Korola Chingri Bhorta Recipe

Korola Chingri Bhorta, with all its bitterness mixed with the delicious flavor of shrimp, makes for an ideal summer cuisine. One that can be enjoyed with the family on a hot day over lunch.

One thing that fascinates me is the sheer myriad of Bhortas Bengali cuisine has. You can make Bhortas out of vegetables, fruits and even spices. And moreover, it does not have to be vegan. You can even make Bhortas from dried fish (Shutki bhorta), normal fish and one especially popular for Bhorta in Bangladesh is Hilsa fish tail. So you can give Bangladeshi people just about anything, and they’ll make a Bhorta out of it and eat it with rice.

The versatility is somewhat endless and you can even mix and match different ingredients to create another kind of Bhorta. Aloo (Potato) Bhorta is probably the most popular and Potol (Pointed gourd) is another vegetable that is used to make Bhorta. But you can mix the two and create Aloo-Potol Bhorta.

Even simple spices can be turned into Bhortas. Two popular examples being Shorisha (Mustard) Bhorta and Kalojeera (black cumin) Bhorta. These Bhortas do not have much additional oil, fat, or carbs going into them. So some of these Bhortas may not suit the taste buds of everyone, but they retain the original health benefits and taste of the ingredients. My father regularly eats Kalojeera Bhorta to keep his blood pressure in check. And everytime he offers me a portion as well. But I am a young-adult, I do not eat based on health benefits. But he, like most other brown fathers, keeps on insisting.

Now what makes Bhortas even more special is not just the sheer variety, or the simplicity of preparations, it’s also the emotion. Because the recipes are generally handed down over generations. And Bhortas capture the essence of the region. One example that comes to my mind is the aforementioned Hilsa Fish Tail Bhorta. It used to be a Bhorta popular in the regions beside the Padma river, particularly in ferry ghats beside the river. The bridge over the river was opened in mid 2022, a huge milestone for the infrastructure of Bangladesh. But before the bridge, everyone would have to wait on the ferry ghats and take special interest in local dishes, Hilsa Fish Tail Bhorta being one of them.

Today’s recipe of Korola (bitter gourd) Chinri (shrimps) Bhorta has been passed down through generations as well. Our team member Rumana Jahan’s grandmother passed down the recipe, and Rumana apu tried making it.

My personal opinion on the Bhorta was conflicting at first. As the name suggests, the Bhorta has two ingredients: Korola and Chingri. Both of these can be made into their own separate Bhortas. And I love Chingri Bhorta. The strong flavor and smell of shrimps make an excellent Bhorta to have with Bhaat (boiled rice).

Korola Bhorta is also a thing. You can make boiled Korola Bhorta or raw Korola Bhorta. But I have never tried either of them because Korola (bitter gourd) has an extremely bitter taste to it. Yes this bitter vegetable has a plethora of health benefits. But as I already said, I don’t eat thinking about how it will make me healthier.

So I was confused about mixing something I love with something I absolutely do not like. Which flavor would reign supreme in Korola Chingri Bhorta? Would the flavor of shrimps survive the bitterness of the gourd?

But you know in culinary arts no ingredient wins a dish over, they all live in peace and harmony. And that’s what happened in the Korola Chingri Bhorta, the bitterness stayed but it shook hands with the slightly sweet and slightly salty taste of shrimp. I really liked how the Bhorta turned out. But if you’re not a fan of the bitter gourd, I would not recommend it.

The Korola Chingri Bhorta has another significance for Bangladeshi people. It is one due to the climate. Bangladesh is a hot country, and due to climate change it is getting hotter every year. Now a quick google search told me that eating bitter food helps retain water and reduces body heat. I had to lean on google for this knowledge, but the people of this country have passed down this information. Every time my mother cooks bitter gourd, she says that it’s a really hot day and the bitter gourd will be good for everyone. I thought it was something she just said to make the dish more appealing, but what do you know, it was facts all along.

So Korola Chingri Bhorta, with all its bitterness mixed with the delicious flavor of shrimp, makes for an ideal summer cuisine. One that can be enjoyed with the family on a hot day over lunch.