Durga Puja 2020: 10 Delicious Dishes You Must Eat During the Festival

Durga Puja – a festival of shakti, good over evil, friends, relatives, and food. And some more food. Yes, as much as we are devoted to the Goddess offering her our prayers, and some of us even going vegetarian for those five auspicious days, but when it comes to the food, it's almost as if we save our annual appetite for those precious few moments.If you're in Kolkata, you cannot miss the quintessential bhog that comprises the famous khichdi, the recipe of which can never be replicated any other time. It is usually served along with a few vegetables, a fried item (potato, brinjal, pumpkin), a mishti (sweet), and even chutneys. Back in the old days, the local boys would either come and deliver these delicious packages to your house, in a large earthen bowl, or you could walk over to your neighbourhood pandal and eat with everyone - almost like a wedding feast, only vegetarian.  Things in Bangalore don't seem much different, with the large influx of Bengalis every year. The bhog appears a bit different sometimes though; I remember eating rasam and rice at one Durga Puja pandal in Whitefield once! That apart, the city opens up its heart to Bengali food, although I think it's always been kind to it.So what should you be eating during Durga Puja? There is no definite answer, because technically we eat just about everything, but then again there are a few things that become almost imperative.1. Kathi RollsOkay, so a fat greasy mutton roll (or even chicken) is a must on at least two out of the five days. Or even three. And honestly, a 100 per cent Kolkata Kathi Roll is hard to find here, no matter what anyone says. However, during the puja, pandals such as the one near Bethany School in Koramangala, or the one organised by the Bengali Association manage to source some of the best rolls that are available at these tiny kiosks. Click here for recipe. 2. PhuchkaNo, there is no rule. We can eat phuchkas  every day. But somehow around this time, we have a moral responsibility towards it. These delicious goodies taste better, and spicier. Don't ask me why. Click here for recipe. 
 
3. Kolkata BiryaniIf you haven't eaten biryani for lunch or dinner at least a couple of times, you're really not feeling it. A good Mutton Biryani (Kolkata-style mind you) complete with a chunky potato is a must. And if you don't eat mutton, even a Chicken Biryani is acceptable. The grains have to be long and separate, and have that yellow tinge without fail. Where in Bangalore do you get this biryani? At the puja pandals of course. Click here for more on Kolkata Biryani. 4. ChopsNo, we aren't talking about lamb or pork chops. These crumb-fried oblong cutlets are one of our favourite evening snacks. It could be made with vegetables (with beet root playing a big role), potatoes, chicken, fish, or mutton keema. Normally, a sprinkle of chaat masala over the chops is a must. And this is the time when tomato sauce and chilli sauce become very popular - as dips of course. Click here for mutton chop recipe. 
 
5. Luchi and MangshoLittle and plump puris made with refined flour, to be eaten with Kosha Mangsho (mutton), is as important a part of the puja tradition as offering the morning prayers. To be honest, we'd eat this on any day. I've found most food stalls at puja pandals not being able to perfect the luchis; it cannot be large and brown. But if you try some of the Bengali restaurants such as Oh! Calcutta or Esplanade, you might get something close to what our grandmothers would make. Click here for kosha mangsho recipe. 6. MishtiA Bengali festival has to begin and end with sweets. It's the unwritten code of the brotherhood. There's rosogolla, sandesh, mishti doi, and a dozen other kinds of sweets to choose from - and we must try them all (okay maybe not all) during the puja. No bhog is complete without one, and no evening feast is either. Fortunately, there are quite a few sweet shops in the city that sell decent Bengali sweets. Check out Banchharam and KC Das. Click here for mishti doi recipe. 
 
7. Mishti PulaoI am not sure whether it's readily available at the puja food stalls in Bangalore, but the delicious Misthi Pulao (sweet pulao), ideally had with a fish curry of sorts, is something worth trying. Typically made with small grained fragrant rice (usually Gobindo bhog), further sweetened with sugar and raisins, and spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, javitri, saffron, etc, it is an absolute treat. You'd probably do best by ordering in from a Bengali restaurant. Click here for recipe. 8. ChowmeinThere is no way to explain this. We love our Chinese, and one trip to Tangra in Kolkata is sort of must during the puja. In Bengaluru, there is no dearth of eating noodles, or rather the chowmein, and chicken is our favourite kind. Bangalore Mandarin, Kim Lee, Beijing Bites, Wang's Kitchen, Chung's and Chung Wah are only a few of the places where you can dig into the oily Indian chowmein. Click here for recipe. 
 
9. GhugniThis is street food, made with dried yellow or white peas, and is spicy and sweet at the same time. It resembles the masala of a Masala Puri, but only thicker. A sprinkle of chaat masala on top makes it delicious. You eat it just like that, and follow it up with another bowl of it. Click here for recipe. 10. Samosa and JalebisIt's a combination to beat plenty of other combinations. The samosa or rather the shingara (made with potatoes and peas), and the decadently sweet jalebis are available in almost all the food stalls in the puja pandals, as well as the sweet shops in the city. Click here for more. 
 
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