Pohela Boishakh is the first day of the Bengali calendar, also known as the Bengali New Year or Noboborsho. Bengali New Year is celebrated in West Bengal and among Bengali communities in Assam, Tripura, and Bangladesh. In 2023, Pohela Boishakh will be celebrated on April 15 in several states of India, including West Bengal, Tripura, Jharkhand, and Assam (Barak Valley) by Bengalis regardless of religious faith.

On this day, the most famous dish that Bengalis eat is panta bhat or poitabhat, which is a rice-based dish prepared by soaking rice, generally leftovers, in water overnight. It is popularly eaten with hilsa fish and other curries. As we celebrate Pohela Boishakh 2023, here are five delicious food items you should try! Puthandu 2023 Recipe Videos: From Vazhakkai Varuval to Kalkandu Sadam, 5 Food Items To Celebrate Tamil New Year.

1. Payesh

Payesh is one of the famous dishes in Bengal made on Pohela Boishakh. It is made with rice and a variety of dry fruits. Payesh is also called a rice pudding. The sweet dish is an absolute delight for dessert lovers. On this Bengali New Year, make it a point that you try this special Bengali dish and give a treat to your taste buds.

Payesh (Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons)

2. Aloor Dum

On the auspicious occasion of Pohela Boishakh, people make several delicacies and aloor dum is one of them! If you are a potato lover, this dish must be tried during the Bengali New Year celebrations. The spicy, mouth-watering potato curry makes your day as the potatoes get enhanced when they are added to the Bengali-style curry. A lot of spices like coriander, turmeric, and garam masala add to their taste. One can enjoy this with steamed rice or puri.

Aloor Dum (Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons)

3. Baingan Bhaja (or, Begun Bhaja)

Baingan bhaja is a comfort food that becomes irresistible with its enhanced flavours. This dish is quite famous during Pohela Boishakh. A Bengali platter is always incomplete without baingan bhaja, so it is an important part of the meal. The dish, as the name suggests, is made of Indian eggplant, making it healthier and even more delicious. It is certainly a delight to your taste buds, the taste of spices all in your mouth at once.

Baingan Bheja (Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons)

4. Rasgulla

Bengali Rasgullas are very popular and hold a special place in the Bengali meal. The sweet dish is so spongy that it can drive you insane with its taste. You can make this using chena and sugary syrup, enjoy this delicacy, and make Pohela Boishakh a memorable time with your family and friends.

Rasgulla (Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons)

5. Cholar Dal

Cholar dal completes the Pohela Boishakh food menu. It is uniquely made with chana dal, and coconut is added to it along with other spices. It has a sweet and spicy taste and is too delectable to resist.  Enjoy this special dal with luchi (Bengali puri) or steamed rice.

Luchi and Cholar Dal (Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons)

In Bengali, the word "pohela" means "first", and Boishakh is the first month of the Bengali calendar. Celebration of Pohela Boishakh traces its roots back to the Mahifarash community during the Mughal rule and also the proclamation of tax collection reforms of Akbar.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 11, 2023 05:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).