Top 7 Bengali Food Blogs
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The most popular website for Bengali recipes is Bengali Recipes on the Web by Sutapa Ray. Started in 1999, the website pre dates all bong recipes sites, and thus, pre dates even the concept of blogging. The list below is a compilation of the most vibrant blogs on Bengali food. These blogs are usually frequently updated and most of them host recipe pictures as well, with the exception of Bangali Meye. We’ve kept Cook like a Bong out of the scope here, for obvious reasons.
Image Courtesy: Flickr
Bookmark these wonderful blogs. Or better still, subscribe them in your reader. Or even better, email us at bengalicuisine AT gmail.com to get the OPML file for the list. It’ll sure make your life easier. Enjoy!
Bengali-Meye-in-US
A Bengali Girl in US – Blogging since March 2007 under the name Bangali Meye. Content quality of the blog is excellent but you would find images of the delicacies only in the earlier posts. In fact, in her very first post, she declares – this blog will probably not have that many pictures, ki kori, kabo, ranna korbo, na chobi tulbo. Posts regularly (but unfortunately, not as frequently as her fans would like her to) on authentic Bengali recipes. Samples - Mouri Phoron Diye Beet Shager Chorchori, Alu Kopir Dalna, Tomato Kejurer Chatney, Ranga Alur Pantua etc. Very few sites match up to this one in talking about authentic Bengali dishes.
Spice and Curry
Spice and Curry – Jayashree Mandal started the blog in Oct 2006 with the first post on Alu Posto ar Amer Ambal. However, the posts became frequent and regular only from Nov 2007. With a pagerank of 4, the blog is fairly popular – whopping 87000+ pageviews since Dec 2008. Samples - Mochar Ghonto, Pomphreter Kalia, Pui Shager Cohorchori. The blog has a good blogroll list too. Also, most of the recent images have copyright notice. Good move to thwart rampant plagiarism on the web. Located in Kolkata, Jayashree also has a personal blog.
Bong Mom's CookBook
Bong Mom’s Cookbook – Sandeepa started the blog in Oct 2006 and it became a fairly popular Bengali recipe blog (with a pagerank of 4, what else you can ask for). The site recently shifted to own domain name. The blog has almost 200 traditional and non traditional Bengali recipes. Samples - Posto Murgi, Pui Chingdi, Beet Gajor Chechki. Like every blog, this one too has seen a couple of lull periods (twice, to be precise). It has a great blogroll too. Sandeepa is available for freelance writing and can be reached at sandeepa.blog@gmail.com (courtesy: her about page).
Kichu Khon
Kichu Khon – Sharmila started this blogspot blog in May 2008, roughly the same time as Sudeshna’s bengalicuisine. A thumbnail sized Durga welcomes you to her site, giving that quintessential bong- at-home feel. The blog hosts more than 150 recipes (mostly authentic Bengali, but several non Bengali as well) and is fairly popular (pagerank 3). Samples - Lao Khosa Bhaja, Ilish Macher Patla Jhol, Arisa Pitha. She has dedicated the blog to her dearest Bapi who loves good food. Sharmila also blogs on her travels.
Appyayan
Appyayan - Indrani started the blog in Apr 2008, and till date, it has around 100 posts in several categories. Indrani is based out of Singapore and calls herself a – busy full-time mom of a 10 year old girl and a set of twin boys (2 years old). The blog predominantly features Bengali recipes, and sometimes, other regional Indian and western recipes too. Samples - Patishapta Pitha, Badhakopir Tak Dom, Narkel Shorshe Patol. Incidentally, the blog started at same time as bengalicuisine and has the same number of recipes as of this date. Call it coincidence, huh. She also maintains a recipe index of the blog.
Cook a Doodle Do
Cook a Doodle do – Started Feb 2009 by Sharmishtha, the blog features around 50 bengali recipes till date. The site has gained popularity very quickly (pagerank 3 in just 4 odd months). Samples - Pabda Macher Patla Jhol, Boiragi Dal, Palong Shak sheddho. Check out her beautiful poem when she started the blog. Well, you wouldn’t find too many food blogs’ about with poem! Sharmishtha also has a personal blog, check it out.
Cooking in Calcutta
Cooking in Calcutta – Angshuman Das started this blog during Durga Puja of 2005 (October) and writes on Bengali food for all ye readers, from Paris to Patna, from Tampa to Timbuktu. The blog posts have been infrequent at times, but have continued to amuse readers. The blog mainly features Bengali food, but occasionally, non Bengali Indian food as well. Angshuman was the only Bengali food blogger to be featured in the Telegraph’s story on Indian Food Bloggers. And if you haven’t noticed it yet, Angshuman is the ONLY male blogger featured in this list!
Hope you like the list. If you know any other wonderful Bengali recipe website, please comment here. We @ BengaliCuisine will include the links in the page for Bengali Food Blog Index
Coming soon:
- Interview series of the above mentioned bloggers
- Rising stars in the Bengali Food Blogging space
If you like this post, please consider linking to it or sharing it with others. I’ll love to hear your comments too. You can also Subscribe to BengaliCuisine by Email, or 
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Wonderful info.. Gr8 job!!
[Reply]
Sudeshna Banerjee Reply:
August 29th, 2009 at 10:04 PM
Thanks Hari
. Do let us know is you have any other blog in mind and we have just missed that out.
[Reply]
You should include bengalicuisine.net in the top 10
You have wonderful collection of “authentic” bengali recipes.
Radhika Vasanth´s last blog ..Theme of the month – Sep 2009 : Pregnancy (Zero hour)
[Reply]
Sudeshna Banerjee Reply:
August 29th, 2009 at 10:44 PM
Radhika,
.
Thank you so much for this comment
[Reply]
Nice list. I read Sandeepa’s and Sudeshna’s blogs quite often. I also like their blogs as there is a personal touch to it. I am not too fond of pure recipe blogs.
Will check out the others. Even I often wonder about the low proportion of male food bloggers. After all food blogging needn’t just be about recipes.
[Reply]
Sudeshna Banerjee Reply:
August 30th, 2009 at 10:09 AM
Kalyan,
. But most of the well known chefs are male, so what is the missing link here? Even I couldn’t make out why, is it because the men don’t want to enter their kitchen at home?
You are absolutely, and you can even find the difference here, out of the Top7 only Anshuman respresents your gender
[Reply]
Hey Sudeshna , thanks for that! Am going thru a choppy time right now but will get back to you ’soon as I can.
That is a good compilation.
Sharmila´s last blog ..Tomato Chingri / Tomato Prawns
[Reply]
Sudeshna Banerjee Reply:
August 30th, 2009 at 10:10 AM
Thanks Sharmila,
Please take your time, there’s no hurry.
[Reply]
Sutapa Ray brought back lot of memories when I began cooking regularly in 2000. Used to refer to her site for recipes. I am sure that we still have the printouts.
I do most of the cooking in our house and recenly trained our maid to cook. I guess it is family tradition as my father was a legendary cook and had taught my mom how to cook.
I know guys who cook and who love food. Food blogs needn’t be just about recipes so there is still scope for folks to write on resturants, food experiences even if they don’t cook.
Many are active on facebook etc on food but don’t blog.
But I know someone who gave up his job to start a food portal. No points for guessing that he is Bengali
kalyan´s last blog ..The easiest Finely Chopped recipe ever … Knocked up potatoes
[Reply]
Kalyan Banerjee Reply:
August 30th, 2009 at 3:29 PM
Allow me to comment on this Kalyan [we're namesake you see
].
I absolutely agree with you that food blogs need not be just about recipes. Talking just about recipes seems so dated, and robot-ish. Other than recipes, Food writing includes reviews (restaurant and book), memoirs (festivals, events, travel), regional analysis, food photography, How to food blog etc.
In Bengalicuisine’s version 2.0 we’re trying to talk about all of these, but with a single minded focus on Bengali Food.
During my scouting for online voices on Bengali Food, I listed 80+ names. And then bucketed them in several categories – one of them being More than Recipes. And guess what, your blog is one of them. Scouting isn’t finished yet and so if you know of some good online voices on Bengali Food, please let us (me or Sudeshna) know.
[Reply]
kalyan k Reply:
September 2nd, 2009 at 3:39 PM
Hey Kalyan,
I added the ‘k’ so that folks know which K to thank when Sudeshna credits him.
Jokes apart I started blogging partly because I was fed up with the content of food and travel programming on TV and in press, etc. They either are recipe books narrated on Tv or advertorials.
Then I begun watching Discovery T&L. Felt like someone watching EPL on ESPN for the first time after a life time of East Bengal Mohun Bagan
Keep up the good work folks
kalyan k´s last blog ..The easiest Finely Chopped recipe ever … Knocked up potatoes
[Reply]
Kalyan Banerjee Reply:
September 2nd, 2009 at 4:06 PM
Awesome analogy Kalyan K [Sounds like a South Indian name you see
So, would like to call you KK. But then, KK the singer is a Malayalee too. So, I'll stick to your suggestion of Kalyan K 
]
Coming back to the discussion, I’ve blogged on travel for a while and so know about the space. So, when I compare the content style of Indian blogs in travel and then on food, I feel that food writing is still too ‘transactional’ (due to lack of a better word). But then such a comment is a little premature though since I’m yet to get a good hang of things here.
Would sure check out Discovery T&L – I’ve been off the idiot box since quite a while. Have even missed blockbusters like Rakhi ka Swayamvar and Sach Ka Samna.
Sudeshna,
Thanks for this recognision..I still can’t believe this, had no idea that you did this post..And Radhika is right, you’re top in my good bengali food blog list…such a lovely post, feeling very proud of myself
Indrani´s last blog ..Mini Fish Cutlets
[Reply]
Sudeshna Banerjee Reply:
September 1st, 2009 at 5:26 PM
Indrani,
. The credit should actually go to Kalyan, he had done all the research, and to tell you the truth he had really worked hard for this post. Whatever niche we could make through this blog was only with your support and love.
Thank you for your comment
[Reply]
KK’s good Kalyan. You must watch Anthony Bourdain (food & travel), Ian Wright (largely travel + food), Floyd (food), Bobby Chin & Kylie Kwong (food), ditto Nigell Lawson (food) on Discovery T&L
Bourdain’s m favourite. What’s the link to your travel blog?
kalyan k´s last blog ..Maroosh, Bandra on call again
[Reply]
Kalyan Banerjee Reply:
September 2nd, 2009 at 4:36 PM
Great, would check them out.
My travel blog is at http://travellersdiary.net
[Reply]
kalyan k Reply:
September 2nd, 2009 at 5:22 PM
Good stuff. Where are you based. My travel blog is http://www.farawaydiaries.blogspot.com
kalyan k´s last blog ..Maroosh, Bandra on call again
[Reply]
Kalyan Banerjee Reply:
September 7th, 2009 at 11:17 PM
Sorry for the late reply KK. Was away enjoying Hyderabad you see.
I’m currently based at Bangalore and most of the early content in my travel blog is from my weekend getaways from bangalore. But I was in Austin for some time and thats when I churned out like 10 odd posts. And that probably where you Q stems from.
My food sojourn in Austin is pending though. Thanks for reminding me.
Sudeshna,
Thanks so much!! I am really flattered and honoured.
This recognition is inspiring me to come back to the blogging world….may be I will, after smoothening out the rough patch in the real world!!
And I share the opinion that Cook like a Bong deserves a place in the top Bong blog list….especially your new avtar!
And thanks once again.
SGD´s last blog ..Black Beauties…BERRY BERRY TASTY!
[Reply]
I am surprised no body mentioned http://www.angithi.com – Authentic Bengali recipes – check it out.
[Reply]
Sudeshna,
“শরত এলো, শরত গেল, শিউলি মালা শুকনো হল, তোমার আমার পূজো করা, শারদ প্রাতে শিশির পড়া..এবার শুরু হিমেল হাওয়া, হেমন্তের সাড়া পাওয়া …”
“ঘরে ঘরে ডাক পাঠালো, দীপালিকায় জ্বালাও আলো, জ্বালাও আলো, আপন আলো, সাজাও আলো ধরিত্রীরে, হিমের রাতের ওই গগনের দীপগুলিরে…হেমন্তিকা..”
Indira Mukerjee´s last blog ..সোনার তরীর পাঠকদের আমার শুভ বিজয়ার প্র্রীতি ও শুভেচ্ছা জানাই
[Reply]
,..] bengalicuisine.net is one great source of tips on this subject,..]
[Reply]
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