Ompok pabda or Pabda (Bengali), Pabho (Assamese) is a fresh water fish that lives in small rivers, ponds and even flooded agriculture field in sub-mountainous regions of Ganga-Brahmaputra riverine system. The fish highly prized in Bengal, Assam and also eastern Bihar and terai regions of Nepal for its sweet, fresh taste and soft, buttery texture.…
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Continue ReadingThe middle courtyard of my Mama’r bari or my mother’s paternal house had a mango tree. It was one of the three trees spread around the gardens. One behind the kitchen, that could be seen from the kitchen window, yielded the most unique mangoes I have ever had. These were small, green even when ripe,…
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Continue ReadingWhen Gitanjali sent me the recipe, she sent it to me with the concern that it perhaps wasn’t frugal enough. May be it was not, two weeks ago, but as it stands today, it isn’t too lavish either. Supply chains have become better, seafood, meat and vegetables are becoming available again albeit still with some…
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Continue ReadingOne of the first women chef’s I fell in love with (hook, line and sinker, if you may) was Kylie Kwong, the Australian-Chinese chef. I have followed her for years now and much of my Southeast Asian and Chiniese flavours are influenced by her. One of her recipes that stuck to me is of stock…
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Continue ReadingMonima is my aunt, my mother’s younger brother’s wife. To all us cousins, she has always been an aunt, a friend and a confidante. In so many years of knowing her, none of us remember her for a moment when she wasn’t smiling, patient and kind. To everyone around her. To that, add a killer…
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Continue ReadingOm has been suffering from a toothache since ast night. It had been bothering him since beginning of the lockdown but we couldn’t make a trip to the dentist, so he was managing it. Last night the pain got unbearable and he couldn’t sleep all night! And those who have experienced toothaches and earaches know…
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Continue ReadingI see a lot of people who have become interested in bread making during this lockdown! One reason being our limited mobility to step out, familiarity of bread on our breakfast tables and the finally having the time that most people associate with bread making. Well, it does need time but most of it doesn’t…
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Continue ReadingToday is Chaitra Sankranti, a day for traditional recipes using seasonal summer vegetables. What better than Ashis’s grandmother’s recipe for drumsticks in mustard paste. He very kindly shared the recipe, and wrote to me saying, “She adored me like hell. Actually my mom didn’t know anything when she got married. So all the food she’s…
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Continue ReadingLebu pata bhapa paneer My Naboborsho this year was as (meh!)as the year in general. My yearly bout of summer fever decided to come a night before the Nabobarsho, completely draining me of every iota of energy. I spent the entire day on liquids, only to be able to eat tiny morsels of solid food…
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Continue ReadingI met Madhushree about two years back on a trip to Kolkata when she and Anindya, left two kids back home without a nanny, and made time to come and meet us. Since then, they have made sure that we meet everytime any one of us are in each other’s town. It doesn’t matter how…