By Suprita Mitter
October 27, 2024
Food for Kali Pujo is a delightful celebration of Bengali flavours, featuring comforting dishes like khichuri, luchi, and festive sweets. Traditional recipes honour the occasion and offer a warm, hearty feast, bringing family and community together in joy.
This Bengali-style khichdi is a beloved comfort food prepared with rice and lentils, often moong dal, and flavoured with ghee, ginger, and spices.
Luchi, a deep-fried, soft Bengali bread, pairs beautifully with aloo dum—a spiced potato curry cooked in a rich tomato and yoghurt-based gravy.
Labra is a mixed vegetable dish featuring a medley of seasonal vegetables seasonal vegetables cooked in mild spices and sometimes tempered with panch phoron (a Bengali five-spice mix). It’s nutritious, colourful, and goes wonderfully with khichuri, making it a staple for festive occasions.
A unique Bengali dish made with no onion or garlic, Niramish Mangsho is a mutton curry cooked with yoghurt, spices, and potatoes, it’s flavorful and traditional, making it ideal for festivals where onion and garlic are avoided.
A platter of crispy, deep-fried vegetables like brinjal (eggplant), pumpkin, and potatoes adds crunch to the festive meal. These bhajas are often served alongside khichuri.
This vegetarian curry is made with soft chana (paneer) cubes cooked in a flavourful tomato-based gravy. The dish is delicately spiced, allowing the creamy texture of paneer to shine.
Payesh, or Bengali rice pudding, is a sweet dish made with rice, milk, and jaggery or sugar, garnished with nuts and cardamom. This dessert is a must for Kali Pujo, as it is perfect for ending the celebration on a high note.