Food is an important part of the “Bong” identity. History has weaved an intimate relationship between Bengalis and good food and this closeness reverberates through their weddings. No matter if you choose to go traditional or contemporary, here is a guide to set an impressive menu for your Bengali wedding.
What has changed?
Until a few years back most Bengali matrimony celebrations retained the original recipes of conventional dishes thus offering a chance to indulge into the real Bong treat. With urbanisation influencing every aspect of our lives, wedding dinners have also added a modern twist to the dishes and the way of serving dinner.
Traditionally in Bengali weddings food is served on plantain leaves and water in the rustic terracotta tumblers. Exotic buffet dinners are now rapidly replacing this tradition in most weddings.
The traditional Bengali menu
A traditional Bengali menu brings together the flavours of the Indian spices wrapped in interesting combinations. The rice with Moong Dhal is a staple in all Bengali weddings. The first round of serving starts with Shukto, a common household food in West Bengal. The dish is an assortment of vegetables that is seasoned to a slight bitter taste.
The main purpose of this dish is to clean the palate and ensure the upcoming treat is enjoyed to the fullest. This is followed by a list of other Bengali home delicacies such as channa dhal (a stew made of pulses), aloo bhajja (fried potato strips), and Phool kopi (potato and cauliflower mix) and beguni sliced aubergine fried with chick pea batter.
The modern Bengali spread
Contemporary weddings serve glamorous dishes that retain the traditional flavours with even better garnishing and presentation. Food counters serving Naan, Phulka, Pulao with an interesting array of both vegetarian and non vegetarian sides from the Bengali cuisine makes the reception dinner magnificent and outstanding. Traditional sweets are replaced by ice creams and gulab jamuns. Well decorated salad bars serving different kinds of salads, snacks and Tandoori dishes are becoming popular in Bengali weddings.
The love for fish
The Bengali love for fish is well renowned. However it is just not the fish but an entire range of non vegetarian Bengali dishes that must be a part of a wedding reception to ensure that you have satisfied the palates of all your guests. The Bhetki machar, Hilsha machar jhol, Koi Kalia, and Chingris are the popular seafood delicacies of West Bengal. Other popular non vegetarian dishes include Mutton Kabiraji (lamb cutlet), Dak Bungalow (lamb curry) and chicken cooked in tomato sauce and seasoned with poppy seeds.
Delicious Desserts
Bengali desserts are loved by people of all states in India. No matter how elaborate and grand a wedding it is, it is only fair to serve these special desserts to the guests. The most popular desserts of West Bengal are Rasagullas, Rasa Malai, Sandesh and Jhola gur. The feast then comes to an end with a serving of the traditional pan.
Bengalis have an extreme love for food and a wedding is the best time to treat your friends and relatives to good food. Irrespective of the wedding style, it is recommended to retain the origin Bengali flavours to bring forth the true essence of the state’s rich culture and heritage.
matrimony
Setting a Menu That Impresses at Your Bengali Wedding
