I wonder how many reading this post would be able to recognise the flower in the photograph! Very few, is what I will wager my bet on. Neither could my friend Debarati Dutta-Cherukuri when she joined us one afternoon in December for lunch. I had served the stir fry over lunch, which had her guessing for quite a…
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Continue ReadingThe first event by ForkTales Social Tables had auspicious beginnings with the event on the Mahaprasad served at the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha. The traditions of the temple in cooking and serving the prasad were followed to the extent possible. In keeping with that, the entire meal was cooked out of these pots. If we have to…
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Continue ReadingThe second event by Social Tables choose to tread a path less taken – demystify the idea of non-vegetarian prasad – an idea which is alien to most. And what better than bhog served to the Mother Goddess and the numerous forms that she is worshipped in across Bengal. We brought forth a bit…
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Continue ReadingI have a strangely sentimental memory around paan. As kids, we were prohibited from having paan, well, too much of paan. The only time we were allowed to have it was when we got little shares from elders. Ma would have a paan once in a while, especially after a heavy meal. And I had…
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Continue ReadingThe Chettinad Potato Roast is a perfect match of two very important things in my food experience – potatoes and aromatic balanced spices! I am a spice addict. Days when I have had long tiring experience I open my spice cupboard and stand in front of it. That is my home-grown therapy! Hence the natural…
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Continue ReadingI am scrambled egg Nazi. So critical am I of scrambled eggs that I hate it 98% of the times it is served to me, whether at home or out of 5 star kitchens. I also steer clear of the anda bhurji served by dhabas and restaurants because it is murder of the eggs! I can…
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Continue ReadingDahi chuda or flattened rice with curd is a traditional breakfast in the Eastern states of Assam, West Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. It is an everyday breakfast and also made on certain festivals like Sankranti. Seasonal fruits are usually added to it. The Dahi Chuda Parfait is inspired from the humble Dahi Chuda. It was…
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Continue ReadingChoshir Payesh (Chosi Kheer) Have you heard of the orzo or the rizoni? These are Italian pasta! Or the ptitim? It is Isreali wheat based pasta invented during the austerity period in Israel, which later became couscous! Or the kritharáki, arpa şehriye and the arpa şehriye? These are Greek, Turkish and Arabic! What is common…
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Continue ReadingI remember once when Baba had brought home some 10 kilos of peas from a village because the farmer sold them at Rs.2 a kilo! The driver had dragged a gunny bag behind him. Ma had made Baba and me sit through the entire Sunday and pop peas, much to my charging! When Didi and…
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Continue ReadingIt would be an understatement to say that I was a finicky eater as a child! Given a choice I would not eat or take two hours to finish a meal. I was infamous. One of those children who were allotted the corner seat in sit-down wedding feasts, so that batch after batch could finish their…