Food In Kolkata Calling

We’re just back from a lovely restful holiday in Cherai, Kerala. Like I mentioned here, we start planning our next holiday almost soon after we get back from the previous one! So now it is Kolkata calling our names!

I’ve been wanting to visit Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) for a while now. Although, I’ve been to West Bengal – Siliguri, Darjeeling and Kalimpong, I’ve never had the pleasure of visiting Kolkata. Jose spent six months there several years back, and has been back many times thereafter. My parents too have fond memories of Kolkata.

While I’ve made a list of places we want to visit, I’ve heard too much about the non-vegetarian cuisine in Kolkata, not to want to sample it all!

My list of must-see places to visit in Kolkata include, the Maidan, Fort William (perhaps my Dad will get us entry!), and the Victoria Memorial. I’m hoping, naturally, to take a trip to Shantiniketan, about 150 kilometres from the city. This is where our Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore had his school, now the University of Vishwa Bharati.

It’s the food in Kolkata calling!

I’ve started my ‘food research’ ahead of our visit. Kolkata with its varied historical influences has such a great array of food choices that it is said to be a foodie’s delight. There’s Bengali food, Chinese food, Lucknowi food and a whole lot of throwbacks to the time of the British. I’m planning on sampling most (hopefully all) of these dishes I’ve researched. Feel free to make suggestions, if you’ve visited Kolkata before.

I’m looking forward to Kabiraji cutlets. While the question of a distinction between a cutlet and a chop causes much discussion in our household, I’m looking foward to sampling this crumb and egg coated piece of meat.

The variety of fish (maccher) and other seafood preparations I’m reading about are making my mouth water : Bhekti machher fry, chitol maccher muitha, maccher jhol, chingrir mailai curry (prawn and coconut cury), Katla maach (roasted Katla fish and kochu pata diye chingri (shrimp with colocassia leaves).

Mmmmm…then there are the meat preparations, Murgh Musallam korma (chicken curry), Irani Chaap (chop), kosha mangsho (mutton curry). Don’t these chicken kati rolls seem tempting?

Then of course, we’ll have to a go at the Chinese food. In many ways, Kolkata is the home of ‘Indian Chinese food’. So it’s going to be chilli chicken and pork manchurian I’m having.  And how can I miss the Tibetan momos (dumplings) and thupka (hearty noodle soup).

Okay, okay, so I confess it’s the non-vegetarian food in Kolkata calling our names! 😉

I guess you can’t go to Kolkata and skip the ‘mishti’ (sweet). So the famous ‘sandesh’, ‘rosogolla’ and ‘mishti doi’ are on my list!

If you’ve visited Kolkata before, do you have any suggestions for the best non-vegetarian restaurants in Kolkata?

 

 

Picture credits: Wikimedia