Bengali Food: Begun Bhorta, Pulao, Ilish Fish, Fuchka

Welcome back to Cultural Bites with Sacraspice! March is Bangladesh Heritage Month, and we’re honouring it with the rich, comforting flavours of Bengali cuisine. Known for its bold spices and deep traditions, Bengali food is all about balance—sweet, spicy, tangy, and everything in between.

Join us as we cook up a feast with ilish fish dopiaza, begun bhorta, fragrant pulao, and mouthwatering fuchka!

TOASTED BENGALI SPICES

Ingredients for Toasted Bengali Spices

• Mustard oil, 1 tsp

• Methi seeds, 1 tsp

• Yellow mustard seeds, 1 tsp

• Black mustard seeds, 1 tsp

• Whole dried red chiles, 3 pcs

• Green cardamom, 6 pcs

• Fennel seeds, ½ tsp

• Radhuni, ½ tsp

• Black peppercorns, ½ tsp

Ingredients for Toasted Bengali Spices

• Add mustard oil to a pan on medium heat, then add all spices and toast until fragrant

• Remove from the stove, then use a spice grinder to grind the spices into a mixture you can use in all of the dishes

BEGUN BHORTA

Ingredients for Begun Bhorta

• ½ tsp of toasted bengali spices

• Salt, 2 tsps

• Red chili powder, 1 teaspoon

• Turmeric, 1 tsp

• Mustard oil, 1 tsp + 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp

• 1 Eggplant (Globe eggplant works best)

• Whole red dried chiles, 3 pcs

• Garlic, 8 cloves, thinly diced

• Red onion, thinly sliced, ¼ pc

• Green chile, 1 (thinly diced)

• Gondhoraj lebu, juice and zest, ½ (Lime or lemon also works) 

• Fresh coriander, ¼ cup

• Coal, 1 pc (optional)

Directions for Begun Bhorta

• Poke holes on along the outside of the eggplant with a fork, then slice into four lengthwise quarters

• Then season with 1 tsp of mustard oil, turmeric, ½ tsp of toasted bengali spices, salt and red chili pepper

• Heat a medium sized pan with mustard oil on medium high heat. When hot, add the eggplant on the bottom side then cover the pan and allow to cook for 5-6 minutes

• After a few minutes, flip the eggplant over on the next side using the spatula. Then cover the pan and allow to cook for 5-6 minutes

• After a few minutes, flip the eggplant over on the last side using the spatula. Then cover the pan and allow to cook for 5-6 minutes

• Remove the eggplant from the stovetop, leave to rest for a couple minutes, then remove the skin from the eggplant using your hand and a dull knife

• Then mash the eggplant with a large fork.

• In a separate bowl, using a glove, mash together 3 whole dried red chiles. Then mix with the garlic, red onion, and green chile.

• Mix the pepper-red onion mixture with the mashed eggplant and add the juice and zest of the Gondhoraj lebu (or lime/ lemon)

• Adjust seasonings with salt, pepper and more toasted bengali spices as needed

• Place the pan on medium heat again, add 1 tbsp of mustard oil and place a small glass or metal dipping sauce container in the middle with the piece of coal in the middle. Add the eggplant around the coal and then cover the pan and allow to cook for an additional minute

• Then remove the eggplant from the fire and add to a bowl

• Mix with the chopped cilantro

• Top with fried onion

PULAO

Ingredients for Pulao

• Basmati rice, 2 cups

• Mustard oil, 3 tbsp

• Ghee, 1 tbsp (optional)

• Red onion (or shallot), ½ cup, diced

• Garlic, 2 tbsps, minced

• Ginger, 1 tbsp, minced

• Bay leaf, 1

• Cinnamon stick, 1

• Clove, 6

• Star anise, 3

• Green cardamom, 6

• Green thai chile peppers, 3

• Salt, 3 tbsps

• Red chili powder, 1 tsp

• Black pepper, 2 tsp

• Toasted Bengali Spices, 1 tbsp

• Rose water, 2 tbsp

• Gondhoraj lebu, juice and zest, ½ (Lemon also works) 

• 2 cups of water

• Fried onions (for topping)

• Cilantro or mint (for topping)

Directions for Pulao

• Wash and soak the rice for 30 minutes

• On medium heat, to a large pan, add the mustard oil and ghee

• Then add the onion and cook until fragrant, followed by garlic and ginger

• Add the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise and green cardamom, toast until fragrant

• Add the Green thai chile peppers and stir

• Add the rice and season with salt, pepper, red chili powder, and toasted Bengali spices.

• Add rose water to the rice, followed by the juice of a Gondhoraj lebu or lemon

• Then add the water to the rice and bring to a boil. When the water starts to boil, lower the heat to low and cover the rice. Allow to cook for 10 minutes

• After ten minutes, lift the cover and fluff up the rice with a fork. Adjust seasonings as desired

• Top with fried onions and fresh coriander and mint

ILISH FISH DOPIAZA

Ingredients for Ilish fish

• 1 ilish fish

• Lemon and vinegar for cleaning

• Flour, 3 tbsp

• Toasted bengali spices, 1 tbsp  + 1 tbsp

• Salt, 1 ½ tbsp + tbsp

• Black pepper, 2 tsp

• Red chili powder, 1 teaspoon

• Turmeric, 1 tbsp + 1 tbsp

• Mustard oil, ⅓ cup

• Red onion, ½  thinly sliced

• Garlic, 6 cloves, diced

• Green thai chile peppers, 3

• Gondhoraj lebu, juice and zest, ½ (Lemon also works) 

Directions for Ilish fish

• Descale and clean the fish with lemon and vinegar. Cut into 1 inch slices if the fish is not already cut

• Mix flour together with salt, pepper, red chili powder, 1 tbsp of turmeric, and 1 tbsp of toasted bengali spices

• Season the fish with the flour mixture and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes

• To a large pan, add the mustard oil on medium-high heat

• When the oil is hot, add the fish and cook for about 2 minutes on each side

• Remove from frying pan and place on a plate with paper towel to drain excess oil out

• In the same pan with oil, add the onions and cook until golden.

• Add the garlic, green chile peppers. Then add 1 tbsp of turmeric, 1 tbsp of salt, and 1 tbsp of toasted bengali spices

• Add about ½ cup of water and cook down. Reserve ½ cup of this mixture to add to fuchka

• Add the fish back into the cooked down onion mixture and coat

• Top with the juice of a Gondhoraj lebu or lemon

• Remove from the oven and reserve on the side

FUCHKA

Ingredients for Fuchka Filling

• Yellow potato, 1 

• Egg, 1

• Pomegranate

• Mustard oil, 2 tbsp

• Chick peas, cooked and drained, 1 cup

• Red onion, 1/4, finely diced

• Garlic, 4 cloves, minced

• Ilish fish onion mixture from recipe above, ½ cup (optional)

• Green chiles, 2, finely diced

• Toasted bengali spice, 1 tbsp 

• Coriander, 2 tbsp

• Cumin, 1 tsp

• Red chili powder, ½ teaspoon

• Salt, 1 tbsp

• Lime juice, 1 tbsp

• Tamarind chutney (Verka Tamarind Chutney), 4 tbsps

• Mango chutney, 2 tbsps, Patak's Sweet Mango Chutney

• Mint, ½ cup, chopped

• Coriander, ½ cup, chopped

• Fried onions, for topping

• Crispy Pani Puri Semolina Puffs, 1 Box

Ingredients for Fuchka Tamarind Rosewater Sauce

• Tamarind chutney (Verka Tamarind Chutney), ¼ cup 

• Gondhoraj lebu, juice and zest, ¼ (Lemon also works) 

• Rosewater, 2 tbsps

• Water, 2 tbsps

• Salt, ½ tsp

• Red chili powder, ½ tsp

• Coriander, ½ tsp

Directions for Fuchka Filling

• Dice the potato into ½ inch cubes and cook for 5-6 minutes

• Add one egg to a pot of cold water. Raise to high heat and cook for 18 minutes. Deshell and reserve when done for plating later

• To a pan on medium heat, add mustard oil, and allow to get hot

• Once hot, add the chick peas

• Add half of the diced red onions. Save the other half for adding fresh onions to the fuchka filling

• Add the garlic and green chile peppers

• Add the potato to this mixture

• Season the chick peas and potatoes with toasted Bengali spices, coriander, cumin, red chili powder and salt

• Add lime juice, tamarind chutney and mango chutney

• Adjust seasonings as desired

• Remove from the heat and mix in half of each of the freshly chopped mint and coriander leaves. Save the other half for topping

Directions for Fuchka Sauce

• Mix all ingredients together and mix with a fork, adjust seasonings and consistency as desired

Plating the Fuchka

• Using a knife, delicately break a small hole into each pani puri puff

• Fill each puff with about a tablespoon of the filling

• Use a grater to finely shave the egg

• Top each pani puri puff with shaved egg, 3 pomegranate seeds, fresh mint and coriander

• Top with the tamarind rose water sauce