Bengali people are foodie and simple. So their food habit is special as well as simple. Bengali people love simple vegetable fries not just along with rice but also roti. A simple vegetable fries dish along with plain roti is very common breakfast food in Bengal. Yes, simple fried vegetables are very popular in West Bengal as well as in Bangladesh. Though such bhaja (fries) & roti are mostly prepared for breakfast. But many people also love it for their dinner too. There are many options in fried vegetables and every Bengali has his/her own favorite vegetable fries. Here is a list of 5 Bengali vegetable fries to have with roti.
5 Bengali style vegetable fries (Bhaja)
1. Aloo bhaja (Potato fries)
This is one of the most popular bhaja dishes in Bengal. People love this with dal & rice as well as roti too. There are multiple types of recipes available to make this aloo bhaja. To have it with rice, people want crispy aloo bhaja. Whereas thick potato pieces are preparable to have with plain roti. Aloo bhaja is often cooked with onion & green chilles or kalonji/nigella seeds/kalo jeera & chillies. Many people prefer round thick slices of potatoes whereas some people prefer thick long rectangular potato slices. So what is your choice?
2. Begun bhaja (Brinjal fries)
I love begun bhaja & roti a lot. This is one of my favorite breakfast as well as dinner. Lamba begun bhaja is most preferred traditional begun bhaja to have with dal & rice. Though some people love a crispy coat over brinjal pieces by adding a thin batter on it. But I love traditional begun bhaja dish which is fried in a simple way. You just need turmeric powder, salt & red chili powder (optional). It is very enjoyable to have with simple tawa roti. I love such breakfast. Do you too?
3. Kumro bhaja (Pumpkin fries)
Another awesome vegetable fry which is different in taste. It is sweet in taste and many Bengali people love it to have along with roti. Mostly big size rectangular shaped pumpkin fry is preferred to have with rice. But fried small pieces of pumpkin fries are enjoyable to eat along with roti. Some people also add fried potato pieces in this dish.
4. Bhendi bhaja (Okra fries)
Bhendi or bhindi or okra or lady’s finger is a popular vegetable and many people love stir-fried okra a lot. Bhindi masala is a popular North Indian dish. But the Bengali style bhendi bhaja is a simple one. Here only a few ingredients are needed. Most people add onion, turmeric powder, green chillies & salt to make it. Many people also add small pieces of potatoes to this bhendi bhaja. It is very enjoyable to have along with plain roti. Did you ever try it?
5. Borboti bhaja (Cowpea fries)
This is another popular summer vegetable. It is used to make various delicious traditional dishes. Many people use it to make the mixed vegetable curry too. But simple borboti bhaja is different in taste. It is healthy as well as tasty. Potato is often added to this borboti bhaja what make it more enjoyable. Last season, I grew multiple borboti plants and those produced a lot of borboti/cowpea beans/long beans throughtout the season. So borboti bhaja became a common dish during last summer. I had my dinner too with borboti bhaja & plain roti.
So which Bengali style vegetables fried (Sabji bhaja) do you like most? Do you like to have those with roti too? Or you just prefer to have those along with dal & rice? Please share your thought by leaving a comment below.
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