Panta Bhat for a dinner party — went down extremely well

I made Panta Bhat for eight guests who had varying familiarity with the cuisine. Every single person asked for the recipe. The pungent from mustard oil profile was the main talking point — no one had quite experienced panch phoron five-spice used that way before.

hilsa fish is a cultural icon in Bangladesh — its seasonal availability is a national event. I explained the a traditional Bengali home context as I served it which helped people appreciate it fully. lassi was what I offered alongside and it worked perfectly. Excellent dinner party dish — impressive without being inaccessible.