for Bisarjan or immersion. In other parts, it is also tradition to come back from the Bisarjan and eat a grand feast of mutton dishes and sweets. So, among the non-vegetarian dishes included in Vijaya Dashami celebrations, fish and mutton form an essential part, while egg and chicken dishes aren’t that ritually focused on—except in grand Bengali thalis at restaurants.
So, if you want to celebrate the last day of Durga Puja 2023 and Vijaya Dashami 2023 with a focus on Bengali cuisine and its traditional, authentic offerings, then here are eight dishes you must try.
Bhapa Ilish
This mildly spiced but classic Hilsa or Ilish fish dish is a must-have on all festive occasions while in season, especially Vijaya Dashami 2023. Cleaned curry cut fillets of Hilsa are slathered in a special paste made of mustard seeds, coconut, yoghurt, turmeric, sugar, mustard oil and green chillies. The fish pieces are then steamed to perfection and served with rice. The pungency of mustard seeds and the sweetness of coconuts and yoghurt combine to make this a balanced dish indeed.
Ilish Paturi
Of all the banana leaf-wrapped dishes emerging from Bengali cuisine, Ilish Paturi is perhaps the most popular, and for good reason too. The banana leaf-wrapping makes the steamed fish pieces almost melt-in-the-mouth. The fish pieces are marinated in a mix of mustard seeds, yoghurt, coconut, sugar and salt, and then sealed within banana leaves. Unravelling the cooked Paturi and revealing the perfectly cooked fish brings great joy.
Shorshe Pabda
For those who love indulging in whole fish, Pabda is the perfect dish for Vijaya Dashami 2023. A type of small catfish, Pabda is fried and then cooked in a gravy of mustard, yoghurt and green chillies. Mustard seeds are turned into a paste with green chillies, turmeric and cumin seeds and then cooked with yoghurt and mild spices. The fried fish are added last and the dish is served with a garnish of coriander leaves.
Pabdar Jhaal
A simple fish curry packed with Pabda fish and Bengali cuisine flavours, this dish is also known as Pabda Maacher Tel Jhaal. The Pabda fish are fried and set aside, then a gravy of onions, tomatoes, mild spices and dal bodi or lentil fritters is prepared. The dish can be turned spicy with the addition of red chilli powder and green chillies, and is served with a garnish of coriander leaves.
Katla Kalia
Spicy, rich and inspired by Mughlai cuisine, Katla Kalia is a must-have dish for a feast on Vijaya Dashami 2023. Prepared with whole spices like cinnamon, cumin, cloves, cardamom and plenty of onions, the gravy for this one is typically oily and spicy. The fish pieces are fried separately and added in towards the end of the cooking process.
Doi Katla
A sublime, savoury and delicious dish from Bengali cuisine, Doi Katla is made with yoghurt and catla fish fillets. The dish is prepared without any turmeric powder, giving it a white-ish appearance. Onions are fried with whole spices like cumin, cardamom and bay leaves, then a blend of yoghurt is added along with sugar to balance the gravy. The use of green chillies adds heat to the dish and the catla pieces are added in last.
Kosha Mangsho
One of the most popular mutton dishes from Bengali cuisine, Kosha Mangsho is a slow-cooked and resplendent dish that can turn a meal of two dishes into a veritable feast. Whole spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom and bay leaves are cooked with plenty of onions, then ginger-garlic paste and mutton pieces are added in. The process slowly turns the dish into a dark-hued, thick and rich one that can be enjoyed with Luchi as well as Pulao.
Mangsher Jhol
The simpler version of mutton curry in Bengali cuisine, this one is perfect if you are cooking in large batches. Onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and spices are cooked down with mutton, and then water is added to make the thin but rich gravy. Many people choose to add potatoes to this Mangsher Jhol, which makes it simply more authentically Bengali. Enjoyed with rice, pulao as well as Luchi, this one is a Vijaya Dashami must-have.