Discover Sheherwali vegetarian cuisine near Kolkata, steeped in 300 years of culinary tradition
Nestled along the banks of the Bhagirathi River, Murshidabad is a city alive with history. Its narrow lanes, bustling markets and grand palaces tell stories of its time as the capital of Bengal. The air is fragrant with spices, and every street echoes centuries of trade, culture and culinary tradition.
Murshidabad is also the birthplace of Sheherwali cuisine, a 300-year-old vegetarian tradition known for its creative use of seasonal ingredients, bold spice combinations and strict Jain culinary principles.
Step into the kitchen of Bari Kothi and Murshidabad’s culinary history comes alive. About four hours from Kolkata, this 18th-century heritage hotel was first built and also restored by the Dudhoria family, one of the most prominent members of the Sheherwali community. The hotel’s marble floors, Burma teak pillars, hand-painted tiles and Belgian glass chandeliers provide the perfect backdrop for the Oswal Jain community’s vegetarian cuisine, brought here centuries ago from Rajasthan.
Start with kheera ki kachori, a deep-fried pastry filled with spiced grated cucumber and hung curd, served at the hotel. The cucumber is salted and drained in muslin cloth, then combined with curd that has been hung for five hours. Dough made from wheat flour, semolina, ghee and salt is shaped into circles, stuffed with the cucumber and curd mixture before frying. Served hot with fresh coriander chutney, it’s a snack that has shaped the Sheherwali palate for generations.
For a complete culinary experience at Bari Kothi, try a Sheherwali thali: a platter of goba rooti, a delicately hand-pinched bread, served alongside milao ka dal, a five-lentil mix; masala patta gobi, sautéed cabbage; kheera khatta meetha, a sweet-and-sour cucumber dish; and kela ka akra, crispy banana chips.
Sheherwali kitchens elevate simple vegetables into dishes full of depth and texture. Spiced cucumber and green capsicum make a wholesome side dish, while curries – always made without onion or garlic – are infused with panch phoran, a fragrant five-spice blend of nigella, cumin, mustard, fennel and fenugreek seeds. Curries are paired with tikda, a simple wheat roti with ghee and salt, rounding out a satisfying meal.
The cuisine also surprises with inventive treats. From powdered stone apples mixed with spices that act as a digestive to a rare, chilled dessert of black-eyed bean flour, sugar syrup and kewra water (a fragrant pandanus flower extract), each dish highlights the creativity and skill behind Sheherwali cooking.
