By Saborni Saha
Updated:Sep 21, 2025
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Slurrp takes on a flavourful journey through traditional Bengali recipes, long-forgotten but cherished during Durga Puja. From Panta Bhaat to Murighonto, home chefs like Jayeeta Ghosh, Rohitashwa Guha, and Sayani Sengupta share heirloom recipes that bring nostalgia and festivity to the menu. Be it a grand lunch or a family dinner, Durgotsob in Bengal is incomplete without food.
Image Credit: Adobe Stock
As soon as the dawn of Mahalaya brings in the ‘Mahishasurmaridini’ by Birendra Krishna Bhadra broadcast via AkashBaani Kolkata, the fragrance of Shiuli phool (Night-flowering jasmine) turns a bit more nostalgic. Accept it or not, from what to wear to planning pandal hopping with friends, they exclusively plan their Durga Pujo menu, Bengalis wait throughout the year for one more Pujo to arrive.
Whether it is Luchi mangsho, Koraishutir kochuri alur dom, Dim er Devil, jilipi, or makha sandesh, Durga Pujo is all about fun, food, and celebration for Bengalis. Owing to my ‘Bangal’ origin from Dhaka, Birkrampur, Kancha Chingrir Tel Jhal, Boyal Machher Tel, Chhola diye Kochu shaak, Aam ada Daal er bora, are some of the most-loved yet rare dishes that are especially prepared during Durga Puja.
Here’s to the stories of Bengali home chefs who preserve these recipes, often passed down from generation to generation. From Niramish Thor Ghonto to Kulothokolai Mangsho Bata, these recipes preserve family traditions, flavours, and stories.
Peel, chop, and clean the banana stem, removing any fibers. Blanch the pieces in salted water with a pinch of turmeric, then drain well.Pressure cook the roasted moong dal with 2 cups of water until soft but not mushy.Heat mustard oil in a pan. Add bay leaf and cumin seeds. Add diced potatoes and sauté with turmeric and salt until half-cooked.Add the blanched thor, ginger paste, cumin powder, and green chilies. Stir well and cover until the thor softens.Add the washed Gobindobhog rice and fry for a few minutes until the rice absorbs the spices.Pour in the cooked dal, adjust the salt, add sugar, and let everything simmer gently until the rice is cooked and the mixture reaches a dry, ghonto (dry vegetable dish) consistency.Drizzle with ghee before serving.Kacha Chingrir Dom: A Light Yet Flavourful Prawn Curry
Image Credit: Wiki Commons
Luchir Payesh: A Sweet Bengali Delight
Image Credit: Wiki Commons
Rohitashwa Guha: A Legacy of Sweet Stories and Recipes
Image Credit: Rohitashwa Guha
His story takes us to the traditional Narkoler Chira, flattened rice-shaped coconut chips. It has been a popular sweet made after Goddess Durga’s immersion on Bijaya Dashami.
He shared an adorable family story connected with his family.
Image Credit: Rohitashwa Guha
He then mentioned, “Mashi Dida rejected many proposals and said she would marry Mesho Dadu. However, Mesho Dadu’s father opposed the match. My grandmother’s Noakhali landowners were not Kulin Kayasthya.
Finally, Mesho Dadu’s family visited Noakhali. Mashi Dida’s soulful voice and intricate hand embroidery moved Mesho Dadu’s father. However, her Narkoler Chira, flattened rice-shaped coconut chips, impressed him.”
Narkoler Chira (Coconut Rice Chips)
This sweet, made from flattened rice-shaped coconut chips, was prepared during Bijaya Dashami, the last day of Durga Puja, marking the immersion of Goddess Durga. It’s a dish that embodies family, love, and nostalgia.
“My Dadu, paternal Granddad, was the best cook I have grown up looking up to. And his passions were hunting in the wild and cooking and grilling different kinds of meat in unbelievable techniques.”, she shared.
Here are some of her treasured recipes, along with the stories that bring them to life.
Kulothokolai Mangsho Bata
Wash and soak the Kulothokolai dal overnight. Rinse well after soaking.Boil the dal and mutton with a little salt, turmeric powder, ginger, garlic paste, beresta, and green chillies until tender. Dry out the boiling liquid over high flame, stirring to prevent burning.Dry roast the spices from the gorom masala blend separately, cool, and grind them to a smooth powder.Grind the cooked mutton and dal into a semi-coarse paste.Heat mustard oil, sauté the remaining ginger-garlic paste, then add the mutton-dal paste, beresta, garam masala, chopped green chillies, and sugar. Stir well for 10-12 minutes.Fry the broken cashews in ghee and pour them into the dish.Garnish with coriander leaves, and serve hot with ruti, porota, polao, or steamed rice.Thammar Lebu Kheer er Mangsho Kosha
Image Credit: Sayani Sengupta
Green cardamoms – 6Black cardamom – 2Bay leaf – 3Mace – 3 whole blades (torn in half)Dried red chillies – 2
Method:
Heat mustard oil and half of the ghee in a heavy-based pot. Temper the spices (green cardamom, black cardamom, bay leaf, mace, and dried red chillies), then caramelise the sugar.Add the mutton and fry for 6-7 minutes.Stir in ginger-garlic paste and cook for another 8-10 minutes.Add red chilli paste, coriander seed paste, salt, and lemon juice. Fry for 8-9 minutes.Grind fresh malai and combine with milk and beresta paste. Add to the mutton and simmer on low heat. Stir intermittently to prevent burning.Check for doneness, adjust salt, and add garam masala paste and lemon juice from the second lemon.Let it rest for 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining ghee, then serve with polao or steamed rice.
Bijoya Doshomir Panta, Kochur Shaak, Shaplar Bhyala
Image Credit: Sayani Sengupta
Cooked rice – 2 cupsDrinking water – 3½ cupsSalt – to tasteGreen chilli – to tasteGondhoraj lemon wedge
Niramish Kochur Shaak:
Kochur Shaak – 4 stalksFenugreek seeds – 1 teaspoonDried red chillies – 4Ghee – 2 tablespoonsSalt – to tasteSugar – 1 teaspoon (optional)Grated coconut – 2 tablespoons
Shaplar Bhyala:
Shapla (water lily stems) – 4 sticksRice flour – 1 cupNigella seeds – ½ teaspoonRed chilli powder – ⅔ teaspoonSugar – 1 teaspoonSalt – to tasteMustard oil (or refined oil) for fryingToothpicks
Method:
Panta: Soak rice overnight. Drain excess water, serve with a bit of soaking water on the side. Serve with Gondhoraj lemon, green chillies, salt, and the sides.
Durga Puja food connects generations, remembers the past, and welcomes the goddess into our homes. Panta Bhaat, Kochur Shaak, Murighonto, and Boyal Machher Jhal have been passed down through generations with stories, memories, and a Bengali soul. Home chefs like Jayeeta Ghosh, Rohitashwa Guha, and Sayani Sengupta are bringing these forgotten recipes back to Bengal’s festive tables, preserving the rich culinary heritage for future generations.
Dining and Cooking