Bengal is a cuisine known for its minimalist spice blends and fresh coastal ingredients. Similar to Bihari food, Bengali dishes utilize mustard seeds, mustard oil and green chilies, which have a bright subtle heat—unlike the intensity of red chilies that are used widely across the rest of the country.
Surbhi's relationship with Bengali food is deeply personal. She never tasted it until she moved to the U.S. and only started cooking it after she met her partner, Piali, who also grew up in Delhi but whose family is from Bengal. Together, they have travelled to Kolkata where they cooked at home with Piali's family, ate street food and explored different elements of the cuisine.
From left: Priyanka, Surbhi and Piali.
One of their dearest friends, Priyanka (pictured above) is a fellow Bengali, and over the years, Priyanka has shared her recipes and meals with Surbhi.
Surbhi's experiences of cooking and eating Bengali homestyle cooking have allowed her to build her skillset and develop a level of comfort in preparing it, like mustardy Aloo Phulkopir Dalna, smoky Begun Pora, and fluffy Kacchi Biryani.
