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6 Min
24/12/2025
In the iconic Hindi-language movie Hum Aapke Hai Kaun, there’s a song centred around wedding rituals and a feast. In it, a line goes, “Rasmalai? Aapke liye. Itni mithai? Aapke liye. (Rasmali? That’s for you. All other desserts? All for you!).” Now, if that song was based on a Bengali wedding, the lyrics would probably include machher jhol and mishti doi in the mix. Because no Bengali wedding is complete without these two. But is there something ‘fishy’ behind it, or something sweet? Well, leave the bad puns on the side and dig in to know.
If there’s one thing about India that everyone can agree on, it’s that it is a land of regional diversity. Every region has its own set of rituals and traditions, especially when it comes to big life events, like weddings. This article, in particular, explores the Bengali wedding feast. From Aiburobhaat, aka the “bachelor sendoff meal”, to the unique bridal entry, Bengali weddings have their own set of customs and beliefs. And machher jhol and mishti doi, among other dishes, feature heavily in the wedding feast because of these beliefs. Let’s find out more.
While several events precede and follow the Bengali wedding, the marriage feast features select items and follows a narrative arc, moving from bitter and savoury to sweet — mirroring life’s balance, not just taste preference.
Starters: Bengalis like their fried food. Starters are often fritters, or fried snacks of different types, served with dum aloo or cholar dal. Some common starters are machher chop (breaded and fried fish), beguni (deep-fried eggplant), dimer devil (deep-fried devilled egg), radhaballabhi and koraishutir kochuri (both stuffed puris but with different fillings). Apart from these traditional choices, puchka, chowmein, fries, and other starters might also be available.
Mains: While fish and meat tend to take centre stage, the feast is never short on vegetarian options. In fact, Bengali cuisine offers a variety of vegetarian dishes for both starters and mains. Popular vegetarian mains like dum aloo, shukto, potol dorma, khichuri, paneer rezala, and more.
Meat Selection: When it comes to meat, Bengalis prefer mutton dishes over chicken. Among seafood, fish like Betki and Basa are found in almost every Bengali wedding food menu. The fish dishes can be machher jhol, shorshe ilish, doi rui, and bhetki macher paturi. For mutton-based dishes, guests might see kosha mangsho or mutton biryani on the menu.
Desserts: It goes without saying that mishti doi is on the menu. Along with sandesh, roshogolla, pantua, and rajbhog, among others.
While every ceremony is different and includes individual preferences, machher jhol and mishti doi are almost always present at the wedding feast. And there’s a symbolic reason behind it.
Mishti doi and machher jhol are deeply tied to Bengali ideas of shubho shuru (auspicious beginnings) and abundance. Historically, Bengal’s fertile river plains made fish and dairy staples of everyday prosperity, not luxury.
Serving fish at weddings symbolised continuity of life, fertility, and good fortune. In fact, fish is integrated into pre-wedding ceremonies, such as the Aiburobhat (the last meal as a bachelor/bachelorette), where a lavish fish spread is served. A whole decorated fish is also traditionally presented to the groom's family as a blessing.
On the other hand, mishti doi — sweet, cooling, and made by slow fermentation — marked celebration, closure, and sweetness entering a new phase of life. Additionally, curd or yoghurt is described as the food of the gods in the Vedas and is considered auspicious for new beginnings.
Culturally, a Bengali wedding meal is designed to balance taste (rasa), digestion, and symbolism. Machher jhol appears early in the meal to stimulate appetite and anchor the feast in familiarity, while mishti doi comes near the end to cool the palate and ceremonially “seal” the occasion with sweetness.
Ultimately, a wedding feast is a way for the hosts to both entertain their guests and thank them for blessing the bride and groom. It’s also a way for the families to come together and celebrate a new union. The menu, thus, remains a blend of traditional fare and modern dishes, carefully chosen to form the grand wedding feast.
