From Mahashoptomi, when many Bangali households begin preparing and enjoying non-vegetarian fare, the festive table takes on a richer character.
But it is Bijoya Doshomi—the final day of Durga Puja—that brings the celebrations to their emotional and culinary peak.
As the goddess is bid farewell through bishorjon, families return home to a final feast, with the day's exuberance lingering over dinner. Plates laden with fragrant pulao, slow-cooked kosha mangsho and prized ilish become part of the farewell, turning the last meal of Puja into a fitting celebration of food, family and festivity.
Here are five recipes that might find a place on your Bijoya Doshomi table, bringing together the rich, comforting flavours that make the final feast of Durga Puja so memorable.
Kata moshlar mangsho
Ingredients: 1 kg mutton, medium pieces; 500 g potatoes, halved; 100 g ginger; 300 g unflavoured curd; 1 bay leaf; 2 red chillies; 10 cloves; 2 inches cinnamon; 3 green cardamoms; 2 black cardamoms; 2 tsp each cumin and coriander ; 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp red chilli powder; 2 tsp turmeric powder and sugar; 1 tsp salt; 5 tbsp mustard oil; 2 tbsp ghee.
Method: Marinate the mutton with 100 g curd, 1 tsp each cumin, coriander and turmeric powder and ½ tsp red chilli powder for 8 hours. Coat the potatoes with turmeric. Mix the remaining spices with 1 tbsp mustard oil to make a paste. Fry the potatoes in the remaining oil until golden and set aside. Heat the oil with ghee and temper with the whole spices and asafoetida. Caramelise the sugar, then add ginger paste and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the spice paste and salt and cook for 3–4 minutes. Stir in the remaining curd and cook until thick and the oil separates. Add the mutton and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add the potatoes, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Add 4 cups boiling water and cook for about 15 minutes, adding more water if needed. Finish with garam masala and 1 tsp ghee.
As the goddess is bid farewell through bishorjon, families return home to a final feast, with the day's exuberance lingering over dinner. Plates laden with fragrant pulao, slow-cooked kosha mangsho and prized ilish become part of the farewell, turning the last meal of Puja into a fitting celebration of food, family and festivity.
Ilish pani khola
Ingredients: 1 kg hilsa, cut into 10–12 pieces; 10 medium onions; 4 tbsp mustard oil; 2½ tsp salt. 12–15 pieces of green chillies.
Method: Wash the fish and rub with some salt. Mix finely chopped onions with 1 tsp salt and 3 tbsp mustard oil until they release moisture. Add slit green chillies and mix. Transfer to a pan, place the fish on top, cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add 2 cups of water, adjust the salt and chilli, and add 1 tbsp mustard oil. Cover and cook for another 5–7 minutes. Serve with hot steamed rice.
Rupchadar tel jhol
Ingredients: 4 pomfrets, cleaned and kept whole; 1 medium onion, roughly chopped; 1 medium tomato, roughly chopped; 2 garlic cloves; 3–4 green chillies; ½ tsp nigella seeds; ¾ tsp turmeric powder, including ½ tsp for marinating; 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder; ½ tsp cumin powder; ½ tsp sugar; salt to taste; 3–4 tbsp vegetable or mustard oil; 2 tbsp coriander leaves.
Method: Marinate the fish with salt and ½ tsp turmeric. Make a coarse paste of the onion, tomato and garlic. Heat 2 tbsp oil and fry the fish for 3–4 minutes until golden. Remove. Heat the remaining oil and temper with nigella seeds and slit green chillies. Add the onion-tomato paste and cook for 4–5 minutes until the water evaporates and the oil separates. Add the remaining turmeric, cumin and chilli powders, salt and 2 tbsp water. Cook for 3–4 minutes. Add 1 cup water and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the fried fish and some coriander leaves and simmer for 3–4 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Salima chicken
Ingredients: 1 kg chicken, preferably leg and breast pieces; 4 medium onions, finely chopped; 1 onion paste, optional; 1 tbsp ginger paste; 2 tbsp garlic paste; 200 g yoghurt; 4 green chillies, pasted; 2 tomatoes, puréed or chopped; 1 tsp each chilli, turmeric and cumin powders; ½ tsp each coriander powder and garam masala; 1 tsp jaggery; 2 tbsp vinegar; 4 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 tsp black pepper powder; 2 bay leaves; 1-inch cinnamon stick; 1 black cardamom; 3 green cardamoms; 1 tsp salt, or to taste; 2 cups water. For the potatoes: 5 potatoes; 1 tbsp salt; 100 ml oil.
Method: Marinate the chicken with half the ginger and garlic pastes, onion paste, green chilli paste, yoghurt, salt and turmeric for 2–8 hours. Heat the oil and temper with the bay leaves, cinnamon and cardamoms. Add the onions and cook until golden. Add the tomatoes, remaining ginger and garlic pastes, spices and jaggery and cook until the oil separates. Add vinegar and chicken and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add 2 cups of hot water, cover and cook for another 10 minutes. Adjust the salt and cook until the gravy thickens.
Cut the potatoes into matchsticks and soak in salted water for 15 minutes. Deep-fry until crisp and golden. Stir two-thirds into the curry and top with the rest. Serve hot.
Mutton tikia
Ingredients: 500 g mutton mince; 1 egg; 50 g gram flour; 1 tbspp green papaya paste; 2 tbsp onion paste; 1 tsp ginger paste; 2 tsp garlic paste; 1 tsp lemon juice; ½ tsp green chilli paste; 1 tsp each Kashmiri red chilli powder and garam masala powder; 4 tbspp mustard oil; 1 tsp ghee; 1½ tsp salt, or to taste. For the gravy: 2 tbsp sattu or gram flour; 4 tbsp onion paste; 1 tsp ginger paste; 2 tsp garlic paste; 1 tbspp melon seed powder; 1 tsp garam masala powder; 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder; 3–4 drops kewra water; 4 tbsp mustard oil; 1 tsp ghee; 2 tbsp mawa, (optional); 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tsp salt, or to taste. 1 dried red chilli; 1 cinnamon stick; 8 cloves; 1 black cardamom; 3 green cardamoms; 10 black peppercorns.
Method: Marinate the mince with the green papaya, onion, ginger and garlic pastes, lemon juice, green chilli paste, Kashmiri chilli powder, garam masala and salt for at least 4 hours. Process briefly, then mix in roasted gram flour until sticky enough to shape. Form into discs, dust with gram flour and shallow-fry in oil and ghee over low heat until cooked on both sides.
For the gravy, temper the oil and ghee with the whole spices. Add onion paste and cook until light brown, then add ginger and garlic pastes. Stir in roasted gram flour, garam masala, Kashmiri chilli powder, salt and mawa. Cook until the oil separates. Add lemon juice and kewra water, then add the tikia and cook for 4–5 minutes, spooning the gravy over them.