Amish o Niramish Ahaar Akhondo | ঠাকুরবাড়ির রান্নাঘরে

Jorasanko Thakur Bari—an institution inseparable from Bengali identity—has given the world many luminaries. Among them was Pragyasundari Devi, granddaughter of Maharshi Debendranath Tagore and niece of Rabindranath Tagore. Married to Assamese literary giant Lakhsmikanta Bezbaruah, Pragyasundari saw cooking not as household duty, but as a creative art and a source of joy.

Encouraged and persuaded by her husband, she began documenting her experiments in the kitchen—at a time when publishing a cookbook was unheard of for women. What followed was revolutionary: multiple volumes containing nearly 2,500 recipes, covering an astonishing range of Bengali and global dishes.

From elaborate kalia, kofta, korma, kabab, curry, and classic cutlets, chops, grills, stews, soups, to traditional hing preparation, bori, polao, khichuri, and festive delicacies—this book embraces everything. Fish, crab, prawn, chicken, duck, ham, pork, rabbit—even rare dishes long lost from Bengali kitchens.

Simply put, Amish O Niramish Ahar is a monumental culinary archive, preserving recipes, techniques, and flavours that shaped the gastronomic history of Bengal. A treasure for food lovers, researchers, chefs, and anyone who wants to rediscover the depth and diversity of traditional Bengali cuisine.