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Taler Bora or Palm Fruit Nuggets, if I may call them so
When Janmashtami or the annual celebration of the birth of Lord Krishna is in full swing, these fried mini Taler Boras make their entry… sweet – bitter – crunchy entry! My attempt at another futile translation… Taler Bora. Palm Fruit Nuggets? The last time when I translated Phulko Luchi to Bengali puffed-up flour flatbread, I was sure that some of Luchi’s crispiness and fluffiness got lost in translation. So this time, can I simply say how I love these fried balls of deliciousness? Or how they might just become extinct, washed away by the more popular fritters and branded nuggets? Or shall I add to the already existing confusion – how will…
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Semaiya Kheer or Vermicelli Pudding to celebrate Eid
Childhood memories of Eid bring in the sweet taste of Semaiya Kheer or vermicelli pudding, also called Shemuiyer Payesh in Bengali. The shimuiyer payesh that I have eaten at most Bengali homes, is made much like the rice pudding. The shimuiyer payesh, however, is sweetened with sugar and Gur or jaggery is seldom used in it. It is also less dense. Here's my easy recipe for the delicious festive dessert.
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I never aspired for any other passport but my Indian passport and it has nothing to do with patriotism
Happy 72nd Indian Republic Day! May the love and pride for our nation keep soaring high amongst all Indians, much like the Tricolour! I have been living abroad for the last 20 years and have just moved back to India from Dubai in October 2020. For those who may be expecting with fluttering hearts that the decision was initiated by a patriotic call to my roots, the country where I belong… the Bearded Biker got a transfer within the organisation that he has been working for many years. We were very excited as both our parents live in Kolkata and the last year was witness to the havoc it created…
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Pudding of Love | Mum-In-Law’s Special Caramel Custard
Again a folder full of unpublished drafts – each draft vying for equal attention. How could this delicious wonder remained lying in the folder – all because Mum-in-law wasn’t sure about the proportions of this recipe. Like most recipes of hers. And like most mums of her generations. No ifs and buts, no guessing… the measurements have to be perfect. And hence, the perfect recipe for a perfect pudding, oozing out love – the motherly love. The love that went into the making of her epic pickles and the same love that went into the hours of standing and finally goading the neighborhood Phuchkawala for the recipe of the perfect…
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A Riot of Colours | Kolkata Kaleidoscope
Holi… a riot of colours. It doesn’t have to be Holi to bring on a riot of colours in the city which has raised me. Kolkata. Perpetually on a roller coaster. Perpetually on a riot of colours. Millions of colourful memories occupying gigabytes of memories in the computer. Hundreds of unwritten posts. It is impossible to capture the city in all it’s essence but the images that constantly haunt me are the images from it’s streets, markets, strong faiths (make shift temple under a banyan tree, or in the dashboard of a taxi), decadent buildings, people, the stiff nosed club culture… a riot of colours… and the evening ice lolly…
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Opening Up My Bengali Kitchen For Dima Sharif
Ramadan Kareem! As I leave Dubai for the summers and settle down in Kolkata for almost two months (my summer hibernation as I like to call it, and probably for a lot of Dubai expats as well), I am overcome with tremendous guilt. Guilt for leaving my adopted home for far too long and also the guilt for feeling excited and longing to update my nerves and soul on what I might have missed out in Kolkata in the last two years… and in effect cheating my beloved Dubai! Although, I have left the shores of Bengal for long, Bengal hasn’t left me. The more I have tried to be…
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Flurys in Kolkata | The Legend Still Continues in Park Street
Flurys in Kolkata is legendary. The tearoom founded by the Swiss couple Mr and Mrs J Flurys in 1927 is still one of the most fashionable Park Street addresses.
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Ramadan Food Trail With Calcutta Walks | As The Muezzin Calls
Beauty surrounds us, but usually we need to be walking in a garden to know it. ∼Rumi ‘Why do you need to go on a food tour in Kolkata with a guide?’ My friends and family members were pretty baffled. I, who have been going around each and every lane, bylane, market, sweet shop, food kiosk, restaurant in Kolkata – with my Nikon, smartphone and the Z-Sisters in tow. Well that’s true. But Kolkata being Kolkata – the overstimulated kaleidoscope that it is, the melting pot of culture, heritage and history that it is, one needs a guide… an explorer rather, who can guide you through the exploration of the…
IshitaUnblogged
A culinary travel blog
