Fish Cutlet To Mutton Curry: 10 Food Items To Expect At A Bengali Wedding

Bengalis are all about food. Mutton, fish, rasgullas and Bengalis can’t be kept apart. Be it Durga puja, weddings, or even funerals, food is an integral part of our rituals, customs, and daily life.

A Bengali wedding is a food lover's paradise. You are forced to partake in a mouthwatering feast because so many delicious dishes are being presented. In fact, it is not incorrect to suggest that one of the things that will help you bond with your distinguished guests is your wedding menu. Therefore, keep in mind that while your guests might forget the opulent décor and grandiose settings, they will always remember the wonderful feast they enjoyed at your wedding.

From cutlets to mutton curry, here are 10 dishes you can definitely expect at a Bengali wedding.

Fish Cutlet or Maachher Chop (fish chop)

This dish is basically a bhetki or a boneless fish fillet dipped in a batter of spiced gram flour and bread crumbs and deep fried. It is served with kashundi (a special Bengali mustard sauce) or ketchup and salad.

Radhaballavi or Kochuri (Dal/Peas Puri)

One of the quintessential Bengali breakfast dishes, Radhaballavi or Dal puri, is a must-have at a Bengali wedding dinner. The dish is prepared with all-purpose flour or maida stuffed with spiced urad dal (split black gram) and deep fried in oil. You can also expect a koraishutir kochuri or peas kachaudi in Bengali winter weddings or a different variety of kachaudi.

Potoler Dolma or Dhokar Dalna

While we have very few vegetarian dishes on the menu, these two are the most common. This dish is made from stuffing potol (as in parwal or bottle gourd) with vegetables, kaju, kishmish, and paneer/prawn (optional) and cooked in a gravy.

Dhokar Dalna is also a traditional Bengali dish made from spiced chana dal koftas or lentil cakes that are fried and then cooked in a curry.

Basanti Pulao (sweet yellow pulao)

It is a popular royal and luxurious dish that is enjoyed by Bengalis on these exclusive festive occasions. It is a flavorful yellow pulao with sweet undertones that can be enjoyed with hot chicken or mutton curry.

Fish Paturi

This dish is prepared with boneless bhetki or hilsa that is marinated with mustard paste, coconut paste, and several other spices, and then wrapped in a banana leaf, tied, and steamed.

Prawn Malaikari

This is a must-find at a Bengali wedding. This dish is prepared with medium-sized prawns cooked in mustard, poppy seeds, and coconut paste along with coconut milk and other spices.

Kosha Mangsho or Mutton Curry

Bengali weddings are null and void if you don’t have mutton curry with Basanti Pulao (or biryani).

Rasgulla

Rosogolla (along with kalakand or some other sandesh) is the most essential part of a Bengali wedding menu. You can’t not have sweets at the end of your deluxe meal, especially rosogolla.