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West Bengal

Summary: Recipes from West Bengal. Last updated: 2026-09-30

Chorchori (Charchari)

Source: Chorchori | Charchari: A Bengali Style of Cooking Mixed Vegetables | Away in the Kitchen | Category: Curries | Time: 20-25 min

A dry, one-pot Bengali dish of mixed vegetables cooked in a wok with mustard oil, a simple tempering and very little water. It is a flexible way to use up whatever vegetables, stalks and leaves are at hand.

Ingredients

  • 2 small eggplants, sliced into wedges or batons
  • 2 potatoes, sliced into wedges (skin optional)
  • Cauliflower stalks, thinly sliced
  • Cauliflower leaves, as is
  • 1-2 small carrots, cut into batons
  • 10-12 beans (French or broad beans), cut into slender poles
  • 2 tbsp mustard oil
  • 1-2 dry red chillies
  • 1 tsp nigella seeds (kalonji)
  • A pinch of asafoetida
  • 1/2 inch ginger and 1 green chilli, pounded together
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp salt, or to taste

Method

  1. Heat the mustard oil in a wok until it smokes. Add the dry red chillies and let them puff, then add the nigella seeds and asafoetida.
  2. Add the cauliflower stalks first, as they are the hardest. Saute for 3 minutes, then add the potatoes and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring now and then. Lower the heat or add a splash of water if needed.
  3. Add the carrots and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the beans, mix, and cook for 3 more minutes.
  4. Add the salt and turmeric and stir well. Add a splash of water if needed, lower the heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes.
  5. Uncover, add the eggplants and mix in the pounded ginger and green chilli. Saute for about 5 minutes, until the eggplants are soft but still hold their shape. Switch off the heat.

Notes: Serve with steamed rice, dal and lime wedges. Cut all the vegetables to a similar shape and size, and do not chop them finely or the dish turns into a paste. Always start with the vegetable that takes longest to cook. Garam masala and whole spices are traditionally not added. The Odia version, chadchadi, is similar but often includes garlic. Related: Odisha Keywords: chorchori, charchari, mixed vegetables, mustard oil, nigella seeds, vegetarian

Tadka (Bengali Egg Tadka)

Source: Tadka | Bong Eats | Category: Curries | Serves: 2-3 | Time: about 2 hours, plus overnight soaking

A smoky, dhaba-style dal of whole green moong (tadka'r daal) and chana dal, popular as street food in Bengal. It is cooked in two stages: the dal is spiced and pressure-cooked first, then finished in a very hot wok, with eggs scrambled in at the end.

Ingredients

Cooking stage

  • 100g tadka'r daal (whole green moong)
  • 20g chhola'r daal (split Bengal gram / chana dal)
  • 10g mustard oil
  • 5g ghee
  • 50g onions
  • 5g ginger
  • 3g garlic
  • 2g green chillies
  • 25g tomatoes
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  • 3/4 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
  • 1/2 tsp gorom moshla
  • 5g salt
  • 300ml hot water
  • 5g mutton fat

Finishing stage

  • 10g vegetable oil
  • 30g onions
  • 4g green chillies
  • 7g garlic
  • 50g tomatoes
  • 10g butter
  • 6g coriander leaves
  • 1/2 tsp kasuri methi
  • 2 eggs

Method

Cooking stage

  1. Soak both dals overnight, then drain.
  2. Mix the five spice powders. Chop the onion, ginger, chillies and garlic; cube the tomatoes.
  3. Heat mustard oil and ghee in a kadai. Fry the onions until golden, then add ginger, garlic and chillies.
  4. Add the spice mix and fry for a few minutes on medium heat, splashing in water if it sticks.
  5. Add tomatoes and salt and cook until the oil separates.
  6. Add the drained dals, fry briefly, then add the hot water.
  7. Move to a pressure cooker, add the mutton fat, and cook for about 10 minutes.

Finishing stage

  1. Heat a wok until very hot and add the oil.
  2. Toss in onions, chillies, garlic and tomatoes over high heat for a smoky flavour.
  3. Add a portion of the cooked dal, stir, and top with butter.
  4. Mix in coriander leaves and crushed kasuri methi.
  5. For egg tadka: beat the eggs with a little salt, pour into the dal, let them set briefly, then scramble gently. Don't overcook them.

Notes: Serve with roti. The full method, with photos and video, is on the source page. Keywords: dal, green moong, egg tadka, dhaba style, street food, Bong Eats