Bengali Food Festival at Marriott Whitefield

Bengali cuisine is one of India's finest and distinctive cuisines. M-Cafe, at Marriott Hotel, Whitefield is currently hosting a Bengali Food Festival in Bangalore. 

Here's a photo tour of my experience of a dinner where every dish pops with flavor...

The place looks lovely with some dainty little things...

I started with a glass of Gondhoraj Ghol made of yogurt and slices of Gondhoraj lime. It is slightly sweet, sour and refreshing...

Then I was lured to the Jhal Muri counter. Jhal Muri (spicy puffed rice) is a street side Bengali snack. You can customize the Jhal Muri with your own choice of ingredients like cucumber, tomatoes, peanuts, onions, coconut, pickles etc.  

The person at the counter tossed my choice of ingredients and served it in a newspaper cone, just like the street vendors of West Bengal...

Ilish Bhaja is deep fried Hilsa fish. Hilsa is one of most popular fishes of Bengal which is prepared in all possible variations...

Beetroot chops...

The pickles and relishes...

Potol Bhaja is stir fried Pointed Gourd...

A pretty lady in a Bengali sari unwrapped a banana leaf parcel to reveal the flavorful Macher Paturi. Fish is marinated in mustard paste, wrapped in banana leaves parcel and steam cooked. Although the dish was good, I would have liked it more if there was a bit more heat from the mustard... 

For the main course, there were plenty of options. Begun Basanti is an eggplant curry prepared with curd and mustard paste...

Daab Chingri is a special Jumbo prawn dish cooked in coconut milk and mustard and served in a tender coconut shell. It went well with rice...

Basanti Polao or Yellow Pilaf is little sweet and pretty tasty...

Mangshor Jhol is a Bengali Lamb curry. The meat was soft and succulent...

Kosha Murgir Mangsho is a roasted chicken curry...

My favorite of the evening was the Macher Jhol, the Bengali spicy fish stew...

Although Macher Jhol is traditionally served with rice, I liked it with Luchi (deep-fried flat bread)...

The Mutton biryani was light, meat pieces were tender and the rice was moist and fragrant...

PatiShapta is a Bengali dessert. Simple crepes stuffed with Jaggery and coconut filling...

My dessert plate had Kala Jamun(sweet dumplings), Malpua(cheesecake soaked in sugar syrup) and Mishti Doi(sweet yogurt)...

Spongy Rosogulla...

Paan for an after dinner chew...

Overall it was an enjoyable adventure. The festival continues till 22nd October. 
Leaving you with the beautiful smile of the pretty chef...