5 Top Bangladeshi Food You Must Try On Your Visit!
Traditional, authentic Bangladeshi cuisine is made up of a diverse range of delicious spices, herbs, rice, fish meats and breads. We are presenting you the dishes you must try atleast once you visit the Bangladesh.
Panta bhat/ water mixed rice
Panta bhat is a wonderful example of Bangladeshi food, also enjoyed throughout the Bengal region, and mostly associated with farmers, laborers, and the working class. It is a hugely popular Bangladeshi dish.
Panta bhat generally uses leftover rice that is soaked in water overnight to ferment, and then served as breakfast the following morning after being seasoned by salt, chili, and onion.
It is a filling and hearty dish, considered to help workers cool down during the hot summer months. You can also drink the water afterward to get a beautiful tangy kick whilst being refreshed!
Furthermore, it is considered even healthier than fresh rice, with many health benefits due to its nutritional value.
Hilsa/Ilish curry
Hilsa (or ilish) curry is the national dish of Bangladesh, made from the Hilsa fish, and is one of the most popular traditional Bangladeshi dishes.
The Hilsa fish is marinated in turmeric and chili paste, before slowly frying on a low heat and serving with mustard gravy and rice. The result is a combination of sweet and sour flavors with an incredible spicy kick.
Aside from being cheap, Hilsa curry is filling, flavorsome, easy to make and widely available due to the amount of Hilsa fish in the region, especially during the rainy season. The sheer abundance of the Hilsa fish is why Hilsa Curry is the national dish of Bangladesh.
In Bangladesh it is common to eat every part of the Hilsa fish including the head and the eggs, nothing is wasted and each part even has its own unique delicacies. You can find fish egg dishes or fish head curries that are widely revered throughout the region.
Chingri malai curry
Changri malai curry is the most famous Bangladesh curry dish based on coconut milk, and is revered throughout the region, including India.
Chingri Malai (or Chingri Macher Malaikari as it is sometimes known), is a delicious creamy, satisfying seafood curry that is prepared by cooking prawns or shrimp in a coconut milk sauce with aromatic spices and served with basmati rice. Coconut milk is a very common ingredient in Bangladeshi cuisine, and this Changri Malai curry is a perfect example of that.
The word Malai suggests the dish was actually brought to the region by Malaysian sailors docking at the Bay of Bengal many years ago, and the use of coconut in curries gives credence to this theory since it is popular in South-East Asian cuisine.
Bangladeshi cooking is famed for its use of seafood and fish in curries, so Chingri malai is definitely a dish to try if you’re ever in the region.
Dal
Dal isn’t unique to Bangladesh but it is so commonly eaten by Bangladeshi’s that it is unequivocally worth mentioning.
Dal refers to lentils, peas and beans that are dried and split, and then often boiled, seasoned and served in various different forms, most commonly as a thick soup.
Naans, rotis, chapatis and other breads traditionally accompany dal, as well as rice or vegetables.
Whilst very simple to prepare, dal is filling and cheap which makes it very popular in poorer regions of Bangladesh, whilst also still being enjoyed by the more wealthy.
Dhokar dalna
Dhokor Dalna is considered one of the famous signature dishes of Bangladeshi cuisine. The dish uses lentils or dal to make a fried cake, slightly simmered in a tomato-based gravy and seasoned with spices such as ginger, cumin and coriander.
The dish is then served with steamed rice or with a bread side such as paratha or chapati.
