Lebu Pata die Daal (Lentil with lemon leaves)

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There is something about lemon that always reminds me of summer or more precisely the very thought of refreshing, vibrant citrus gives me comfort in scorching, balmy weather. But like most other citrus fruits they actually are a fruit of winter...though they thrive only in the warmer climates and bring joy to us through out the year. 

Alu Patol die Macher Patla Jhol (Light fish curry with potato and pointed gourd)

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The last couple of weeks have been like a whirlwind tour. With so much of packing to come back to India and so much of shopping for the last minute gift gathering for family and friends we could not see where days went by. Though we stayed away for very little time but The friends that we made there are keepers for life. Its going to be a bond for lifetime. With my urge to spent few more normal days without dismantling the home made the packing a last minute job with lot of pressure. but friends there made life so easy and joyous. with complete haywire routines we shopped, cooked, ate, drank, chat and partied together till the wee hours of mornings. The fact that it was a long holiday week helped to refresh our memories and bonding.

Til Rui (Rohu fish in Spicy sesame and mustard gravy)

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I first met and tasted Sesame on a sunny Saturday afternoon. I was only 9 then.Was playing with my brother in the garden, when we heard the tung sound of someone opening the huge iron gate. that was the first month when we reached Santiniketan and we hardly knew anybody there. Coming from  a life surrounded by plenty of cousins, loving grand parents and caring aunts in our joint family we were feeling very lonely in that nuclear set up. so we ran to the gate to meet someone new but found no one. Both of us raced for the stair way and rushed home and saw her there. A thin doe eyed women sitting on the mora and drinking water that my mother offered. 

Nolen Gurer Ice Cream (Eggless Ice Cream with Date Palm Jaggery)

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With this recipe tried and tested and liked by everyone, it feels like a mission is accomplished. Last year when on a sultry evening, after a 3 hours marathon monthly grocery shopping we surrendered ourselves to this ice cream...it felt like we died and reached ice cream heaven.  If there is any term to experience anything with all your senses that happened with this ice cream. It was Deliciously creamy,eye soothingly beautiful and breathtakingly aromatic. the cup with a big scoop of this pale coral hued dessert with drippings of nolen gurer syrup has an instant cooling effect but the best part was the aroma, a smoky woody caremelised flavour of the gur, which even in such a horrific summer day brought back the memories of winter.

one spoonful and we were sold immediately. after that we had it almost every month on our monthly visit to that specific mall and everytime I promised myself to make it real soon. and today when I made it for the second time and patted my back for almost achieving the same taste am questioning myself why it took me so long. 

Lotus root and Turnip curry

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The first time I entered a Japanese super market I was truly shocked, shocked with the min availability of familiar vegetables, shocked with the many many colourful fruits that I wanted to touch and smell and bake with buit the biggest shock came in the form of price. Never in my life I saw potatoes being sold on piece basis, that too at a hopping price of 50 yen for a regular size one.