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With winter striking in, traditional Bengali cuisine has a vast history to explore, with some of the hardly known dishes one may have heard of. As soon as the calendar flips to November and the crisp scent of early winter fills the air, a quiet excitement sweeps through Bengali households. It's the season for the Mulo, the cherished white and red radishes. For Bengalis, whether you take up niramish ghonto or jeol machher jhol, without radishes in the kitchen, festive winter feasts are incomplete. Till the time of Poush Sankranti arrives, delicious radish desserts have been part of Bengali tradition for ages as well. 
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My family's connection to these dishes is profound, originating in Bikrampur, Dhaka, Bangladesh. I grew up watching my father and uncles eagerly eat raw Mulo slices and relish dishes like Mulo Ghonto with Shrimps and Mulor Daal.
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Traditional Bengali Cuisine in Winter: Grandma's Treasured Daikon Radish Recipes
Take it as the vegetarian delights like Mulo Diye Motor Dal to non-vegetarian recipes like fish and chicken curries, radish has been a star in winter recipes. The recipes, particularly the unique East Bengali ones that favour minimal spices, were passed down by my Grandmother. She inherited the foundational techniques from her mother but, over the years, made them her own. Her kitchen was a laboratory of flavour, where minimal use of spices and a keen focus on the radish's natural, earthy flavour led to innovations such as Mulor Malpua, Mulor payesh, and Puli.
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Mulo Diye Motor Dal (Yellow Split Peas with Radish)
Yellow split peas (Matar Dal) and diced white radish are pressure-cooked until tender. The dal is finished with a fragrant tempering (Tadka) in hot mustard oil or ghee, using whole spices like cumin seeds, bay leaves, and dry red chillies. The radish's earthy, slightly pungent flavour balances the rich lentils. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot with steamed rice.
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Mulo Chingri Ghonto (Radish and Shrimp Stir-fry)
More like a culinary poem, this semi-dry ghonto of grated/matchstick-cut radish and shrimp (Chingri), is a winter favourite. Paanch phoron, squeezed sautéed radish, turmeric paste, chilli, cumin, and coriander powder, and you just need to cook until the oil separates. The fried shrimp and green chillies are added last. And this classic East Bengali accompaniment to rice or roti is ready!.
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Mulo Saag (Daikon Radish Leaves Stir-fry)
The best part about radish is that each part of this vegetable, from root to leaves, can be used in cooking, and this saag is one of the simplest, healthiest everyday dishes. In the cooking process, hot mustard oil welcomes nigella, garlic, and onion for a fragrant start. Chopped radish and its greens are salted, then steamed under a lid until soft. The lid lifts to dry excess moisture. This preparation relies on pungent mustard oil and garlic to prepare a perfect pairing for hot rice.
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Mulor Polao (Radish Rice Pulao)
Mulor Polao is a winter-special one-pot meal everyone loves on the table. Whole spices (bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon) are tempered in oil. Diced radish and tomatoes are sautéed with grounded spices (chilli, turmeric, garam masala). Rinsed rice (Basmati) and optional moong dal are added with water and cooked under pressure. The radish imparts an earthy sweetness, perfectly integrating with the aromatic whole spices.
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Mulor Bhapa Pitha (Steamed Radish Rice Cake)
You must have heard about dudhpuli or vapa pithe, famous among Bengalis! Mulor Bhapa Pithe is a tweak to the traditional recipe. Gur diye Mulor bhapa pithe, that’s how it’s named. Chopped radish is boiled, drained, and then cooked with grated jaggery (Gur) and coconut to create a thick, sweet stuffing (Pur). A simple rice flour batter is prepared. The pitha is assembled by layering the batter in a mould, placing the radish-jaggery stuffing in the center, covering it with more batter, and steaming until fluffy. These half-moon-shaped dumplings have a distinctive design pattern to follow. The jaggery and coconut mask the radish and leave an unusual yet sweet taste in your mouth.
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Mulor Malpoa (Radish Pancakes/Fritters)
This inventive sweet-savoury fritter incorporates grated radish into a simple batter (flour/rice flour), often seasoned with a hint of sugar/jaggery and fennel seeds. The batter, thickened by the radish, is shallow-fried or pan-fried into small, thick pancakes. The radish provides an earthy background note that balances the slight sweetness and the richness of the frying oil (often ghee).
Mulor Payesh (Radish Milk Pudding)
A sophisticated dessert where grated radish replaces rice in a traditional milk pudding. Pungent-free radish is grated, lightly sautéed, and added to full-fat milk that has been simmering and reducing. Along with cardamom and bay leaf, the mixture is slow-cooked for 30–40 minutes until the radish is completely soft and the milk is considerably thickened. Once cooled, it is sweetened with Date Palm Jaggery (Nolen Gur). Garnish with fried nuts/raisins. The result is a creamy, thick, aromatic Payesh where the radish contributes body, not flavour.
Chef Nayana Afroz Shares Her Non-Veg Bangladeshi Recipes With Raddish
A renowned culinary expert from Dhaka, Bangladesh, Chef Nayana Afroz is celebrated for her profound understanding and promotion of contemporary Bangladeshi and regional Indian Bengali cuisines. She has showcased her skills internationally and is particularly keen on highlighting the differences between Bangladeshi and Indian Bengali dishes. Chef Afroz shares two recipes following the inclusion of Mulo in protein-based flavourful East Bengali cooking.
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Koi Fish (Climbing Perch) with White Radish
In our kitchens, the Koi fish jhol is a light winter grace, where the river's bounty meets the season's root. The process begins with lightly frying the salted-turmeric marinated Koi. Next, a phoron of nigella seeds and chopped onions sizzles in hot mustard oil.
She further mentioned, “We build the thin, flavourful gravy by adding turmeric, chilli, and coriander powder with ginger paste. Potatoes go in first, then warm water. The magic is in the timing: we add the cubed white radish and peas last, ensuring they tenderise but hold their shape.”
Country Chicken with White Radish
Image Credit: Chef Nayana Afroz
The next recipe connects with Bengalis’ love for Country Chicken curry. “It is a rich, slow-cooked curry that we start cooking by tempering mustard oil with the aromas of whole spices like bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. After frying chopped onions until translucent, the chicken, salt, and all powdered spices (turmeric, chilli, cumin, coriander) are added, then a bit of rich ginger, garlic, and onion paste.” Chef mentioned.
“As cooking Deshi Murgi demands time, we add the radish roundels after the chicken is partially cooked, allowing them to tenderise and infuse the rich gravy fully. A final aromatic flourish of garam masala and roasted cumin powder seals the taste.” Chef Nayana Afroz concluded.
Jayeeta Ghosh From Haarir Khobor Shares Her Kachki Mach Diye Mulo Chechki Recipe
Jayeeta Ghosh, a West Bengal home chef, is the creative force behind Haarir Khobor. Transitioning from marketing, she blends her Bengali roots and travel experiences to reimagine classic recipes. A writer and painter, Jayeeta infuses her food with personal storytelling, passionately preserving Bengal’s rich culinary heritage with a modern, artistic touch.
Kachki Mach diye Mulo Chechki
Kachki Mach diye Mulo Chechki is a light, fragrant treasure from the banks, often prepared for lunch when time is short but flavour is paramount. The tiny Kachki fish, simply rubbed with salt, is the star. We heat mustard oil and let the pharon—nigella seeds and slit green chillies—crackle, setting a clean, sharp base. Grated radish (and optional potatoes) is added next with turmeric, cooked until it softens, creating the chechki (mashed texture). The fish goes in last, cooking swiftly. This East Bengali recipe is characterised by minimal spices, letting the pungency of the mustard oil and the fresh texture of the radish and Kachki speak volumes. It's therapeutic simplicity in a single pan.
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Rohitashwa Guha, A Culinary Enthusiast Shares His Grandma's Favourite Recipe
Rohitashwa Guha, a culinary enthusiast and home chef who roots his cooking philosophy in the generational stories of his family's women, shares two very traditional, non-fussy recipes.
Mulo Siddho Makha (Mashed Boiled Radish with Mustard Oil)
This is the ultimate expression of minimalism, a comforting bharta. "My grandma used to love this mulo siddho recipe with rice. A plate of hot steamed rice needed nothing else to be gobbled immediately.", Rohitashwa mentioned. Cubed radish is boiled until supremely tender—a lesson in softening life's sharp edges. Once drained, it is simply mashed. The makha (mashing) is seasoned with just salt, a fresh paste of green chillies, a vibrant paste of coriander leaves, and the essential crowning glory: a generous drizzle of raw, pungent mustard oil. There is no fire-cooked spice here; the taste is intensely fresh, sharp, and fiery, relying entirely on the quality of the raw ingredients.
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Bojuri Tyangrar Chocchori (Tangra Fish with Grated Red Radish)
This chorchori is a delightful mingling of two bold winter flavours: the robust Tyangra fish and the grated red radish. The fish is lightly salted.
Rohitashwa mentioned, “We cook the Tyangra and grated radish together from the start in moderate mustard oil, alongside vibrant raw turmeric, sliced green chillies, and lots of fresh coriander. The key is gentle patience: it cooks on a medium flame, requiring careful turning to prevent the delicate fish from breaking.”
The red radish cooks down to a yielding texture, absorbing the oil and spice. A final, crucial drizzle of raw mustard oil before serving amplifies the aroma, delivering a spicy, semi-dry, and distinctly flavour-packed East Bengali chorchori.
From raw relish to exquisite desserts like Bhapa Pitha, the white and red radishes are instrumental in defining the quintessential winter menu, beautifully bridging the kitchens and traditions of both East and West Bengal.
