How to Eat Like a Local in Bangladesh – Mouth-Watering Traditional Flavours

 Bangladeshi cuisine is said to have close links with India’s Bengali culinary techniques. However, the nation has developed distinct combinations and cooking methods, which render Bangladeshi dishes their unique blend of flavors. To order and enjoy the best traditional dishes, you need to have local knowledge, which is why this article is compiled to update you with skills on how to eat like a local in Bangladesh.

 1. Start with a Wholesome Plate of Biriyani

Biriyani, especially in the Old Dhaka quarter, is a firm favorite of the locals in Bangladesh. This dish is the perfect filling comfort food. Biriyani, when eaten piping hot, will put a smile on your face. As a traditional favorite, it is not hard to find a restaurant or food kiosk selling biriyani, which is a rice dish cooked in a rich stock of meat, and spices to which mutton, chicken, or beef is added. You will find that Haji Biriyani is one of the oldest restaurants in Dhaka, popular for its variety of mutton biriyani. However, failing to visit the vintage restaurant in the old quarter, you can easily order a plate of fragrant rice from the Dhaka restaurant  located within the hotel you booked for your stay in the city. Some of the popular star-classed hotels in Bangladesh, such as Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka, are noted for their dining options, paying special attention to traditional cuisine.

2.   Mashed Veggies or Bortha

One of the commonest and traditional dishes to be found in Bangladesh is bortha, which is the name given to any mashed vegetable dish. Bortha can be made from a range of vegetables, all cooked and mashed. These are served in small portions and are generally an accompaniment to be eaten with a plate of rice and other curries. Since a side of bortha costs little, try ordering a variety to see which vegetable type you enjoy cooked in this manner.

3.  Bangladeshi Curries – the Ideal Side Dish

As you would pair a bortha with your plate of rice, the various curries served with Bangladeshi cuisine go very well with rice, fried fish, and other accompaniments. Curries are made with vegetables, meat, or even egg. It is a blend of spices, oil, and the main ingredient to which thick coconut milk is added. Some curries in Bangladesh will have vegetable oil as the curry base and not coconut milk. The dishes are usually spicy and deeply coloured.
 

4. The Fast Food Bites – Shingara and Samosa

Famous Pakistani Samosas with accompaniments | Image via Freepik

Samosa is a deep-fried triangular-shaped pastry that is filled with a delicious mix of vegetables. Potatoes, green peas, leeks, etc are general mixes that go into the stuffing of the samosa. Samosas make for delectable and crunchy snacks to eat on the go. Shingara is the same, except the pastry used to make the snack is flakier and crumbles faster than the samosa. You will find the snack is sold at all street-food stalls along the roads in Dhaka and many other cities.

5. Crispy Fried Fish

Fish is served in a variety of styles in Bangladesh. But fried fish is a unanimous favourite. It is rather a popular dish in Bangladesh. Carp and halsi are the most commonly used fish varieties to prepare crispy fried fish. And both fish types are noted for their highly nutritious content. Halsi is often cooked whole, baked, or deep-fried until the fish become golden brown. The little fish can contain a lot of bones, so some might find it quite tedious to eat. However, crispy fried fish dishes are packed with flavour and they make for an excellent accompaniment to your plate of rice and curry.