Oh yes, you read it right. Jute leaves are actually edible and we Bengalis have been munching on its fritters for a long time now. It is a very common side dish in Bengali cuisine. I remember when I was a small child I used to go a nearby swampy area with my grandpa to…
Sindhi cuisine at it’s best
Sometimes the best surprises come from our dear friends. I haven know Zara for few years now and she is the one I know I can open up to whenever needed. But to my surprise I recently discovered that Zara, who is actually an amazing Thai chef, can really cook some killer Sindhi dishes. Zara…
Territy Bazar: A big chunk of China in Kolkata
I have lived in Kolkata for almost all my life and being a food lover have explored many places in search of a hearty meal. I knew about Territy Bazaar and its Chinese breakfast for long now. But somehow I couldn’t make time to visit this mini China of Kolkata. After my marriage when I…
Hyderabadi Haleem: A royal taste of heaven…
Haleem is made in most Islamic Countries and at many places in India. The month of Ramadan is something I always look forward to. But have you heard of ‘Hyderabadi Haleem’? It is very special in its ownself. Hyderabadi Haleem is spicier than other Haleems and is dripping with Ghee. That is why Haleem lovers…
BROADWAY HOTEL — a reminiscence of old Calcutta.
As the glasses clinks against each other, and the voices can be heard from the low tables with covers of maroon or yellow colour, I found myself in a place with the shaded lamps throwing light on black- and-white old Calcutta pictures. The draught beer taps are placed on the table, and I can see…
Anyone up for Netaji er Peyaji…?
An essential bangali adda is incomplete without exchange of political debates over fried tele bhaja and a cup of piping hot tea in matir bhaar. Ask me…I can even become a better politician than Modiji if given a cup of good bharer cha!! Oh and when we speak of tele bhaja and chanachur, Lakshmi Narayan…
THEKUA: not only a prasad but also an emotion for most Indians
As soon as the Chhat pujo approches, I start looking out for my Bihari acquaintances, whom I start pinging with just one demand… Thekua please. All through my childhood I clinged on to one of my school friend whose mom made one of the best Thekuas, it used to instantly find its way to the hearts…
K.C. Das: The sweetest affair of Bengal since 1860’s
It was the best of times for Bengal in the second half of the nineteenth century. Bengal’s resurgence was at its height From fine arts-commerce, to culture-industry, from literature to science, in all things there was a glorious flowering of exuberant excellence. And the spirit of this era touched the world of confectionery too. In…
“GHOTI GOROM” kaku — the Pied Piper of Kolkata
I still remember when the skyline of Kolkata used to turn into a riot of colours as the dusk descended, a familiar voice beckoned “Ghoti gorooooom, ghoti gorooooom…..” just like the Pied Piper of Hamelin. All through my childhood I never understood the meaning of the name, why is it “Ghoti gorom”? Whose “Ghoti” is…
Sheel-e-bata & Bhorta: Quintessential Bengali dishes which were long lost but found their way tantalising the new generation.
There are actually so many layers to the Bengali cuisine for there are so many regional variations. If we probe into the evolution of the cuisine, it will also reflect the history of Bengal. I am a true Bengali or a BONG to the core of my heart, the latter being equivalent to describe a…
A legend that endured for centuries… Radhu Babu’s tea shop
It is said that in the year 1933 Radha Kishore Datta who was an ardent and firebrand revolutionary devoted to the cause of India’s freedom had migrated to Kolkata from Purulia via Bankura to set up one of Kolkata’s of the first tea shop that came to be known as Radhu Babu Chayer Dokan. His…
Nibble_O_Gram 