Bengali vegetable and spices

I have tried to present the Bengali vegetables and spices here. This is practically nothing...there are much more vegetables and spices that Bengalis use.

Bengali vegetable and spices

Few Bengali Vegetables

Picture	Bengali Name	Description
	Uchchey	Bitter Gourd is usually bitter in taste and is used in Shukto - a bitter tasting vegetable preparation. This is usually a starter.
	Dhyarosh	Okra is usually fried in Mustard oil and is called Dhyarosh Bhaja.
	Peyaj Koli	Onion Flowers are used in various vegetable preparation. One I know about is Aloo, Begun & Peyaj Koli Chochori i.e. a vegetable curry made with brinjal, potatoes and onion flowers with a bit of musturd paste.
	Bandha Kopi	Cabbage is generally used to make Bandhakopir Tarkari. This is a dish made with cabbage leaves finely shredded, potato pieces and peas. It is just Yummmmmm.....
	Shim	Snow Peas is used to prepare Shim Bhaja which is quite well know as a winter dish among the bengalis. The Snow Peas are cut into halves and tossed or stirfried in little bit of oil until they are cooked.
	Aloo	Potato is a very versatile vegetable. Aloor Dom is a real mouth watering Bengali Dish. It goes well with luchi. In fact Luchi and Aloor Dom are made for each other.
	Sosha	Cucumber is used in salads.
	Begun	Brinjals or Egg Plants are cooked in many ways like Begun Bhaja - brinjals deep fried in oil, Beguni - brinjal fritters or Begun Pora - roasted brinjals etc.
	Motor Shuti	Sweet Peas This is used in many vegetable dishes too. Motor Shutir Ghugni - a curry cooked with the peas and potatoes.....yummmm
	Jhinge	Drum Sticks and potatoes are cooked together with poppy seed paste to prepare Jhinge Aloo Posto.
	Lau	Lau is used to make a very authentic Bengali dish called Lau Chingri - a vegetable preparation prepared with Lau and Shrimps.
	Tomato	Tomato is again a very widely used vegetable. it is used to make Tomato Chutney, salads, and in most of all the curries.
	Kancha Lonka	Green Chilli can be found in almost all Bengali Kitchens.
	Ranga Aloo	Sweet Potato is very well known as the Bengalis make Ranga Aloor Pantua with it- its a sweet dish...sort of like Gulab Jamuns.
	Moolo	Moolis or Radishes are used in Shukto the Bitter tasted vegetable preparation I have mentioned about quite a lot.
	Gajor	Carrots are quite well known. It is used in salads and it is used to make a sweet-dish called Gajorer Halwa
	Peyanj	Onions are also used widely in curries and all.
	Roshun	Garlics ares mostly used in Fish and Meat Curries.
	Pan	Beetle Leaves are usually eaten at the end of a meal. The leaf is folded in a particular way with some exotic spices.

Few Bengali Lentils and Pulses/ Dahls.

Picture	Bengali Name	Description
	Kabuli Chola	Bengal Gram are used to make Ghugni - a wonderful curry made with Bengal Gram and potatoes.
	Arhar Dal	Arhar Dal is used to prepare Dal - a special lentil soup which usually goes with Rice
	Cholar Dal	Channa Dal is used to prepare another type of Lentil soup. This lentil soup is called Cholar Dal and it goes well with Luchis.
	Gota Musur	Whole Masoor are used to prepare Dal too which is commonly eaten with Rotis rather than Rice.
	Moong Dal	Moong Dal are again cooked as Dal - the well known lentil soup that goes with Rice.

Few Bengali Spices.

Picture	Bengali Name	Description
	Lobongo	Cloves have a sweet aroma and they are often eaten as mouth freshners as well as in some meat preparations.
	Dhoney	Coriander are often powdered and used in curries mostly in meat curries.
	Daruchini	Cinnamon sticks also have a very nice smell and it adds to the flavour and aroma of the food when added.
	Jirey	Cumin Seeds are also powdered as well as used whole in curries. Cumin seeds are sometimes tossed in hot oil and added either at the start or end of cooking.
	Mouri	Fennel Seeds are usually used as carminatives. It is also used as one of the ingredients of the well known Panch Foron
	Methi	Fenugreek Seeds are also used as one of the ingredients of Panch Foro
	Elach	Green cardamom are very aromatic. They are widely used in Bengali deserts and in their curries.
	Sorshey	Black Mustard are widely used in Bengali dishes. It is used whole as well as in paste form. Sorshey Ilish - gets its name as the Hilsa fish is cooked in mustard paste.
	Kalo Jirey	Kalonji / Onion Seeds are widely used in Bengali kitchens. It is one of the ingredients of the famous Panch Foran