New to Bengali Food? 12 Dishes to Order First in Mumbai
Curious about Bengali food in Mumbai but lost at the menu? Start with these 12 dishes, from kochuri and fish fry to kosha mangsho and sandesh.
Mention Bengali food and most people say two things: fish and sweets. They're not wrong. But a Bengali meal is much more than that. It starts with something crisp and fried, moves through gentle vegetables and mustard-sharp fish, slows down for a rich mutton curry, and only then gets to the sweets.
If you're trying Bengali food in Mumbai for the first time, the menu can read like a list of riddles. What is posto? Why does everyone keep talking about kosha mangsho? So here are 12 dishes we'd point a first-timer towards, what each one actually is, and what it costs on our menu today.
Start with a snack
Kolkata has a word for long, unhurried chats over tea and something fried: adda. These three are made for it.
1. Koraishutir Kochuri with Alu'r Dum
Soft, puffed bread stuffed with spiced green peas, served with alu'r dum, baby potatoes in a thick, gently spiced gravy. It's filling enough for breakfast or a light lunch. ₹250 for 4 pieces.
2. Bhetki Fish Fry
A fillet of bhetki, a mild white fish, coated in crumbs and fried until golden. Crunchy outside, soft inside, and a fixture at Bengali parties. ₹200 a piece.
3. Kolkata Chicken Cutlet
Kolkata's cutlet isn't a round patty. It's a flattened piece of chicken, crumbed and fried crisp, the kind of thing the city's old cafés are known for. ₹130 a piece.
Don't skip the vegetarian dishes
Bengali vegetarian cooking holds its own. If you only order fish and meat, you'll miss half the cuisine.
4. Shukto
Mixed vegetables in a light, milky gravy with a gentle bitter-sweet taste. In a traditional Bengali meal, shukto often comes first. ₹220.
5. Alu Posto
Potatoes cooked in a paste of posto, or poppy seeds. Mild, nutty and very comforting with plain white rice. ₹220.
6. Dhokar Dalna
Dhoka are little cakes of ground lentils, fried and then simmered in a spiced gravy. It eats like a main course, and it's what Bengali families often make when there are guests. ₹280.
Fish and prawns
This is where Bengali cooking really shows off. Mustard, yogurt and coconut do most of the work.
7. Doi Maach
Doi is yogurt and maach is fish. Pieces of rui or katla, both freshwater fish, are cooked in a tangy, slightly sweet yogurt gravy. ₹300.
8. Bhapa Chingri
Chingri means prawns and bhapa means steamed. The prawns are steamed in a mustard sauce, so they taste sharp and fresh rather than heavy. ₹450.
9. Chingri Malaikari
Prawns in a creamy coconut milk gravy, rich and a little sweet. It's a celebration dish in a lot of Bengali homes. ₹500.
Chicken and mutton
10. Kosha Mangsho
Kosha means cooked slowly and stirred until the masala clings to the meat. Mangsho means mutton. What you get is dark, deeply spiced and fall-apart tender. If you only order one thing from a Bengali kitchen, make it this. ₹550.
11. Chicken Rezala
A Kolkata favourite in a pale, creamy gravy. It's rich without being hot, so it works well for anyone who doesn't like much spice. ₹420.
And something sweet
12. Bhapa Sandesh
Sandesh is Bengal's best-known sweet, made with fresh chhana, a soft cottage cheese. This version is steamed, which keeps it soft and delicate. ₹50 a piece.
Putting your first Bengali meal together
You don't need all 12 at once. For two or three people, pick one snack, one vegetable, one fish or meat dish, some rice and a sweet. Something like this:
- Bhetki fish fry to start
- Alu posto and doi maach with white rice
- Kosha mangsho, if you're hungry
- Bhapa sandesh to finish
Vegetarian? Go for koraishutir kochuri, shukto and dhokar dalna instead. It's still a proper Bengali spread.
How to order
Everything is cooked fresh in our Powai kitchen, so please order 5 to 6 hours ahead. Pick a dish from the menu on our homepage to send us a WhatsApp enquiry, call +91 96740 12126, or order on Zomato. Prices are as listed on the menu, and our team will confirm what's available when you order.
Feeding a crowd? Take a look at our Bengali food catering page and give us at least 7 days' notice.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bengali food very spicy?
Not usually. Most Bengali dishes are fragrant rather than fiery. Shukto, alu posto, chicken rezala and chingri malaikari are all mild. Kosha mangsho is the most deeply spiced dish on this list.
Which Bengali dishes are vegetarian?
From this list: koraishutir kochuri with alu'r dum, shukto, alu posto, dhokar dalna and bhapa sandesh. Use the Veg only filter on our menu to see the rest.
Do you deliver across Mumbai?
Yes, we deliver across Mumbai from our kitchen in Powai. Delivery is charged at actual cost, so get in touch to confirm your area.