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…

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…

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…

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…

Hilsa a delicious estuarine herring and the pride of Bengali culture.

Ilish or Hilsa is a delicious estuarine herring at the core of the Bengali identity. It is called the “King of fishes”. The reason behind this fish having such a place of pride in the Bengali platter is the Bangaal–Ghoti tussle that defines the cultural flavour of Bengal in more ways than one. Are you…

Keemar Doi Bora: A whimsical blend of meat and curd

If you know any Bengali, you know that we are too proud of our culture and when it comes to Bengali culture, no one messes with our own Thakur bari. Rabindranath Tagore is the be all and end all of our very own Bengali existence. He overshadows every nook and cranny of our culture. I…

Vindaloo: From ’carne de vinha d’alhos’ to ‘British Lad culture’

Vindaloo is one of the most popular Indian dishes that originated in the Goa region of India. It’s a heavily spiced dish that can be vegetarian or that can contain things like pork, chicken or tofu. It is based on the Portuguese dish carne de vinha d’alhos which is popular in Goa, Vasai, Kerala and…