Chittagong's culinary heritage is intricately linked to its coastal setting, which has resulted in an eclectic mix of influences. The indigenous tribes, the Mughal rule, the British colonial period, and the neighbouring regions like Myanmar and the Indian subcontinent have a great influence on the food culture here.
Chittagong's traditional food is renowned for its unique flavours due to its use of fresh fish, coconut milk, and various spices.
Mezbani gosht
When we are talking about Chittagong cuisine, the flagship of the menu is the mezbani gosht. The word “mezban” literally means guest. Mezban is a highly celebrated social affair in Chittagong called on several occasions where the star of the show is the mezbani gosht.
Big pots of beef are cooked for hours with several spices. The lip-smacking spicy beef curry is served with chonar daal (Bengal gram stew with spices) and rice. A side dish called nola kanzi, a bone marrow stew again cooked for hours with spices, is a go-to side dish with the spread.
Kala bhuna
Kala bhuna, a semi-dry blackish meat preparation, is another star of the Chittagong cuisine. The word Kala means black, and bhuna means curry. Beef, sometimes mutton, is used for this dish.
Chunks of meat are cooked in mustard oil with numerous spices. The final dish is quite dry and has a dark appearance, just like the name. The dark colour of the dish is achieved through the use of different spices and slow cooking. Kala bhuna pairs really good with plain rice, polao, paratha, naan or roti
Durus kura
Durus Kura is a very special chicken dish of this region. A whole chicken is used for this recipe. Skinless whole chicken is marinated with a mixture of ginger-garlic paste, onion paste, garam masala powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, poppy seeds, and many other spices.
Some recipes use boiled eggs to stuff the chicken. Then, the chicken is cooked over low-to-medium flame until the chicken is juicy and tender and the gravy is thick. This dish is usually served with plain pulao/ pilaf. Durus Kura also has its roots in weddings and other important occasions. A newly wedded bride is always welcome with a durus kura in that region.
Lebur Kazi
Lebur kazi is a very popular condiment of Chittagong. Lemon and garlic are the star ingredients of this preparation. Dried chillies and cloves of garlic are sauteed in mustard oil. After that, they are smashed with salt and lemon juice. Water is added to the dish. It has a watery consistency, and Chittagong people love to eat this with rice and curry.
