It is a very festive time for Bengalis all over the world as Durga Puja 2019 has begun today. It is that time of the year when Bongs will pour out in crowds, immaculately dressed in sarees and salwar kameezes with the young and the old alike rubbing shoulders. A big part of the celebration is food! The spirit of the festival stays alive throughout these days, all thanks to the delicious street delicacies. For Bengalis, Pujo is synonyms with pigging out. What good is Pujo if you don't stuff yourself with puchkas and kathi rolls? It's a festival where food brings people together.  If you are in town for the Pujo season, don't miss out on the kathi rolls, puchkas, mangsher chops, ghugni and so many more. For the novices, here are the five best Bengali street food you cannot miss during pandal hopping this Durga Puja 2019. Love Is In Air during Pujo: Why Durga Puja Is the Valentine's Week for Bengalis. 

The pandals during Durga Puja is glamorous with bongs engaging in their cheerful laughs and endless gossips over a plate (plates) of puchka. Around every colourful pandal, there are stalls set up selling a variety of spicy, meaty, crumb-coated, deep-fried food and of course, the abundance of Bengali sweets.

1. Kathi Rolls

Kathi roll, or as the rest of India loves to call it -- Kolkata special roll, is that one street food that pandal hoppers cannot resist. It is basically a golden, flaky paratha stuffed with a filling of spicy, slightly overcooked meat kebabs, stir-fried onions, chopped green chillis and topped off with a squeeze of lemon. Each bite is heaven! Kosha Mangsho to Muri Ghonto, Check Out the Finger Licking Non-Veg Food Recipes to Devour This Pujo. 

2. Chop

Chops may sound like a non-veg fare but they come in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian forms.  Mochar chop, alur chop, beetroot and other vegetable chop are the famous snacks that bongs would eat accompanied with some raw nicely sliced onions. All the stalls during Pujo are sure to offer you the delicious mangsher chop (mutton cutlet) that can set any mutton lover's heart aflutter.

3. Puchka

You have a different name and taste for this street food. But for bongs, the crisp hollow balls tastes immensely better when filled with spiced potatoes and chickpeas and then dunked in a tangy tamarind syrup. Durga Pujo is the best time to enjoy this mouth-watering morsel fondly called puchka.

4. Ghugni

Ghugni is a savoury dish made from curried dried white peas, garnished with chopped onion, coriander and a splash of lime.  It is a Bong version of a cocktail snack that is eaten with a tiny wooden spoon. How Sonagachi Sex Workers Fought Their Way to Start Their Own Pujo And Are Celebrating With A Special Theme This Year. 

5. Luchi- Kosha Mangsho

The classic Bengali mutton gravy complemented with deep-fried flatbreads stands out during Pujo. Spicy-sweet kosha mangsho enjoyed with luchis is the ultimate treat that your taste buds deserve.

These are the best street food that one must enjoy during Pujo. Now the thing with Pujo street food is that they are calorific and dripping with oil. Just for these five days of Durga Puja, take a break from calorie counting! Go ahead and eat with no guilt.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 04, 2019 05:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).