Blog
Insights, guides, and stories from the UK curry industry
Shorshe Ilish: The Bengali Art of Hilsa in Mustard Gravy
Shorshe ilish marries the oily, intensely flavoured hilsa fish with a sharp mustard gravy in a dish that sits at the very heart of Bengali identity. Here is how it is built, why the bones matter, and how to tame the bitterness of the mustard.
Kosha Mangsho: How Bengalis Slow-Cook Mutton to Mahogany
Kosha mangsho is Bengal's deep, dark, celebratory mutton curry, coaxed to a mahogany sheen through slow reduction rather than added colour. This is the bhuna-style technique behind the wedding-and-festival classic, and how to serve it with luchi.
Chingri Malai Curry: Bengal's Prawn and Coconut Showpiece
Chingri malai curry pairs plump prawns with a silky, gently spiced coconut gravy in one of Bengal's grandest dishes. We trace its possible Malay roots, explain how to pick the right prawns, and share the technique that keeps the coconut milk from splitting.
Panch Phoron: Mastering Bengal's Five-Spice Tempering
Panch phoron is the Bengali five-spice blend used whole, never ground, and crackled in hot oil to transform dals and vegetables. Here are the five seeds, the reason they stay intact, and how to nail the tempering every time.
Sylheti Shatkora Beef: The Citrus Curry of the Diaspora
Shatkora beef is the citrus-scented signature of the Sylheti community whose families built much of Britain's curry-house trade. We explore the bitter Bangladeshi citron behind it, where to buy shatkora in the UK, and how to balance its sharpness.
Shutki: Inside Bangladesh's Pungent World of Dried Fish
Shutki, Bangladesh's sun-dried fish, is one of the country's most polarising and beloved ingredients. This is the story of its coastal craft, its fiery bhortas and curries, and the deep regional pride it carries.
Kacchi Biryani: The Raw-Marinated Mutton Biryani of Dhaka
Kacchi biryani is Dhaka's crowning festive dish, where raw marinated mutton and fragrant rice cook together in one sealed pot. Here is how the dum technique, the potato and aloo bukhara, and the great wedding feasts make it unforgettable.
Beef Tehari: Dhaka's Beloved One-Pot Spiced Rice
Beef tehari is Dhaka's everyday one-pot answer to biryani, built on mustard-oil-fried beef and tiny aromatic Kalijira rice. Discover what sets it apart, how it is made, and why it remains a true street and home favourite.
Mezban: The Communal Beef Feast of Chittagong
Mezban is Chittagong's grand tradition of feeding the community, centred on a fiery, ghee-rich beef curry served to thousands. Explore its history, its distinctive mezbani gosht, and how the custom travels to British gatherings.
Bhuna Khichuri: Bangladesh's Monsoon Comfort Dish
Bhuna khichuri is the dish Bangladeshis crave when the monsoon rain falls, a roasted rice-and-lentil one-pot paired with rich beef bhuna and egg. This is its method, its companions, and its tender place in the Bengali heart.
Panta Bhat: Fermented Rice and the Pohela Boishakh Table
Panta bhat is overnight water-soaked, gently fermented rice that began as rural Bengali survival food and became the ceremonial centrepiece of Pohela Boishakh, eaten with fried hilsa, green chilli and onion.
Pitha: The Winter Rice Cakes That Define Bengali Festivity
Pitha are the steamed, folded and griddled rice cakes that mark the Bengali winter and the Nabanna harvest, filled with coconut and date-palm jaggery in forms such as bhapa, patishapta and chitoi.