Bengali Vegetarian Recipes

Vegetables have always been bountiful in Bengal's fertile plains, criss-crossed by the Ganga, Padma and Bramhaputra rivers.

The Bhakti movement saw the rise of vegetarianism in Bengal, and since "Vaishnav"s did not consume onions and garlic, it led to a unique vegetarian cuisine with brilliant recipes, where the flavours of the vegetables shine through.

A market in Kolkata, or Dhaka or indeed any part of East India overflows with all kinds of leafy greens (shaak), and vegetables.

Having been through hard times several times in its history–famines, wars, Bengalis were forced to be resourceful. Every part of a plant–from its leaf, stem, flowers, fruits, the peels, to the seeds–everything is used in cooking, leading to some incredible array of vegetarian dishes in the world.

Bengali Vegetarian Recipes

vegetarian
recipes

Vegetables have always been bountiful in Bengal's fertile plains, criss-crossed by the Ganga, Padma and Bramhaputra rivers.

The Bhakti movement saw the rise of vegetarianism in Bengal, and since "Vaishnav"s did not consume onions and garlic, it led to a unique vegetarian cuisine with brilliant recipes, where the flavours of the vegetables shine through.

A market in Kolkata, or Dhaka or indeed any part of East India overflows with all kinds of leafy greens (shaak), and vegetables.

Having been through hard times several times in its history–famines, wars, Bengalis were forced to be resourceful. Every part of a plant–from its leaf, stem, flowers, fruits, the peels, to the seeds–everything is used in cooking, leading to some incredible array of vegetarian dishes in the world.

Potoler Dorma with Dal Filling

with chholar dal (Bengal gram) stuffing

59600
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  • Cooking time
    2 hours
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Koraishuti’r Kochuri

Deep-fried, puffy bread stuffed with a spiced green-peas-and-hing filling

70980
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  • Cooking time
    90 minutes
  • Nutrition
    138
    kcal

Khichuri

The Bengali variant of the South Asian ‘khichdi’, made with nutty, roasted moong dal and fragrant gobindobhog rice.

53406
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  • Cooking time
    75 mins
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Mishti Polao

A bright yellow, sweet Bengali polao redolent with ghee and garnished with fried cashews and raisins.

52489
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  • Cooking time
    1 hour, 30 mins
  • Nutrition
    520
    kcal
  • Cooking time
    20 minutes
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Aloo paratha

A pan-fried flatbread stuffed with a filling of mashed potatoes

56800
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  • Cooking time
    45 minutes
  • Nutrition
    385
    kcal

Niramish Aloo Dum

Bengali-style curried new-potatoes cooked in a savoury, tangy sauce, and sprinkled with green peas.

47035
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  • Cooking time
    1 hour, 15 mins
  • Nutrition
    202
    kcal

Bengali Vegetable Fried Rice

Rice and crunchy veggies with a bengali twist

53052
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  • Cooking time
    60 minutes
  • Nutrition
    432
    kcal

Radhaballabhi

A Bengali deep fried pastry with a delicious filling of biuli’r (urad) dal spiced with fennel seeds, ginger and green chillies.

49283
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  • Cooking time
    2 hours
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Chhola’r Dal

Savoury-sweet preparation of curried split Bengal gram

33146
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  • Cooking time
    45 minutes
  • Nutrition
    197
    kcal
  • Cooking time
    45 minutes
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Labra

The queen of panchmishali tarkari

35120
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  • Cooking time
    2 hours, 30 minutes
  • Nutrition
    373
    kcal

Luchi

Bengali deep fried puffy bread

27732
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  • Cooking time
    1 hour
  • Nutrition
    250
    kcal

Alu Posto

Potatoes in a nutty poppy seed gravy

29367
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  • Cooking time
    30 minutes
  • Nutrition
    244
    kcal

Dhoka'r Dalna

Fried lentil cakes in a flavourful sauce

26461
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  • Cooking time
    90 minutes
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Pepe'r Plastic Chutney

A fun, quick chutney with green papaya

26122
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  • Cooking time
    30 minutes
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Mochar Ghonto

with two variants

19762
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  • Cooking time
    2 hours
  • Nutrition
    150
    kcal
  • Cooking time
    60 minutes
  • Nutrition
    163
    kcal

Nolen Gurer Payesh

Bengali rice pudding with date palm jaggery

23452
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  • Cooking time
    1 hour
  • Nutrition
    316
    kcal

Phulkopi'r Dalna

A Bengali cauliflower-and-peas curry

15975
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  • Cooking time
    40 minutes
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Panchmishali Torkari

A medley of winter vegetables, slow-cooked in their own juices

17492
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  • Cooking time
    90 minutes
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Chhana'r Polao

A Tagore family recipe

31935
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  • Cooking time
    2 hours
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Bhaja Moong Dal Shobji diye

Roasted moong dal with fresh, winter veggies

17560
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  • Cooking time
    40 minutes
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Lau'er Ghonto

Curried bottle gourd

14525
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  • Cooking time
    1 hour
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Paneer'er Dalna

Chunks of paneer(cottage cheese) in a spicy, comforting sauce

16766
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  • Cooking time
    45 minutes
  • Nutrition
    307
    kcal

Kacha Moong Dal

A quick and delicate dal tempered with radhuni, a type of seed that is quite unique to Bengal.

10557
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  • Cooking time
    20 minutes
  • Nutrition
    111
    kcal

Kumror Chokka

A Bengali classic served with luchi

14645
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  • Cooking time
    1 hour
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Begun Bhaja

Perfectly seasoned, pan-fried brinjals

10770
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  • Cooking time
    20 minutes
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Paat pata’r bora

Crunchy batter-fried jute leaves

16632
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  • Cooking time
    30 minutes
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Echorer dalna

Bengali jackfruit curry

16468
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  • Cooking time
    2 hours
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Alu Kabli

A Kolkata street snack of boiled potatoes

20094
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  • Cooking time
    30 minutes
  • Nutrition
    kcal
  • Cooking time
    1 hour
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Badhakopi’r Ghonto

Curried cabbage with potatoes and peas

9278
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  • Cooking time
    45 minutes
  • Nutrition
    kcal
11517
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  • Cooking time
    1 hour
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Peyaji

Onion fritters

17618
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  • Cooking time
    30 minutes
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Shorshe Dharosh

Okra in a mustard-poppy sauce

10731
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  • Cooking time
    30 minutes
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Chaal Potol

Potol cooked with fragrant rice

10874
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  • Cooking time
    50 minutes
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Kachkolar Dalna

Made with green unripe banana

9243
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  • Cooking time
    45 minutes
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Biulir Dal

Mildly flavoured kolaier dal or urad dal

10248
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  • Cooking time
    45 minutes
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Postor Bora

Ground poppy-seed fritters

16210
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  • Cooking time
    30 minutes
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Lau'er Shukto

A mild, milky curry of bottle gourd

6187
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  • Cooking time
    30 minutes
  • Nutrition
    85
    kcal

Chhana'r Koftakari

Light, fluffy, mildly-spiced chhana (cottage cheese) dumplings in curry.

7690
Viewers liked this
  • Cooking time
    90 minutes
  • Nutrition
    465
    kcal
  • Cooking time
    30 minutes
  • Nutrition
    88
    kcal

Potoler Tel Jhol

A light curry with pointed gourd

7135
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  • Cooking time
    40 minutes
  • Nutrition
    kcal
  • Cooking time
    25 minutes
  • Nutrition
    107
    kcal

Lauer Khosha Bhaja

A quick stir-fry of bottle-gourd peels.

5716
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  • Cooking time
    20 minutes
  • Nutrition
    46
    kcal

Thor'er Ghonto

Banana stem cooked in spices

5043
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  • Cooking time
    90 minutes
  • Nutrition
    180
    kcal
  • Cooking time
    30 minutes
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Phulkopir Bora

Cauliflower florets steamed and batter-fried

5444
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  • Cooking time
    20 minutes
  • Nutrition
    kcal
  • Cooking time
    1 hour, 10 minutes
  • Nutrition
    kcal
  • Cooking time
    25 minutes
  • Nutrition
    282
    kcal

Lau Chingri

Bottle gourd cooked with prawns

3116
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  • Cooking time
    60 mins
  • Nutrition
    154
    kcal

Mocha'r Paturi

Banana blossom paturi

5662
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  • Cooking time
    1 hour, 20 mins
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Pepe’r Shukto

An easy shukto with green papaya

5018
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  • Cooking time
    40 minutes
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Alur Khosha Bhaja

Fried potato peels

7544
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  • Cooking time
    25 minutes
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Alu Sheddho

Bengali mashed potatoes

3214
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  • Cooking time
    20 mins
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Neem Jhol

Light and midly bitter stew of summer vegetables

5726
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  • Cooking time
    1 hour
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Uchhe-Kumro Bhaja

Bitter gourd and pumpkin stir-fry

3075
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  • Cooking time
    20 minutes
  • Nutrition
    kcal

Kumro Dogar Pachmishali

Pumpkin vine cooked with a medley of vegetables

2323
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  • Cooking time
    90 mins
  • Nutrition
    223
    kcal

Peyajkoli Bhaja

A stir-fry with onion-blossom stalk

1647
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  • Cooking time
    40 mins
  • Nutrition
    160
    kcal

Phulkopi–Chhanar Dalna

A festive, decadent version of Bengali cauliflower and cottage cheese dalna in a ginger–cumin sauce.

Viewers liked this
  • Cooking time
    40 mins
  • Nutrition
    386
    kcal

Shada Polao

A light, casual, alterntive to "basanti" pulao

Viewers liked this
  • Cooking time
    60 mins
  • Nutrition
    434
    kcal
  • Cooking time
    30 minutes
  • Nutrition
    kcal