One fall out of the lockdown and social distancing has been my recollection of all those people who have showered me with affection and taught me cooking. One such person was Uma da. I had began my career in the development sector in Odisha. One early morning of August, eighteen years back, I had landed…
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Continue ReadingOmpok 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 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 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 ReadingI have had a love-hate relationship with kamranga or star fruit. As a child who loved anything sour, I loved kamranga. It was sour. Juicy. Looked beautiful. This love lasted till I was in standard VIII and had jaundice! One of the things prescribed to me was glasses of star fruit juice and the raw…
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Continue ReadingKalojeere diye Doi Mangsho When I read the recipe in Renuka Debi Chaudhurani’s book, I was quite intrigued by it. It seemed like a pretty unusual combination of spices compared to what we usually see going into mutton or goat meat. When I tried it, it is clearly a taste that stands out. This is…
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Continue ReadingEnough has been written and said about the Bengali shukto. So why more? I agree, I might as well not add few more words to a cup that is already overfloweth! But how about a til shukto or shukto made with a paste of white sesame seeds? Might be it deserves a word or two.…
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Continue ReadingI had been tinkering with millets, of late, in my kitchen. My fascination wasn’t so much about their recent fad status as super grains but started with their place of pride as ancient grains and the production process, which is more climate sustainable than rice or wheat. However, the nutritional benefits that they bring on…
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Continue ReadingThe afternoon sun in Delhi is already showing it’s true colour after being subdued by an extended winter. It is not long before it will be impossible to imagine that Delhi was cold a few months back and it will be cold again, though not sometime soon! The diet in this period of changing seasons…
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Continue ReadingWe all have a few dishes that we ran fastest from and with age we crave for them. It isn’t any surprise that most of these are dishes were fed to us in the name of health and nutrition! Which young mind ever thinks it will get sick and old one day!!! But nostalgia and…