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Bangladesh

Positioned in South Asia, Bangladesh is densely populated, known for its riverine landscape and the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest. Its economy has been growing, with textiles being a major export, transforming it into one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Dhaka, the bustling capital, is a center of commerce, culture, and history, though it faces challenges with urbanization. Bangladesh's culture is vibrant, with Bengali literature, music, and the famous Bangla New Year celebrations.

Bangladesh

Featured Dishes from Bangladesh

Alur dom

Alur dom

Dum aloo , aaloo dam (Awadhi or Bhojpuri: 𑂄𑂪𑂳 𑂠𑂧, romanized: ālō dam) aloo dum (Bengali: আলুর দম, romanized: ālūr dam) or aloo dum (Odia: ଆଳୁ ଦମ, romanized: ālū dam) is an Indian fried potato-based curry dish. The word dum translates to as steam-cooked or slow-cooked, while aloo means potato. It is a part of the traditional Kashmiri Pandit cuisine, from the Kashmir Valley of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Dum aloo is now cooked widely throughout India. There are also Banarasi and Bengali variations. The potatoes, usually smaller ones, are first skinned and deep fried. Kashmiri dum aloo sauce is made with yogurt or khoya, and often includes a cashew nut paste. The Banarasi variation sauce is typically more aromatic and is made from tomatoes and onions. Spices such as red chilies, garlic, ginger, cardamom, and fennel along with other herbs, are added to the sauce. The potatoes are cooked slowly at low flame in the sauce, and can be garnished with coriander. Dum aloo is often paired and served with naan.

Bakarkhani

Bakarkhani

Bakarkhani or Baqarkhani or Bakorkhoni also known as bakarkhani roti, is a thick, spiced flat-bread that is part of the Mughlai cuisine. Bakarkhani is prepared on certain Muslim religious festivals in South Asia and is now popular as sweet bread. Bakarkhani is almost biscuit-like in texture, with a hard crust. The chief ingredients are flour, semolina, sugar, molasses soaked in saffron, poppy or nigella seeds, salt, and ghee .

Chai

Chai

Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of south-western China and northern Myanmar. Tea is also made, but rarely, from the leaves of Camellia taliensis. After plain water, tea is the most widely consumed drink in the world. There are many different types of tea; some have a cooling, slightly bitter, and astringent flavour, while others have profiles that include sweet, nutty, floral, or grassy notes. Tea has a stimulating effect in humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. An early credible record of tea drinking dates to the third century AD, in a medical text written by Chinese physician Hua Tuo. It was popularised as a recreational drink during the Chinese Tang dynasty, and tea drinking subsequently spread to other East Asian countries. Portuguese priests and merchants introduced it to Europe during the 16th century. During the 17th century, drinking tea became fashionable among the English, who started to plant tea on a large scale in British India.

Chor chori

Chor chori

Chaṛachaṛi / Chorchori (Bengali: চচ্চড়ি) is a unique char-flavored mixed vegetable dish of India and Bangladesh, found primarily in Odia and Bengali cuisine of the Indian subcontinent. Chorchori is often cooked with leftover vegetables at the end of the week. The story behind the dish is that in Bengali households, traditionally men would go grocery shopping once a week. At the end of the week, the household would be left with bits of all the vegetables bought earlier in the week. To cook chorchori, a chaunk is prepared by frying spices such as black mustard seeds and minced ginger root in oil or ghee. Often, panch phoron is used. Then, chopped vegetables are added and stir-fried briefly. Water, salt, and more spices are added, and the vegetables are allowed to simmer.

Doi chira

Doi chira

Flat rice mixed with sweet yogurt, fruit and jaggery

Eggs

Eggs

Humans and their hominid relatives have consumed eggs for millions of years. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especially chickens. People in Southeast Asia began harvesting chicken eggs for food by 1500 BCE. Eggs of other birds, such as ducks and ostriches, are eaten regularly but much less commonly than those of chickens. People may also eat the eggs of reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Fish eggs consumed as food are known as roe or caviar. Hens and other egg-laying creatures are raised throughout the world, and mass production of chicken eggs is a global industry. In 2009, an estimated 62.1 million metric tons of eggs were produced worldwide from a total laying flock of approximately 6.4 billion hens. There are issues of regional variation in demand and expectation, as well as current debates concerning methods of mass production. In 2012, the European Union banned battery husbandry of chickens.

Luchi

Luchi

Luchi is a deep-fried flatbread, made of maida flour. Luchi is popular in India and in Bangladesh. Since luchi is made without rice or rice flour, it is a popular staple item at times when rice is to be avoided for ritual purposes, as in the case of ekadashi. Luchi is often paired with vegetarian dishes such as aloor dum or ghugni, or with mutton curry.

Masala chai

Masala chai

Masala chai is a popular beverage originating from South Asia. It is made by brewing black tea (usually crush, tear, curl) in milk and water, and then by sweetening with sugar. Adding aromatic herbs and spices creates masala chai. The term chai originated from the Chinese word for tea, cha (see Etymology of tea) via the Hindi chai (चाय). In English, this spiced tea is commonly referred to as chai tea, or simply chai. Originating in India, the beverage has gained worldwide popularity, becoming a feature in many coffee and teahouses, with many using the term chai latte or chai tea latte for their version to indicate that it is made with steamed milk, much like that used to make a latte but mixed with a spiced tea concentrate instead of espresso.

Nihari

Nihari

Nihari is a stew originating in Lucknow, the capital of 18th-century Awadh under the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent. It consists of slow-cooked meat, mainly a shank cut of beef, lamb and mutton, or goat meat, as well as chicken and bone marrow. It is flavoured with long pepper (pippali), a relative of black pepper. In Pakistan and Bangladesh, nihari is often served and consumed with naan. The name nihari originates from Arabic nahâr (نهار), meaning "morning"; it was originally eaten by nawabs in the Mughal Empire as a breakfast course following Fajr prayer.

Panta bhat

Panta bhat

Panta Bhat or Poita Bhat consists of cooked rice soaked and fermented eggs in water. The liquid part is known as Toraṇi in Odia. It is a rice-based dish prepared by soaking rice, generally leftover, in water overnight. Traditionally served in the morning with salt, onion, chili and Aloo Makha/Alu Pitika (mashed potato). It is consumed in eastern Indian states of West Bengal, Odisha (Pakhala), Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Tripura and in the country of Bangladesh. Panta Bhat with Ilish (Hilsha) is the National Dish of Bangladesh. It is a popular dish on the day of Pahela Baishakh or Bengali new year. It has been described in documents from 17th century. Panta bhat has more micronutrients than fresh rice. It is traditionally considered as beneficial in conditions. Anthropologist Tapan Kumar Sanyal, argues that proto-Australoid people in parts of South Asia resorted to eating the panta bhat because they cooked once a day, in the evening. Fray Sebastien Manrique reported from his visit of Bengal in 17th century that the people of all communities, according to Manrique, were contented then with the daily meal of rice, often panta bhat, salt and green vegetable (shak). The better-off elements of the society consumed ghee, butter, milk and various lacteous preparations and sweetmeats. Rice researcher Mahabub Hossain of International Rice Research Institute explains that in the past, people engaged in farm work preferred bold and brown rice which is more suited for watered rice, and also provides more nutrition. But, as more people shifted to urban centers the demand for farm work, brown rice and watered rice decreased. In these times of polished rice, the popularity of rice varieties like Lal Swarna and White Swarna is often driven by their suitability for panta bhat.

Porota

Porota

Paratha is a flatbread native to the Indian subcontinent, with earliest reference mentioned in early medieval Sanskrit, India; prevalent throughout the modern-day countries of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Mauritius, Fiji, Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago where wheat is the traditional staple. It is one of the most popular flatbreads in the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East. Paratha is an amalgamation of the words parat and atta, which literally means layers of cooked dough. Alternative spellings and names include parantha, parauntha, prontha, parontay, paronthi (Punjabi), porota (in Bengali), paratha (in Odia, Urdu, Hindi), palata ( pronounced [pəlàtà]; in Myanmar), porotha (in Assamese), forota (in Chittagonian and Sylheti), faravatha (in Bhojpuri), farata (in Mauritius and the Maldives), prata (in Southeast Asia), paratha, buss-up shut, oil roti (in the Anglophone Caribbean) and roti canai in Malaysia and Indonesia. The word paratha is derived from Sanskrit (S. पर, or परा+स्थः, or स्थितः). Recipes for various stuffed wheat puran polis (which Achaya (2003) describes as parathas) are mentioned in Manasollasa, a 12th-century Sanskrit encyclopedia compiled by Someshvara III, a Western Chalukya king, who ruled from present-day Karnataka, India. References to paratha have also been mentioned by Nijjar (1968), in his book Panjāb under the Sultāns, 1000–1526 AD when he writes that parathas were common with the nobility and aristocracy in the Punjab.

Tea

Tea

Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of south-western China and northern Myanmar. Tea is also made, but rarely, from the leaves of Camellia taliensis. After plain water, tea is the most widely consumed drink in the world. There are many different types of tea; some have a cooling, slightly bitter, and astringent flavour, while others have profiles that include sweet, nutty, floral, or grassy notes. Tea has a stimulating effect in humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. An early credible record of tea drinking dates to the third century AD, in a medical text written by Chinese physician Hua Tuo. It was popularised as a recreational drink during the Chinese Tang dynasty, and tea drinking subsequently spread to other East Asian countries. Portuguese priests and merchants introduced it to Europe during the 16th century. During the 17th century, drinking tea became fashionable among the English, who started to plant tea on a large scale in British India.

Balushahi

Balushahi

Makhan Bada is a traditional dessert originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is also known as Balusaahi and is similar to a glazed doughnut in terms of Ingredients, but differs in texture and taste. Makhan Bada also resembles Rajasthani Baati in terms of size and preparation but its shape is more similar to Medu Vada. In South India, a similar pastry is known as badusha. Makhan Badas are made of maida flour and are deep-fried in clarified butter and then dipped in sugar syrup.

Basbousa

Basbousa

Basbousa is a sweet, syrup-soaked semolina dessert that is typically associated with cuisines of Egyptian cuisine, Similar but slightly different dishes are also popular in the wider region. The semolina batter is baked in a sheet pan, then sweetened with sugar syrup and typically cut into diamond (lozenge) shapes or squares. The Oxford Companion to Food (3rd edition) suggests that basbousa might have developed from a dish called ma'mounia, which was created around the 10th century. Ma'mounia was made by cooking rice in fat and syrup. This recipe was later adapted to use semolina, with the batter being cooked first and then soaked in syrup. Another take on its origin suggests that basbousa was first made during the 16th century in the Ottoman Empire, likely in what is modern-day Turkey, to celebrate the conquest of Armenia.

Chhena jalebi

Chhena jalebi

Chhena jalebi or Chhena jilapi is a sweet dish originally from the eastern state of Odisha in the Indian subcontinent. It is a dessert made from chhena. It is popular in Odisha, West Bengal, Bangladesh and other eastern regions of the Indian subcontinent. Chhena jilapi are made in a manner very similar to regular jalebis which are popular throughout India. However, the basic ingredient is fresh curd cheese called chhenna. Fresh chhena is thoroughly kneaded and rolled up into shapes similar to pretzels, before being deep fried. The fully fried chhena pretzels are then soaked in a sugary syrup. Chhena jilapis are served either hot or chilled.

Chhena kheeri

Chhena kheeri

Chhena kheeri is a sweet dish originally from coastal Odisha in eastern India. Chhena kheeri is made by deep-frying cubes of chhena cheese. Although typically ghee is used as the frying medium, chefs frequently substitute this with vegetable oil. The cubes are added to milk and sugar, and boiled further until some of the milk evaporates and the dish acquires a thicker consistency, to form a rabdi. The mixture is seasoned with cardamom and nuts before being served.

Chhena poda

Chhena poda

Chhena poda is a cheese dessert from the Indian state of Odisha. Chhena poda literally means Baked Cheese in Odia. It is made of well-kneaded homemade fresh cheese chhena, sugar, semolina, and is baked for several hours until it browns. Chhena poda is known as one of the Indian dessert whose flavor is predominantly derived from the caramelisation of sugar. Chhenapoda was invented by Sudarsan Sahu post 1947 after he set up a hotel in the village of Dashapalla and began experimenting with left over cottage cheese.

Chomchom

Chomchom

Cham cham, Chomchom or chum chum is a traditional Bengali sweet, popular throughout the Indian subcontinent. The sweet comes in a variety of colours, mainly light pink, light yellow, and white. It is made from chickpeas and coated with coconut or mawa flakes as a garnish. Chomchom originated from Tangail District. Chamcham, an oval-shaped brownish variety of chomchom from Porabari in Tangail District of modern-day Bangladesh, dates back to the mid-19th century. The unique taste has been attributed to the water in Porabari. Jagadish Mishtanno Bhandar in Khustia District makes a version known as Maowar Chomchom.

Falooda

Falooda

A falooda is a Mughlai cold dessert made with vermicelli. It has origins in the Persian dish faloodeh, variants of which are found across West, Central, South and Southeast Asia. Traditionally it is made by mixing rose syrup, vermicelli, and sweet basil seeds with milk, often served with ice cream. The vermicelli used for preparing falooda is made from wheat, arrowroot, cornstarch, or sago. The origin of falooda goes back to Iran , where a similar dessert, faloodeh, is still popular. The dessert came to late Medieval India with the many Central Asian dynasties that invaded and settled in South Asia in the 16th to 18th century. The present form of falooda was developed in the Mughal Empire and spread with its conquests. The Persianate rulers who succeeded from the Mughals patronized the dessert with their own adaptations, specifically in Hyderabad Deccan and the Carnatic areas of present-day India. This beverage is now a part of Pakistani cuisine, Afghan cuisine, Burmese cuisine, Indian cuisine, Bangladeshi cuisine and Sri Lankan cuisine and is served on weddings and other occasions. In Sri Lanka, Falooda (ෆලුඩා / ஃபலூடா) is often consumed as a popular dairy refreshment.

Firni

Firni

Kheer, also known as payasam or payesh, is a pudding or porridge popular in the Indian subcontinent, usually made by boiling milk, sugar or jaggery, and rice. It can be additionally flavoured with dried fruits, nuts, cardamom and saffron. Instead of rice, it may contain cracked wheat, vermicelli , sago or tapioca (sabudana). In Southern India, it is known as payasam and it is made in various ways. The most popular versions are the ones made with rice and vermicelli (semiya).

Halva

Halva

Halva is a type of confectionery that is widely spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa, the Balkans, Central Asia, and South Asia. The name is used for a broad variety of recipes, generally a thick paste made from flour, butter, liquid oil, saffron, rosewater, milk, turmeric powder, and sweetened with sugar. The word halva entered the English language between 1840 and 1850 from Romanian, which came from Ottoman Turkish: حلوى, romanized: helva, itself ultimately derived from Arabic: حلوى, romanized: ḥalwā, a sweet confection. The root in Arabic: ح ل و, romanized: ḥ-l-w, means "sweet". The original name for the confection was Persian: روغن خورديگ, romanized: rōɣn khordīg, meaning "oil food".

Imarti

Imarti

Imarti is an Indian sweet made by deep-frying a batter prepared with black gram flour in a circular, flower-like shape, and then soaking it in sugar syrup Alternative names for the Imarti include Amitti, Amriti, Emarti, Omritti, Jahangir and Jhangiri/Jaangiri. This dish is similar to the jalebi, which is thinner and sweeter than Imarti. The Imarti is a popular Iftar food in Bangladesh, while in India, Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh is famous for its imartis.

Jaggery

Jaggery

Jaggery is a traditional non-centrifugal cane sugar consumed in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, North America, Central America, Brazil and Africa. It is a concentrated product of cane juice and often date or palm sap without separation of the molasses and crystals, and can vary from golden brown to dark brown in colour. It contains up to 50% sucrose, up to 20% invert sugars, and up to 20% moisture, with the remainder made up of other insoluble matter, such as wood ash, proteins, and bagasse fibres. Jaggery is very similar to muscovado, an important sweetener in Portuguese, British and French cuisine. Jaggery comes from Portuguese terms jágara, jagra, borrowed from Malayalam ശർക്കര , which is borrowed from Sanskrit शर्करा (śarkarā). It is a doublet of sugar.

Jalebi

Jalebi

Jalebi [a] is a popular sweet snack in the Indian subcontinent, West Asia and some parts of Africa. It goes by many names, including jilapi, zelepi, jilebi, jilipi, zulbia, zoolbia, jerry, mushabak, z'labia, or zalabia. The south Asian variety is made by deep-frying maida flour batter in pretzel or circular shapes, which are then soaked in sugar syrup. Jalebi is eaten with curd or rabri (in North India) along with optional other flavors such as kewra (scented water).

Kacha golla

Kacha golla

Sweet balls made with chenna, condensed milk, sugar and cardamom

Khaja

Khaja

Khaja or Khajuri is an Indian deep-fried pastry, commonly filled with fruit or soaked with sugar syrup. Khaja, plain or sweet mentioned in Silao, was a wheat flour preparation fried in ghee similar to Chandrakala, a flaky dessert from South India. Khaja is believed to have originated from the eastern parts of the former state of Magadh and the former United Provinces and Magadh. Silao, Nalanda districts of Bihar, and is also native to state of Magadh as well as regions like Kutch and Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Refined wheat flour with sugar is made into layered dough, with or without dry fruit or other stuffing, and lightly fried in oil to make khaja. In his 1872–1873 expedition to Silao, renowned British archaeologist Joseph David Beglar, talks about the sweet that dates back to King Vikramaditya and describes the sweetmeat. There is a famous folk tale that the Lord Buddha was offered Silao Khaja as he traveled through Silao on his way from Rajgir to Nalanda. There are Buddhist sites nearby Silao.

Kheer

Kheer

Kheer, also known as payasam or payesh, is a pudding or porridge popular in the Indian subcontinent, usually made by boiling milk, sugar or jaggery, and rice. It can be additionally flavoured with dried fruits, nuts, cardamom and saffron. Instead of rice, it may contain cracked wheat, vermicelli , sago or tapioca (sabudana). In Southern India, it is known as payasam and it is made in various ways. The most popular versions are the ones made with rice and vermicelli (semiya).

Khira sagara

Khira sagara

Sweetened milk dessert with small balls of chhena cheese

Kulfi

Kulfi

Kulfi is a frozen dairy dessert from the Indian subcontinent. It is often described as "traditional Indian ice cream". Kulfi originated in 16th-century Delhi during the Mughal era. It is part of the national cuisines of India and Pakistan.[citation needed] It is also popular in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Middle East.[better source needed]

Kurkuri

Kurkuri

Deep-fried pastry

Laddu

Laddu

Laddu or laddoo is a spherical sweet from the Indian subcontinent made of various ingredients and sugar syrup or jaggery. It has been described as "perhaps the most universal and ancient of Indian sweets." Laddus are often served during celebrations and religious festivals, especially those associated with the Hindu deity Ganesha.

Langcha

Langcha

Lyangcha, Langcha , or Lemcha, is an Indian sweet dish prepared in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, Assam, Tripura and also throughout Bangladesh. It is made from flour and milk powder by frying it and dipping it into sugar syrup for a long time. The origin of the sweet is in Bardhaman, West Bengal, India. The Government of West Bengal has begun the process of registering Geographical indication (GI) for Lyangcha. Traditionally, lyangcha is made from khoya (a form of solid milk). But due to the unavailability of khoya at times, often milk powder is used instead of it. Lyancha is made from flour, milk powder. The flour and milk powder is mixed thoroughly with soda and water and made into a dough. Ghee is added making the dough at constant intervals. Mixed well, the dough is kept untouched for few hours. Then the dough is divided into cylindrical shaped pieces with hand. The cylindrical pieces are then deep-fried in oil until a brown crust is formed around and they turn stiff and hard. The fried cylindrical pieces are then boiled into the sugar syrup. Once done, they are brought back to a tub containing cold rose-flavored or elaichi flavored sugar syrup. Kept for few hours untouched, these hard pieces become soft and juicy, ready to be served on the plates.

Malpua

Malpua

Malpua, or sometimes shortened to pua, is a sweetened breakfast served with morning tea or as a snack with evening tea or as a dessert originating from Eastern South Asia, popular in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. Barley was the most prolific grain eaten by the Aryans of the Vedic period. One preparation was a sweet cake called malpua, where barley flour was either fried in ghee or boiled in water, and then dipped in honey. Malpua preserves both the name and the essentials of this preparation. In South Indian states such as Tamil Nadu, the same dish is also known as Adhirasam.

Mihidana

Mihidana

Mihidana is an Indian sweet from Burdwan, West Bengal, India. Mihidana, described as the micro cousin of the traditional Boondi, is derived from two words, Mihi meaning fine, and Dana, meaning grain. According to Late Nagendranath Nag, his grand-father Late Khettranath Nag first invented special Sitabhog and Mihidana in Bardhaman during the regime of Maharaja Late Mahatabchand Bahadur. Seventy two years after this invention, the name of Sitabhog and Mihidana earned its reputation all over India after the arrival of Lord Curzon in Bardhaman and his appraisal for these two sweets. On invitation of Maharaja Vijaychand Mahatab, Lord Curzon visited Bardhaman on 19 August 1904. To memorize the welcome lunch of Lord Curzon, Maharaja ordered Vairabchandra Nag, a sweet-maker of the town, to prepare something new and unique which would amaze the Lord. Vairabchandra Nag undertook the responsibility and introduced two new preparations named Sitabhog and Mihidana. Lord Curzon was surprised to have such unique sweets and praised and thanked Vairabchandra Nag in the certificate given to him saying he never had such sweet ever before. Thereafter, the quality and name of these two sweets reached all over the country and abroad. Late Nagendranath Nag, son of Late Vairabchandra Nag, broadcast this incident in Radio on 15 November 1976.

Mishti doi

Mishti doi

Mishti doi is a fermented sweet doi (yogurt) originating from the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent and common in the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura, Assam's Barak Valley, and in the nation of Bangladesh. It is made with milk and sugar or jaggery. It differs from the plain yogurt because of the technique of preparation. There are many variations of mishti doi according to their popularity. Sweet curd of Nabadwip, Kolkata, Bogra, etc are very popular. Mishti doi is prepared by boiling milk until it is slightly thickened, sweetening it with sugar, either gura (brown sugar) or khejur gura (date molasses), and allowing the milk to ferment overnight. Earthenware is always used as the container for making mitha dahi because the gradual evaporation of water through its porous walls not only further thickens the yoghurt, but also produces the right temperature for the growth of the culture. Very often the yoghurt is delicately seasoned with a pinch of cardamom for fragrance. Baked yogurt is a similar preparation in the West.[citation needed]

Monda

Monda

Sweet confection made with channa and sugar

Nolen gurer ice cream

Nolen gurer ice cream

Date palm jaggery ice cream

Pantua

Pantua

Pantua is a local confection from the Indian subcontinent, notable in West Bengal, Eastern India and Bangladesh. It is a traditional Bengali sweet made of deep-fried balls of semolina, chhena, milk, ghee and sugar syrup. Pantuas range in colour from pale brown to nearly black depending on how long they are fried. Rose water, cardamom or other flavourings are sometimes added to the sweet. Pantua is very similar to the cheese-based fried sweet ledikeni. The distinctive feature of ledikeni is its molten sugar syrup of lightly flavored cardamom powder. The name ledikeni is a rendition of "Lady Canning" and was first used by confectioner Bhim Chandra Nag, when he renamed his pantuas specially prepared on the occasion of the birthday of Countess Charlotte Canning, wife of Governor-General Charles Canning. A sweet very similar to the modern pantua and ledikeni, but made of rice flour, is mentioned in the 12th century Sanskrit-language text Manasollasa.

Patishapta

Patishapta

A crêpe or crepe is a dish made from unleavened batter or dough that is cooked on a frying pan or a griddle. Crêpes are usually one of two varieties: sweet crêpes (crêpes sucrées) or savoury galettes (crêpes salées). They are often served with a wide variety of fillings such as cheese, fruit, vegetables, meats, and a variety of spreads. Crêpes can also be flambéed, such as in crêpes Suzette. The French term "crêpe" derives from crispa, the feminine version of the Latin word crispus, which means "curled, wrinkled, having curly hair."

Payesh

Payesh

Kheer, also known as payasam or payesh, is a pudding or porridge popular in the Indian subcontinent, usually made by boiling milk, sugar or jaggery, and rice. It can be additionally flavoured with dried fruits, nuts, cardamom and saffron. Instead of rice, it may contain cracked wheat, vermicelli , sago or tapioca (sabudana). In Southern India, it is known as payasam and it is made in various ways. The most popular versions are the ones made with rice and vermicelli (semiya).

Pitha

Pitha

Pithas (Bhojpuri: 𑂣𑂲𑂘𑂰, romanized: Pēthā) are a variety of food similar to pancakes, dumplings or fritters, originating from India and Bangladesh. Pitha can be sweet or savoury, and usually made from a dough or batter, which is then steamed, fried or griddled. Very few varieties are oven-baked or boiled, and most are unleavened and cooked on a stovetop (or equivalent). Some versions may have a filling, garnish, or sauce. Few may be set or shaped after cooking. They are typically eaten as a snack with chai, or as treats during special occasions (similar to mithai). Pitha is especially popular in Bangladesh and the eastern Indian states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh (eastern parts), West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, the South Indian state of Kerala, and the Northeast Indian states, especially Assam. Pithas are typically made of rice flour, although there are some types of pitha made of wheat flour. Less common types of pitha are made of palm or ol (a local root vegetable). Pithas are primarily made from a batter of rice flour or wheat flour, which is shaped and optionally filled with sweet or savory ingredients. When filled, the pitha's pouch is called a khol (literally "container") and the fillings are called pur.

Rabri

Rabri

Rabri (Hindi: रबड़ी) is a sweet, condensed-milk-based dish, originating from the Indian subcontinent, made by boiling milk on low heat for a long time until it becomes dense and changes its colour to off-white or pale yellow. Jaggery, spices, and nuts are added to it to give it flavor. It is chilled and served as dessert. Rabri is the main ingredient in several desserts, such as rasabali, chhena kheeri, and khira sagara. A similar dish goes by the name Basundi.

Ras malai

Ras malai

Ras malai, also known as rasamalei, or roshmalai, is a dessert that originated in the Bengal region of Indian subcontinent. The dessert is called roshmalai in Bengali, ras malai in Hindi, and rasa malei in Odia. It is popular in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. The original term for ras malai is "rosh malai which derived from the Classical Bengali word "rosho malai" with the same meaning.

Rasabali

Rasabali

Rasabali is a sweet dish from Odisha, India. It consists of deep fried flattened reddish brown patties of chhena (farmer cheese) that are soaked in thickened, sweetened milk (rabri). Flattening the chhena into palm-sized patties is done in order to allow them to absorb the milk more readily. The thickened milk is also usually lightly seasoned with crushed cardamom pods. Rasabali is offered to Baladevjew, and originated in the Baladevjew Temple of Kendrapara. It is one of the Chapana bhoga of Puri's Jagannath Temple. It received a GI tag on 3 October 2023.

Roshogolla

Roshogolla

Rasgulla [a] is a syrupy dessert popular in the eastern part of South Asia. It is made from ball-shaped dumplings of chhena dough, cooked in light sugar syrup. This is done until the syrup permeates the dumplings. While it is near-universally agreed upon that the dessert originated in the eastern Indian subcontinent, the exact locus of origin is disputed between locations such as West Bengal, and Odisha, where it is offered at the Puri Jagannath Temple.

Sandesh

Sandesh

Sandesh is a dessert, originating from the Bengal region in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent, created with milk and sugar. Some recipes of sandesh call for the use of chhena or paneer (which is made by curdling the milk and separating the whey from it) instead of milk itself. Some people in the region of Dhaka make a variety of sandesh called pranahara (literally 'heart stealer') which is softer and made with mawa and yogurt. The Gupo/Gufo style of sandesh from Guptipara is considered by some to be the "first branded sweet of Bengal". A sweet dish by the name sandesh is mentioned in medieval Bengali literature, including Krittibas' Ramayana and lyrics of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. However, the ingredients of this original dish are not known. This dish was most likely made of solidified kheer, thus being different from the modern chhena-based sandesh. It is hard to determine when exactly sandesh started referring mainly to the chhena-based sweet instead of the kheer-based sweet. However, it is known that by the second half of the 19th century, sandesh commonly referred to the chhena-based sweet.

Soan papdi

Soan papdi

Soan papdi , also known as san papri, shompapri, sohan papdi, shonpapdi is a popular dessert in the Indian subcontinent. It is made of gram flour (besan), all-purpose flour, ghee, sugar and milk. It is usually cube-shaped or served as flakes, and has a crisp and flaky texture. Traditionally sold loose in rolled paper cones, modern industrial production has led to it being sold in the form of tightly formed cubes. Soan papdi has no confirmed origin, but one hypothesis is that it originated in the western state of Maharashtra, India. According to culinary anthropologist Kurush F Dalal, Soan papdi is a Persian dish, the word "soan" has a Persian origin and the name comes from the term sohan pashmaki. San Papdi as is it's called in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, "san" means fibres that the sweet contains. Other speculation about it's origin ranges from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab to West Bengal. It bears some resemblance to the Dragon's beard candy in China, Kkul-tarae in Korea, and Persian pashmaki, which gave rise to the Turkish pişmaniye. Its main ingredients are sugar, gram flour, flour, ghee, almond, milk, and cardamom.

Zerde

Zerde

Zerde is a traditional Iraqi, Mesopotamian dessert. The original rice pudding, infused with a generous amount of saffron giving it a vibrant yellow hue and a delicate floral flavour. This is a festive dish popular at weddings, births, and during holy festivities such as the first Sunday of the month of Sha'aban celebrating the birth of the prophet Zechariah, and the first ten days of the sacred month of Muharram. Zer, which means gold and or yellow, comes from Persian zard which means yellow. In some regions of Turkey, Zerdeçal Turmeric also added for a more intense colour. Zerde is very popular and has made its way to western Turkey with people immigrating to west at Eastern Thrace, which provides almost the half of country's rice production, zerde is a favored dessert. Flavoring ingredients of zerde vary slightly from region to region in Turkey depending on the local fruits.

Akher rosh

Akher rosh

Drink made from sugarcane syrup

Black coffee

Black coffee

Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially available. There are also various coffee substitutes. Typically served hot, coffee has the highest sales in the world market for hot drinks. Coffee production begins when the seeds from coffee cherries are separated to produce unroasted green coffee beans. The "beans" are roasted and then ground into fine particles. Coffee is brewed from the ground roasted beans, which are typically steeped in hot water before being filtered out. It is usually served hot, although chilled or iced coffee is common. Coffee can be prepared and presented in a variety of ways (e.g., espresso, French press, caffè latte, or already-brewed canned coffee). Sugar, sugar substitutes, milk, and cream are often added to mask the bitter taste or enhance the flavor.

Borhani

Borhani

Borhani is a traditional yogurt-like drink from Bangladesh. Borhani is made from sour doi, green chili, mustard seeds, black salt, coriander and mint. It is considered by some to be a type of lassi. It is very commonly consumed in Dhaka and Chittagong regions of Bangladesh, where it is served in special events such as weddings and iftar gatherings in Ramadan. It is normally drank after heavy meals such as biryani, morog polao and tehari to aid digestion although appetizer borhanis do exist. The origin of the name of the drink is unknown. However, the word is most likely to have derived from the Persian term Borani (Persian: بورانی), which denotes a dish made of yogurt and greens.

Chai

Chai

Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of south-western China and northern Myanmar. Tea is also made, but rarely, from the leaves of Camellia taliensis. After plain water, tea is the most widely consumed drink in the world. There are many different types of tea; some have a cooling, slightly bitter, and astringent flavour, while others have profiles that include sweet, nutty, floral, or grassy notes. Tea has a stimulating effect in humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. An early credible record of tea drinking dates to the third century AD, in a medical text written by Chinese physician Hua Tuo. It was popularised as a recreational drink during the Chinese Tang dynasty, and tea drinking subsequently spread to other East Asian countries. Portuguese priests and merchants introduced it to Europe during the 16th century. During the 17th century, drinking tea became fashionable among the English, who started to plant tea on a large scale in British India.

Coconut milk

Coconut milk

Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food ingredient used in Southeast Asia, Oceania, South Asia, and East Africa. It is also used for cooking in the Caribbean, Central America, northern parts of South America and West Africa, where coconuts were introduced during the colonial era. Coconut milk is differentiated into subtypes based on fat content. They can be generalized into coconut cream with the highest amount of fat; coconut milk (or thin coconut milk) with a maximum of around 20% fat; and coconut skim milk with negligible amounts of fat. This terminology is not always followed in commercial coconut milk sold in Western countries.

Falooda

Falooda

A falooda is a Mughlai cold dessert made with vermicelli. It has origins in the Persian dish faloodeh, variants of which are found across West, Central, South and Southeast Asia. Traditionally it is made by mixing rose syrup, vermicelli, and sweet basil seeds with milk, often served with ice cream. The vermicelli used for preparing falooda is made from wheat, arrowroot, cornstarch, or sago. The origin of falooda goes back to Iran , where a similar dessert, faloodeh, is still popular. The dessert came to late Medieval India with the many Central Asian dynasties that invaded and settled in South Asia in the 16th to 18th century. The present form of falooda was developed in the Mughal Empire and spread with its conquests. The Persianate rulers who succeeded from the Mughals patronized the dessert with their own adaptations, specifically in Hyderabad Deccan and the Carnatic areas of present-day India. This beverage is now a part of Pakistani cuisine, Afghan cuisine, Burmese cuisine, Indian cuisine, Bangladeshi cuisine and Sri Lankan cuisine and is served on weddings and other occasions. In Sri Lanka, Falooda (ෆලුඩා / ஃபலூடா) is often consumed as a popular dairy refreshment.

Ghol

Ghol

Sweetened buttermilk

Horlicks

Horlicks

Horlicks is a British sweet malted milk hot drink powder developed by founders James and William Horlick. It was first sold as "Horlick's Infant and Invalids Food", soon adding "aged and travellers" to their label. In the early 20th century, it was sold as a powdered meal replacement drink mix. 'Night starvation' was a fictitious condition invented by Horlicks as an advertising gimmick that was supposedly relieved if a mug of the malt drink was consumed before bedtime. In the song "Goodness gracious me!", the doctor mentions night starvation as one of the many possible ailments that his wealthy Italian patient (played by Sophia Loren) might be suffering from, when in fact the trouble is that they are both lovesick.

Jeera pani

Jeera pani

Cumin-flavored water

Khejur er rosh

Khejur er rosh

Date palm juice or Date palm sap or Khejur Ras is sweet sap extracted from the Date Palm trees of Bengal in winter. It contains high natural sugars and various nutrients. The sap is usually collected early in the morning in containers and consumed fresh, often within hours of collection to preserve its natural sweetness and delicate flavor. It is a habitat of a diverse range of microbial species mostly lactic acid bacteria such as Leuconostoc and Lactobacillus which are usually known as beneficial microbes. Bangladesh produces around 20,000 tonnes of date molasses in each year. And Kalkini Upazila region in Bangladesh, is mostly famous for its Date Juice and Date Molasses/Gur.

Laban

Laban

The term Leben, variously laban, liben, lben // ⓘ in the Middle East and North Africa, refers to a food or beverage of fermented milk. Generally, there are two main products known as leben: The yogurt variant for the Levant region and the buttermilk variant for parts of Arabia and North Africa (Maghreb). Leben can be served at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Leben as a drink is traditionally prepared by letting milk ferment for around 24 hours, then churning and removing the butter. The remaining buttermilk can keep for several days at room temperature. In modern times, it is produced industrially.[citation needed] Leben in parts of the Middle East is traditionally prepared by boiling milk, usually whole milk, then adding yogurt (or previously made, left over/store-bought leben), and then cooled overnight.[citation needed]

Lassi

Lassi

Lassi is a yogurt–based beverage with a smoothie-like consistency. It has been called "the most popular and traditional yogurt-based drink" in India. It has also been described as the form in which yogurt "is most cherished and unbeatably popular in [...] Punjab", its "best-loved summer drink", and "the air conditioner of the Punjab".

Lime juice

Lime juice

A lime is a citrus fruit, which is typically round, lime green in colour, 3–6 centimetres in diameter, and contains acidic juice vesicles. There are several species of citrus trees whose fruits are called limes, including the Key lime (Citrus aurantiifolia), Persian lime, kaffir lime, finger lime, blood lime, and desert lime. Limes are a rich source of vitamin C, are sour, and are often used to accent the flavours of foods and beverages. They are grown year-round. Plants with fruit called "limes" have diverse genetic origins; limes do not form a monophyletic group. The term lime originated in other languages (from French lime, from Arabic līma, from Persian līmū, 'lemon').

Masala chai

Masala chai

Masala chai is a popular beverage originating from South Asia. It is made by brewing black tea (usually crush, tear, curl) in milk and water, and then by sweetening with sugar. Adding aromatic herbs and spices creates masala chai. The term chai originated from the Chinese word for tea, cha (see Etymology of tea) via the Hindi chai (चाय). In English, this spiced tea is commonly referred to as chai tea, or simply chai. Originating in India, the beverage has gained worldwide popularity, becoming a feature in many coffee and teahouses, with many using the term chai latte or chai tea latte for their version to indicate that it is made with steamed milk, much like that used to make a latte but mixed with a spiced tea concentrate instead of espresso.

Rice milk

Rice milk

Rice milk is a plant milk made from rice. Commercial rice milk is typically manufactured using brown rice and brown rice syrup, and may be sweetened using sugar or sugar substitutes, and flavored by common ingredients, such as vanilla. It is commonly fortified with protein and micronutrients, such as vitamin B12, calcium, iron, or vitamin D. The exact origin of rice milk is uncertain. In 1914, Maria M. Gilbert gave a recipe for rice milk in her book Meatless Cookery, which was the earliest known use of the term. In 1921, the first rice milk factory was built by the Vita Rice Products Co., launching Vita Rice Milk the same year in San Francisco, California. In 1990, Rice Dream was launched by Imagine Foods of Palo Alto, California in Tetra Pak cartons, becoming the first widely popular rice milk. Rice milk is 89% water, 9% carbohydrates, 1% fat, and contains negligible protein (table). A 100 ml reference amount provides 47 calories, and – if purposely fortified during manufacturing – 26% of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin B12 (table). It also supplies calcium (12% DV; fortified) and manganese (13% DV; fortified) in moderate amounts, but otherwise is low in micronutrients.

Rooh afza

Rooh afza

Rooh Afza is a drink which is a concentrated squash. It was formulated in 1906 by Hakim Abdul Hameed and introduced by Hakim Hafiz Abdul Majeed, and launched from Old Delhi, British India. Currently, Rooh Afza is manufactured by the companies founded by him and his sons, including Hamdard India (the parent company), as well as Hamdard Laboratories (Waqf) Pakistan and Hamdard Laboratories (Waqf) Bangladesh. Since 1948, the company has been manufacturing the product in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Other companies formulate the same un-patented recipe in these countries as well. The specific Unani recipe of Rooh Afza combines several ingredients popularly believed to be cooling agents, such as rose, which is used as a remedy for loo (the hot summer winds of Northern India and Pakistan and Bangladesh). The drink is commonly associated with the month of Ramadan, in which it is usually consumed during iftar. It is sold commercially as a syrup to flavour sherbets, cold milk drinks, ices, and cold desserts such as the popular falooda. The name Rooh Afza is sometimes translated as "refresher of the soul". It is said that this name was made up by the original formulator of the drink, with possible cultural influences.

Seven color tea

Seven color tea

Seven-colour tea or seven-layer tea is a Bangladeshi beverage comprising layers of different teas. Tea is made in multiple permutations of concentration, tea leaf variety and adjuncts such as milk, sugar and flavourings and when combined separates according to density. Each layer contrasts in colour and taste, ranging from syrupy sweet to spicy clove. The result is an alternating dark/light band pattern throughout the drink, giving the tea its name. Romesh Ram Gour, the operator of a tea shop in Srimongol, Moulvibazar, claims to have devised the drink. It has been widely imitated throughout Bangladesh, with varying numbers of layers.

Sugarcane juice

Sugarcane juice

Sugarcane juice is the liquid extracted from pressed sugarcane. It is consumed as a beverage in many places, especially where sugarcane is commercially grown, such as Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, North Africa, mainly Egypt, and also in South America, especially Brazil. Sugarcane juice is obtained by crushing peeled sugarcane in a mill and is one of the main precursors of rum. In the United States, where processed sugarcane syrup is used as a sweetener in food and beverage manufacturing, "evaporated cane juice" is considered by the Food and Drug Administration to be a misleading term for "sugar" on product labels because the FDA regards "juice" as a liquid derived from fruits or vegetables; the preferred term is "cane sugar". There are some diseases that can be transmitted by raw sugarcane, such as leptospirosis. In Brazil, sugarcane juice has been linked to cases of Chagas disease, as sugarcane can contain traces of its responsible pathogen, Trypanosoma cruzi, left by infected insects if not properly cleaned.

Tea

Tea

Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of south-western China and northern Myanmar. Tea is also made, but rarely, from the leaves of Camellia taliensis. After plain water, tea is the most widely consumed drink in the world. There are many different types of tea; some have a cooling, slightly bitter, and astringent flavour, while others have profiles that include sweet, nutty, floral, or grassy notes. Tea has a stimulating effect in humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. An early credible record of tea drinking dates to the third century AD, in a medical text written by Chinese physician Hua Tuo. It was popularised as a recreational drink during the Chinese Tang dynasty, and tea drinking subsequently spread to other East Asian countries. Portuguese priests and merchants introduced it to Europe during the 16th century. During the 17th century, drinking tea became fashionable among the English, who started to plant tea on a large scale in British India.

Alur dom

Alur dom

Dum aloo , aaloo dam (Awadhi or Bhojpuri: 𑂄𑂪𑂳 𑂠𑂧, romanized: ālō dam) aloo dum (Bengali: আলুর দম, romanized: ālūr dam) or aloo dum (Odia: ଆଳୁ ଦମ, romanized: ālū dam) is an Indian fried potato-based curry dish. The word dum translates to as steam-cooked or slow-cooked, while aloo means potato. It is a part of the traditional Kashmiri Pandit cuisine, from the Kashmir Valley of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Dum aloo is now cooked widely throughout India. There are also Banarasi and Bengali variations. The potatoes, usually smaller ones, are first skinned and deep fried. Kashmiri dum aloo sauce is made with yogurt or khoya, and often includes a cashew nut paste. The Banarasi variation sauce is typically more aromatic and is made from tomatoes and onions. Spices such as red chilies, garlic, ginger, cardamom, and fennel along with other herbs, are added to the sauce. The potatoes are cooked slowly at low flame in the sauce, and can be garnished with coriander. Dum aloo is often paired and served with naan.

Aushak

Aushak

Aushak is an Afghan dish made of pasta dumplings filled with chives, with a (frequently meaty) tomato sauce, topped with yogurt and dried mint. A time-consuming meal to prepare, it is usually served on holidays or at special gatherings. It is similar to mantu, which is also popular in Afghanistan. In contrast to aushak, mantu have a meat filling.

Beef hatkhora

Beef hatkhora

Beef Satkara is a part of Bengali cuisine consisting of rice, satkara citrus, and beef curry. Whilst having its origins in the Sylhet Division of Bangladesh, the dish has now gained popularity across the country and among the British Bangladeshi diaspora in the United Kingdom. At the time of Eid-ul-Adha, it is a famous dish. The presence of a citrus fruit makes the dish unique among Bangladeshi curries in terms of taste and aroma. A soupy variant of the dish is made with the bones of cow feet, and in other variants, the beef is sometimes replaced with fish or other meats. Vegetable oil, cinnamon, cardamom, fenugreek seeds, salt, onions, paste of garlic and ginger, beef chuck, chilli powder, turmeric, ground coriander and cumin, garam masala, satkara peel and a tomato.

Bhaji

Bhaji

A bhaji or bajji is a type of fritter originating in the Indian subcontinent. It is made from spicy hot vegetables, commonly onion, and has several variants. It is a popular snack food in India and is also very popular in Pakistan. It can be found for sale in street-side stalls, especially in tapris and dhabas (on highways). It is also a common starter or side dish in Anglo-Indian cuisine across the United Kingdom. The Guinness World Record for the largest onion bhaji is held by one weighing 175.48 kilograms (386 lb 13+3⁄4 oz) made by Oli Khan and Team of Surma Takeaway Stevenage on 4 February 2020. Outside Southern and Western India, such preparations are often known as pakora. Its variations include the chili bajji, potato bajji, onion bajji, plantain bajji and the bread bajji (or bread pakora). Another version is called bonda (in south India), vada (in Maharashtra) and gota (in Gujarat). Bonda has potato or mixed-vegetable filling while gota is made with green fenugreek leaves.

Bhapa

Bhapa

Steamed and curried food such as fish, shrimp (chingri), vegetables, potatoes, eggs, cottage cheese

Bhapa ilish

Bhapa ilish

Shorshe ilish is a Bengali dish, native to the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent, made from hilsa or Tenualosa ilisha, a type of herring, cooked in mustard gravy. The dish is popular among the people of Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and Assam's Barak valley. The main ingredients are hilsa, white mustard, mustard, mustard oil, green chili, black cumin, turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt. Lime juice and/or coriander leaves may be added for flavor.

Bharta

Bharta

Bhurta, vorta, bhorta, bharta or chokha is a lightly fried mixture of mashed vegetables in the cuisine of the Indian subcontinent. Some variations of this dish are baingan bhurta and aloo bhurta.

Bhat biran

Bhat biran

Fried rice is a dish of cooked rice that has been stir-fried in a wok or a frying pan and is usually mixed with other ingredients such as eggs, vegetables, seafood, or meat. It is often eaten by itself or as an accompaniment to another dish. Fried rice is a popular component of East Asian, Southeast Asian and certain South Asian cuisines, as well as a staple national dish of Indonesia. As a homemade dish, fried rice is typically made with ingredients left over from other dishes, leading to countless variations. Fried rice first developed during the Sui dynasty in China. Many varieties of fried rice have their own specific list of ingredients. In China, common varieties include Yangzhou fried rice and Hokkien fried rice. Japanese chāhan is considered a Japanese Chinese dish, having derived from Chinese fried rice dishes. In Southeast Asia, similarly constructed Indonesian, Malaysian, and Singaporean nasi goreng and Thai khao phat are popular dishes. In the West, most restaurants catering to vegetarians have invented their own varieties of fried rice, including egg fried rice. Fried rice is also seen on the menus of non-Asian countries’ restaurants offering cuisines with no native tradition of the dish. Additionally, the cuisine of some Latin American countries includes variations on fried rice, including Ecuadorian chaulafan, Peruvian arroz chaufa, Cuban arroz frito, and Puerto Rican arroz mamposteao. Fried rice is a common street food in Asia and other parts of the world. In some Asian countries, small restaurants, street vendors and traveling hawkers specialise in serving fried rice. In Indonesian cities it is common to find fried rice street vendors stationing their food carts in busy streets or residential areas. Many Southeast Asian street food stands offer fried rice with a selection of optional garnishes and side dishes.

Bhekti

Bhekti

The barramundi , Asian sea bass, or giant sea perch (also known as dangri, apahap or siakap) is a species of catadromous fish in the family Latidae of the order Carangiformes. The species is widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific, spanning the waters of the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Oceania.

Bhuna khichuri

Bhuna khichuri

Rice pulao with vegetables, meat, eggs, prawns, beans, dry fruit, nuts, spices

Biryani

Biryani

Biryani is a mixed rice dish popular in South Asia, made with rice, meat (chicken, goat, lamb, beef) or seafood (prawns or fish), and spices. To cater to vegetarians, the meat or seafood can be substituted with vegetables or paneer. Sometimes eggs or potatoes are also added. Biryani is one of the most popular dishes among the South Asian diaspora, although the dish is often associated with the region's Muslim population in particular. Similar dishes are also prepared in Iran, Iraq, Myanmar, Thailand, and Malaysia. Biryani is the single most-ordered dish on Indian online food ordering and delivery services, and has been labelled as the most popular dish overall in India.

Bombay duck

Bombay duck

Harpadon nehereus, commonly known as the Bombay duck or bummalo, is a species of lizardfish. Adults may reach a maximum length of 40 cm , but the usual size is around 25 cm (10 in). The small bomelon fish caught in Bombay (now Mumbai) was traditionally coated in asafoetida and dried in the sun, becoming pungent with a strong salty taste. Fried and crumbled, the fish preparation called Bombay duck became a popular condiment in Anglo-Indian cookery.

Catfish

Catfish

Catfish are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia, the wels catfish of Eurasia, and the piraíba of South America, to detritivores (species that eat dead material on the bottom), and even to a tiny parasitic species commonly called the candiru, Vandellia cirrhosa. Neither the armour-plated types nor the naked types have scales. Despite their name, not all catfish have prominent barbels or "whiskers". Members of the Siluriformes order are defined by features of the skull and swimbladder. Catfish are of considerable commercial importance; many of the larger species are farmed or fished for food. Many of the smaller species, particularly the genus Corydoras, are important in the aquarium hobby. Many catfish are nocturnal, but others (many Auchenipteridae) are crepuscular or diurnal (most Loricariidae or Callichthyidae, for example). Molecular evidence suggests that in spite of the great morphological diversity in the order, all catfish form a monophyletic group. Catfish belong to a superorder called the Ostariophysi, which also includes the Cypriniformes (carps and minnows), Characiformes (characins and tetras), Gonorynchiformes (milkfish and beaked salmons) and Gymnotiformes (South American knifefish), a superorder characterized by the Weberian apparatus. Some place Gymnotiformes as a sub-order of Siluriformes; however, this is not as widely accepted. Currently, the Siluriformes are said to be the sister group to the Gymnotiformes, though this has been debated due to more recent molecular evidence. As of 2007[update] there were about thirty-six extant catfish families, and about 3,093 extant species have been described. This makes the catfish order the second or third most diverse vertebrate order; in fact, one out of every twenty vertebrate species is a catfish.

Chanar dalna

Chanar dalna

Potato curry with cottage cheese dumplings

Chicken burger

Chicken burger

A chicken sandwich is a sandwich that typically consists of boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh, served between slices of bread. Variations on the "chicken sandwich" include chicken on a bun, chicken on a Kaiser, hot chicken, or chicken salad sandwich. In the United States, the chicken sandwich usually consists of a chicken filet or patty, toppings and bread. The chicken meat can be deep fried, grilled, roasted or boiled, served hot or cold, and white or dark meat chicken can be used. Shredded chicken in one form or another, such as chicken salad, can also be used in chicken sandwiches. Another form is made with cold cuts. Wrap versions of the sandwich can also be made, in which the ingredients are rolled up inside a flatbread, such as a tortilla. Open-faced versions of the chicken sandwich, which feature hot chicken served with gravy on top of bread, are also common variations. The ongoing competition for market share in the United States in fried chicken sandwiches has demonstrably impacted the fast casual and quick-service restaurant industry. This competition has coincided with a significant rise in the prevalence of fried chicken sandwiches on menus nationwide. As of 2024, 47% of restaurant menus feature fried chicken sandwiches, compared to 41% for burgers. This represents a 10% increase for chicken sandwiches from 2020 to 2021. While burgers may still hold the overall popularity edge, the increasing presence of fried chicken sandwiches on menus suggests a growing consumer demand.

Chicken fried rice

Chicken fried rice

Fried rice is a dish of cooked rice that has been stir-fried in a wok or a frying pan and is usually mixed with other ingredients such as eggs, vegetables, seafood, or meat. It is often eaten by itself or as an accompaniment to another dish. Fried rice is a popular component of East Asian, Southeast Asian and certain South Asian cuisines, as well as a staple national dish of Indonesia. As a homemade dish, fried rice is typically made with ingredients left over from other dishes, leading to countless variations. Fried rice first developed during the Sui dynasty in China. Many varieties of fried rice have their own specific list of ingredients. In China, common varieties include Yangzhou fried rice and Hokkien fried rice. Japanese chāhan is considered a Japanese Chinese dish, having derived from Chinese fried rice dishes. In Southeast Asia, similarly constructed Indonesian, Malaysian, and Singaporean nasi goreng and Thai khao phat are popular dishes. In the West, most restaurants catering to vegetarians have invented their own varieties of fried rice, including egg fried rice. Fried rice is also seen on the menus of non-Asian countries’ restaurants offering cuisines with no native tradition of the dish. Additionally, the cuisine of some Latin American countries includes variations on fried rice, including Ecuadorian chaulafan, Peruvian arroz chaufa, Cuban arroz frito, and Puerto Rican arroz mamposteao. Fried rice is a common street food in Asia and other parts of the world. In some Asian countries, small restaurants, street vendors and traveling hawkers specialise in serving fried rice. In Indonesian cities it is common to find fried rice street vendors stationing their food carts in busy streets or residential areas. Many Southeast Asian street food stands offer fried rice with a selection of optional garnishes and side dishes.

Chicken rezala

Chicken rezala

Stewed chicken curry with yogurt, ginger, garlic, cashews, poppy seeds, cinnamon, chili peppers, cardamom

Chicken roast

Chicken roast

Roast chicken is chicken prepared as food by roasting whether in a home kitchen, over a fire, or with a rotisserie . Generally, the chicken is roasted with its own fat and juices by circulating the meat during roasting, and therefore, are usually cooked exposed to fire or heat with some type of rotary grill so that the circulation of these fats and juices is as efficient as possible. Roast chicken is a dish that appears in a wide variety of cuisines worldwide. Hendl is the Austro-Bavarian word for chicken, most commonly in its roasted form (Brathendl). Another popular form is the fried Backhendl (French: poulet frit à la viennoise) version, a specialty of the Viennese cuisine. The Standard German term is Hähnchen ("cockerel"). In the new states of Germany it is often called Broiler. Hendls are traditionally served in Bavarian beer gardens or at festivals such as Oktoberfest, and are generally eaten with potato salad or a Breze, possibly accompanied by a Maß of beer. They are also widely available from mobile rotisserie trucks that park near well-frequented locations such as supermarkets or large parking lots.

Chingri bhapa

Chingri bhapa

Steamed shrimp in mustard curry

Chingri malai curry

Chingri malai curry

Chingri malai curry or malai chingri, also known as prawn malai curry, is a Bengali curry made from tiger and king prawns (chingri) and coconut milk and flavoured with spices. The dish is popular throughout Bengal and is served during weddings and celebrations, or for guests, and was also very popular among the British in Calcutta.

Chitol

Chitol

Chitala chitala is a knifefish from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan, found in the Brahmaputra, Indus, Ganges and Mahanadi River basins. It is sometimes known as the Indian featherback or Indian knifefish. In the past, it frequently included several related Chitala species, but these are now regarded as separate species. The main species confused with this species is C. ornata (clown featherback or clown knifefish); a Southeast Asian species seen regularly in the aquarium trade. The true C. chitala is very rare in the aquarium trade. C. chitala reaches a maximum length of 122 cm (48 in), but more commonly reaches about 75 cm (30 in). It is overall silvery in color. Unlike all its relatives, it usually has a series of golden or silvery bars along the back, resulting in a faint striped appearance. Additionally, it has a series of fairly small, sometimes indistinct, non-ocellated dark spots towards the far rear of the body (at the "tail"). This separates it from C. ornata, which has ocellated spots (dark spots surrounded by a paler ring) and lacks bars along the back. The two species have frequently been confused.

Choila

Choila

Choila, sometimes Chhwela or Chhoyela is a typical Newari dish that consists of spiced grilled buffalo meat. Though the dish is traditionally popular with water buffalo meat, nowadays mutton, chicken, duck meat and mushroom are also being used. Usually eaten with rice flakes (chiura), this dish is typically very spicy. It is considered a necessary part of the diet in festivals among the Newar community along with several other ingredients. It is also an important ingredient of Samay Baji.

Chop suey

Chop suey

Chop suey is a dish from American Chinese cuisine and other forms of overseas Chinese cuisine, generally consisting of meat (usually chicken, pork, beef, shrimp or fish) and eggs, cooked quickly with vegetables such as bean sprouts, cabbage, and celery, and bound in a starch-thickened sauce. It is typically served with rice, but can become the Chinese-American form of chow mein with the substitution of stir-fried noodles for rice. Chop suey has become a prominent part of American Chinese cuisine, British Chinese cuisine, Filipino Chinese cuisine, Canadian Chinese cuisine, Thai Chinese cuisine, Indian Chinese cuisine, and Polynesian cuisine. In Chinese Indonesian cuisine it is known as cap cai (tjap tjoi) (雜菜, "mixed vegetables") and mainly consists of vegetables. Chop suey is widely believed to have been developed in the U.S. by Chinese Americans. However, the anthropologist E. N. Anderson traces the dish to tsap seui (杂碎, "miscellaneous leftovers"), common in Taishan, Guangdong (Toisan) – the home of many early Chinese immigrants to the United States. Hong Kong doctor Li Shu-fan likewise reported that he knew it in Toisan in the 1890s.

Chor chori

Chor chori

Chaṛachaṛi / Chorchori (Bengali: চচ্চড়ি) is a unique char-flavored mixed vegetable dish of India and Bangladesh, found primarily in Odia and Bengali cuisine of the Indian subcontinent. Chorchori is often cooked with leftover vegetables at the end of the week. The story behind the dish is that in Bengali households, traditionally men would go grocery shopping once a week. At the end of the week, the household would be left with bits of all the vegetables bought earlier in the week. To cook chorchori, a chaunk is prepared by frying spices such as black mustard seeds and minced ginger root in oil or ghee. Often, panch phoron is used. Then, chopped vegetables are added and stir-fried briefly. Water, salt, and more spices are added, and the vegetables are allowed to simmer.

Chow mein

Chow mein

Chow mein is a dish of Chinese stir-fried noodles with vegetables and sometimes meat or tofu. Over the centuries, variations of chǎomiàn were developed in many regions of China; there are several methods of frying the noodles and a range of toppings can be used.[failed verification] It was introduced in other countries by Chinese immigrants. The dish is popular throughout the Chinese diaspora and appears on the menus of most Chinese restaurants abroad. It is particularly popular in India, Nepal, the UK, and the US. 'Chow mein' is the Americanization of the Chinese term chaomian (simplified Chinese: 炒面; traditional Chinese: 炒麵; pinyin: chǎomiàn). Its pronunciation comes from the Cantonese pronunciation "chaomin"; the term first appeared in English (US) in 1906. The term 'chow mein' means 'stir-fried noodles', also loosely translated as "fried noodles" in English, chow (Chinese: 炒; pinyin: chǎo) meaning 'stir-fried' (or "sautéed") and mein (simplified Chinese: 面; traditional Chinese: 麵; pinyin: Miàn) meaning "noodles".

Crab

Crab

Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura , which typically have a very short projecting tail-like abdomen, usually hidden entirely under the thorax.[a] They live in all the world's oceans, in freshwater, and on land. They are generally covered with a thick exoskeleton. They generally have five pairs of legs, and they have pincer claws on the ends of the frontmost pair. They first appeared during the Jurassic period, around 200 million years ago. Crabs are generally covered with a thick exoskeleton, composed primarily of highly mineralized chitin. Behind their pair of chelae (claws) are six walking legs and then two swimming legs. The crab breathes through gills on its underside; gills must be at least moist to work.

Curry

Curry

Curry is a dish with a sauce or gravy seasoned with spices, mainly derived from the interchange of Indian cuisine with European taste in food, starting with the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch and British, and then thoroughly internationalised. Many dishes that would be described as curries in English are found in the native cuisines of countries in Southeast Asia and East Asia. The English word is derived indirectly from some combination of Dravidian words such as the Tamil kaṟi meaning 'sauce' or 'relish for rice'.

Dal bhat

Dal bhat

Dāl bhāt (Bhojpuri:𑂠𑂰𑂪 𑂦𑂰𑂞, Nepali: दाल भात, Hindi: दाल भात, Bengali: ডাল ভাত, Gujarati: દાળ ભાત, Marathi: डाळ भात, Assamese: দাইল ভাত dāil bhat / দালি ভাত dāli bhāt, is a traditional meal from the Indian subcontinent. It was originated exactly in southern part of Nepal which is also called "Terai Region". It consists of steamed rice and a stew of pulses called dal. It is a staple food in these countries. Bhāt or chāwal means "boiled rice" in a number of Indo-Aryan languages. At higher elevations in Nepal, above 6,500 feet , where rice does not grow well, other grains such as maize, buckwheat, barley or millet may be substituted in a cooked preparation called dhindo or atho in Nepal. Bhat may be supplemented with roti in Nepal (rounds of unleavened bread). Dal may be cooked with onion, garlic, ginger, chili, tomatoes, or tamarind, in addition to lentils or beans. It always contains herbs and spices such as coriander, garam masala, cumin, and turmeric. Recipes vary by season, locality, ethnic group and family.

Doi maach

Doi maach

Fish in yogurt curry, serve with rice

Duck

Duck

In cooking and gastronomy, duck or duckling is the meat of several species of bird in the family Anatidae, found in both fresh and salt water. Duck is eaten in many cuisines around the world. It is a high-fat, high-protein meat rich in iron. Duckling nominally comes from a juvenile animal, but may be simply a menu name. One species of freshwater duck, the mallard, has been domesticated; the domesticated duck is a common livestock bird in a variety of cultures. The Pekin duck is another livestock breed of importance, particularly in North America. Magret refers specifically to the breast of a mulard or Muscovy duck that has been force fed to produce foie gras.

Fried chicken

Fried chicken

Fried chicken, also called Southern fried chicken, is a dish consisting of chicken pieces that have been coated with seasoned flour or batter and pan-fried, deep fried, pressure fried, or air fried. The breading adds a crisp coating or crust to the exterior of the chicken while retaining juices in the meat. Broiler chickens are most commonly used. The first dish known to have been deep fried was fritters, which were popular in the European Middle Ages. However, the Scottish were the first to have been recorded as deep frying their chicken in fat with breadcrumbs and seasonings, as evidenced by a recipe in a 1747 cookbook by Hannah Glasse and a 1773 diary entry describing fried chicken on the Isle of Skye. The first known recipe in the US did not contain the seasonings that were in the earlier Scottish recipe. There is an English cookbook from 1736 which mentions fried chicken, the “Dictionarium Domesticum”, by Nathan Bailey, where it is called “a marinade of chickens”. Meanwhile, in later years many West African peoples had traditions of seasoned fried chicken .

Ghonto

Ghonto

Curried vegetables, fish, shrimp, lentils, banana flower, commonly uses mustard oil and panch phoran spices

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