Panta Bhat

I ate Panta Bhat at three different restaurants in the same week to compare. The results were illuminating. The use of panch phoron five-spice varied significantly — only one got it right. The pungent from mustard oil profile should be consistent but interpretation differs widely. Bengali cuisine s…

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 Ba…