Kolkata the capital of the state of West Bengal in India__. Kolkata__ known as the city of joy is enriched with vibrant culture, festivals, and foods. Bengalis the native of Kolkata are known as a foodie, our culture and festival are attached and bind with foods. The food which is most common in every festival or daily life is known as ‘Misti’( Sweets). ‘Misti Mukh’ (means sharing or distributing sweets) is known as an auspicious ritual. It doesn’t matter if you have a sweet tooth or not once you taste these cute tidbits once in your life I can bet you will start loving it.
‘Misti’ (Sweet) is usually made out of ‘Chana’ ( Indian cheese) with all-purpose flour, rice flour, semolina, sugar, jaggery, solidified milk(Khoya), dry fruits and fragrant spices like cardamom, cinnamon sticks, clove, and saffron, Sometimes fruit pulps and food scents are used to make them.
Patishapta:
Some special ‘Misti’ which is known as ‘Pitha’ are usually made at the time of harvest of rice in the mid of January. This harvest festival is known as the Poush Parbon or Pitha festival. The most popular and famous ‘Pitha’ is ‘Patishapta.’
Naru and Malpua:
Some sweets like Naru and **‘Malpua’**are generally made the time of Pujas, Naru signifies the Durga Puja and Lakhsmi ( The Goddess of Wealth) Puja. Malpua generally made in the time of Janmashtami( The birthday celebration of Lord Krishna). Naru is made out of the shredded or grated coconut, milk, sugar or jaggery and flavored with cardamom. All ingredients are mixed and cooked until it releases oil and came together as a dough, then after cooling it forms like small balls with shaping by both palms. Here in this picture of Naru is made out of coconut and jaggery. In Bengali, it called ‘Gurer Naru’. ’
Malpua is a fried Misti or sweet. A batter is prepared with all-purpose flour, semolina, fennel seeds, and milk. Sugar syrup is made with sugar, water and flavored with cardamom. Round shape like cake fried in oil goes to the syrup and becomes malpua.
Rosogolla:
These small cuties are called ‘Roshogolla’. Roshogolla is famous and favorite sweet in all. It is emotion and love for Bengalis. They are made out of Chana( Indian cheese) and sugar syrup. Milk is curdled to make chana or cheese, then after draining all the excess water, it gets kneaded until it became softly. Then in bubbling boiling syrup small balls out of kneaded cheese added and after boiling for 25 minutes it became soft and spongy and become sweet ‘Roshogolla’.
Rajbhog:
‘Rajbhog’ is a bigger version of Roshogolla. Raj means king, bhog means food, so Rajbhog means food for the king which needs to be something special. Usually on special occasions or festivals, this sweet is made. Rajbhog is stuffed with dry fruits and yellow in color by adding saffron on the sugar syrup. Other than that the process is the same as Roshogolla.
Baked Roshogolla:
For Baked Roshogolla normal Roshogolla is made then it is baked in thick milk pudding and garnished with assorted dry fruits. It’s tastes delicious. Sometimes this dish is made with leftover Roshogolla.
Rasmalai:
Rasmalai is a very delectable dish. Usually in the time of festivals especially in the time of Diwali( The festival of light), this sweet is made. The round patties type Roshogolla is made then it is dipped in thick milk pudding and garnished with saffron and dry fruits( Pistachios, almond).
ChamCham:
Chamcham is also made out of Chana in the same process of Roshogolla, however, the shape is not round it is oblong like. After making oblong like Roshogolla it needs to be taken out from the sugar syrup. A lengthwise cut is made for stuffing, Khoya( solidified milk) and dry fruits with saffron is stuffed inside then the sweet need to roll out in desiccated coconut or khoya (solidified milk)powder. Lastly, pistachios and saffron are used to garnish at the top.
Mango Malai Chamcham:
You need to taste this sweet to understand how delicious and heavenly its tastes. Mango is the main ingredient of this dish. For this sweet Chamcham is prepared, without stuffing it, Chamcham dipped in thick mango milk pudding and lastly garnished with sliced pistachios. A delicacy of this sweet is the flavor of mango.
Langcha and Pantua/Gulabjamun
Langcha and Pantua are made out of the same process, yet the shape is different. Channa with other ingredients is kneaded then after giving shape it needs to be fry on oil then after it gets brownish color its needs to be taken out and dipped in sugar syrup. Langcha is famous in the place called Shaktigar in WestBengal. Pantua is popular everywhere in India though the name changed in Gulabjamun in other states outside WestBengal.
Sandesh:
Sandesh is also made out of chana. Chana with some other ingredients kneaded and cooked with sugar then shaped in a block fort he design. Like the black block in the picture. Different taste and varieties of Sandesh is available in sweet shops, famous is Nalengurer Sandesh, Chanar Sandesh, Mango Sandesh, Makha Sandesh, etc.
Above all pictures of Misti or sweets are homemade, however, in Kolkata, several renowned sweet shops are making sweets every day for selling and they even take bulk orders for occasions and festivals.
If you ever been there don’t forget to visit these sweet shops or one of them during your visit.
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