A typical Bengali lunch has a little bit of every taste that one can possibly look for in a mid-day meal. The Bengali lunch generally comprises of five courses, with rice and potatoes that can be coupled with mashed and boiled papaya/pumpkin/bitter gourd, shukto, daal and a shobji (vegetables), maach (fish) and topped off with a chutney or shondesh (sweetmeat).

• Rice goes all the way through the different courses. The first course of mashed potatoes and bitter gourd with rice is beneficial for the skin and the stomach. Bitter gourd is light and especially good in the summer.

• Next comes the Shukto, which is a stew of mixed vegetables cooked with light spices and minimal oil. Also easy on the stomach, Shukto can be pepped up with a dash of ghee.

• The fish curry can be prepared from a wide selection of fish, both sweet-water and sea fish. The‘Gurjaali’ is a sea fish which has a unique sweet and salty taste and tastes good when made into a light curry with jeera paste.

• The daal and shobji gives one a variety of daal and vegetable recipes to choose from. My personal favorite is the masoor daal (lentils) with aalu posto (potato cooked with poppy seeds). Lentils are a rich source of proteins and potato gives you the carbohydrates. Poppies also aid in digestion and are good when taken in summer.

• The daal and shobji gives one a variety of daal and vegetable recipes to choose from. My personal favorite is the masoor daal (lentils) with aalu posto (potato cooked with poppy seeds). Lentils are a rich source of proteins and potato gives you the carbohydrates. Poppies also aid in digestion and are good when taken in summer.                                                                       

• The dessert, either chutney or a sweetmeat completes the lunch. My favorite is the sweet and sour mango chutney. Made from raw, green mangoes in summer, it is light refreshing and really good for the stomch.