Bengali

Chitoi Pitha and it's many variations

8:34 PM


 Another year has gone by.

I am another year older, probably another year wiser and if anything to go by my kids- I'm another notch cynical too.

Cynicism has never been my personality trait but I guess ageing slowly is not only giving me salt and pepper hair but also is toning down the tolerance level that I once was so proud of. And if that wasn’t enough,  I do not even shy away from showing my disapproval at times.


One of the things that I probably would never be in terms of, is the idea of fusion cuisine without getting the basics right. Please don’t get me wrong here. I strongly believe that food should evolve and change but at the same time am a big believer in preserving our heritage, our food culture, preserving everything that invariably is ours. So, while I will vehemently agree with you that ‘authenticity’ in food is tricky but at the same time honouring the origin of a dish and knowing the background is of utmost importance too.

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Bengali

khira Poda Pitha

7:44 PM


 In a country where birth of a girl child is mourned, it was heart-warming to know of a festival that honours the womanhood. Raja parba or Raja festival is a three-day celebration in Orissa where femininity and fertility of Earth and that of Women are revered.

The word 'Raja', pronounced as Rawjaw is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Rajas’ meaning menstruation and a menstruating woman is called ‘Rajawshwala’. In an agrarian economy like India, Land has always been considered a mother, a mother that creates and sustains life. In Mythology too, it is believed that at the onset of Monsoon, ‘Bhudevi’ (the Mother Earth), the wife of Lord Jagannatha goes through her menstrual cycle and needs to rest. The land thus is not touched or disturbed by carrying on any sort of agricultural work. In agricultural words, the land actually is given a chance to heal from the summer heat in preparation for the upcoming important agricultural cycle that starts with the monsoon.

Desserts and Sweets

Shahi Zarda (Biyebarir Zarda)

10:18 PM


Shakespeare once said 'What’s in a name?  That which we call a rose  by any other name would smell as sweet.'

While it comes to food I can relate to the second half of this famous saying but name of dishes often tells a lot about it's origin and evolution.

Zarda, also known as Meethe chawal (Sweetened rice) or Gur ke chawal (Jaggery rice) is a popular dessert in the Indian Subcontinent. The name Zarda comes from the Persian word 'Zard' or yellow colour.  It's the traditional yellow tint of this dessert that gave this name. While Zarda on a Muslim dastarkhwan is rich with pure ghee and heavy-handed use of dry fruits and nuts, the North Indian meetha chawal is comparatively lighter on the palate. and the Gur ke chawal in my experience was quite a peasant dish where aromatic rice is simmered in fresh ganne ka ras (sugarcane juice) or jaggery water.

Tracing back to its roots would make one believe that the dish in India was introduced and popularised by the Mughals. A detailed recipe of Zard Birinj (Yellow rice) is found in Ain-i- Akbari, the record of Akbar's administration written by his court historian Abu'l Fazl in 16th century. It uses around 5 seers of sugar candy, 3.5 seers of ghee, and 1.5 seers of dry fruits and nuts for 10 seers of rice. An opulent dish fit for the royals. 

Bengali

Taler Pithe (Bengali Steamed Palmyra palm cake)

11:31 PM


In Bengal the month Bhadro is infamous for two reasons. Bhadrer pawcha garom (The sticky highly humid weather) and Bhadrer Paka Taal (ripe palmyra or toddy palm) and for obvious reasons these two are interconnected.

Taal is a unique fruit and while maturing from raw to ripe passes through a very interesting cycle.

When raw it is famous as Taalgoda/ talsansh or ice apple all over India. There hardly would be anyone who hasn't quenched their thirst in peak summer with it's cooling transparent seeds that holds some refreshing liquid inside. Throughout the country, the vendors will set their carts on the roadsides and will skillfully cut open the fruit to reveal the three perfectly shaped pods of Talshans or ice apple. The shape sure is special and the water inside it makes it a fun thing to eat. So much so that in Bengal, on an order to create something special to befool the new son in law a special sweet was crafted following this. Jolbhora or Korapaker Taalsansh the famous Bengali milk fudge was created to celebrate this unique fruit. 

Then it takes a couple of months to mature and ripen perfectly at the beginning of Sharad Ritu. The deep orange pulp gets sweeter and develops a heady aroma to announce the arrival of many mouth-watering sweet treats for the festive days like Janmashtami and Nanda Utsab.  and when they start to fall off from the tree,  It is then that the Bengalis plan their festive treats around it and a special day called Tal Nabami is dedicated to such treats.
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Bengali

Poda Pitha

10:47 PM


"It is your first visit after your marriage. What can I make for you?" Her voice chimed on the phone.

When Mami asked me this just before our first visit to Mamarbari after our marriage I felt elated. Mine was the first wedding on my mother's side. Everyone was excited to see and greet the new son in law but at the same time, everyone was worried about me. They found it too much for me to handle home and work all alone at a faraway from them in Bangalore. So on that trip home, I found myself being pampered by everyone.

But as I was going there in a big group, I did not want to burden her anymore with my requests.
Yet secretly there was something I was craving for. 
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Desserts and Sweets

Mango Lassi Popsicle

3:12 AM


In Kolkata 7 out of the total 12 months are hot and humid. Even now when the monsoon is here, the humidity is around 80% with temperature in mid-30s. This makes life very difficult at times. We constantly feel depleted of energy and thirsty all the time. Especially kids who know nothing about sitting at one place and not running around. 

Now we as a family were big lovers of all types of Colas and soft drinks. We loved every brand especially the colourless ones were our favourite. Every year till now we have kept our stock all through summer to reach out for a pour every time we needed something to drink. But not any more.  in lieu of the water crisis and the irresponsible use and wastage of water in the soft drinks industry, we have decided not to drink any soft drinks from now on. Rather we would make more of my homemade drinks and the natural frozen treats that we make during summer. 

Desserts and Sweets

Mango Mousse-eggless no cook recipe

10:15 PM

In our Santiniketan home, we have a Mango tree, not a very big one where you can hand a swing. but a small manageable one with bushy leaves and very very sweet fruits. Like all the other trees in the garden, it was planted by my mother quite some time back. The variety is called Mallika, a hybrid between two Indian varieties called Neelum and Dusheri. Not because it is in our garden but this by far is the best mango I have ever tasted. sweet, juicy, fleshy, fiberless and with a very small stone. The only problem is you cannot leave them on the tree for ripening. It is so sweet that the bugs and ants will definitely get them before you do. So every year these are picked just before they start to ripen and then they are rolled in pieces of newspaper and left on a bed of dried hay. 

Desserts and Sweets

Japanese Cherry Blossom Pannacotta

3:59 AM


Summer is at its peak and our appetite at it's lowest. Add to that the stress of Election and the big result tomorrow. All these is keeping us away from the kitchen and the kids are incessantly requesting for something cold something refreshing. My fridge is full with varieties of summer fruits and myriad sherbet mixtures for such any time thirst and food cravings. While they love Aam Panna and Tentuler sharbot I am often drinking big glassfuls of my favourite Vietnamese Iced coffee to keep ourselves cool.

This cherry blossom Pannacotta was made for a recent article for Ananda Bazar Patrika along with few other Japanese recipes. Few of the readers asked for this recipe on Instagram. So here you are. A very very soothing, refreshing dessert which looks as good as it tastes. MAke it this summer with any edible flower you can lay your hands on and win over your family and guests.

I have used some salt-cured cherry blossoms that I had in the fridge. For other options please see Notes.

Breakfast

Kalabhat-yogurt-mango breakfast parfait

8:08 PM


Though as a grown up I dread summer but when I look back, Summer evokes such fond memories of childhood vacations spent at grandma's. Those were the simplest times with pure joy found in everything.
My Mama bari or maternal home is in a very remote village of Midnapore near the Coast did not even have electricity back then but we never missed it. we had friends and cousins to play with, pure unadulterated nature to explore and loving family and home to come back to. Everything was pure in what they offered. We had the most basic food foraged, caught and collected from our own farms, cooked by Dida. Even the breakfasts were simple affairs.

Bengali food has always been based on the principles of Ayurveda following which we not only include each of the six tastes to our meals for a more nourishing and fulfilling experience we also base our diet on easily digestible rice based products. Apart from various types of rice that contributes as the main carbohydrate to a Bengali diet there are numerous other rice based products like Muri (puffed rice), Chire (beaten rice), Khoi (puffed rice in it's husk), Chalbhaja (Another type of puffed rice but not as puffed and little spicy), khud (broken rice)  etc that makes our breakfast and snacks wholesome and filling.

You will hardly find a Bengali who have grew up in the 80's or before not have had Doi-chire-Aam as summer breakfast. Doi here refers to homemade yogurt and mostly chinipata doi where sugar is added to the milk before adding the culture. This Chinipata Doi often were our desserts during summer days even in our family this was served as a part of wedding meal. 

This Kalabhat parfait is born from that memory of my summer vacations and Doi-chire-aam. IF you know me then you know I do not suggest or recommend anything unless am very sure of it. And this Kalabhat parfait is a delicious thing to start your day. Kalabhat or black rice is naturally high in anti oxidant and contains anthocyanin that fights cancer and helps in reducing inflammations. Naturally gluten free, full of fiber and rich in protein content and so very versatile too. You can use them as steamed rice to pair with your curries, add in stir fries or salads, make desserts and even add them in your soup. Trust me this chewy slightly glutinous grain is a delight to have.

Bengali

Chiruni Pithe or Jhinuk Pithe

8:29 PM


This year I had big plans for Poush Sankrani. So I made sure that I have my supply of freshly milled rice flour from Dhenki (a traditional wooden rice mill), Asked the house help to scrape all the coconuts the previous evening and got a huge batch of fresh, pure Notun gur (date palm jaggery). 
I even washed and sun dried my precious earthen pithe moulds, combs and picks for creating textures on the pithe. 

But things dint turn out the way I envisioned. Some emergency took place and we were busy in taking care of the situation and a houseful of guests.

Bengali

Chushir Payes

5:44 AM


January is the most busy month for us. with way too many birthdays and anniversaries in the family I completely feel lost and depleted of energy. Add to that Poush Sankranti, Saraswati puja, New Year's eve celebration and now Sonny Boy's final exam pre runs...Guess you get the hang.

January also makes me think why all good things happen in such short span of time. Starting from Durga puja in October it's festivities and celebration time one after another. and in an Indian household no festive gathering is complete without good food. So by Sankranti am all bogged down and laden with guilt for indulging in sinful delicacies non stop. But then Sankranti is my favorite time and making pithe is something I cherish so much.

Ever since I started blogging my sole aim had been to document Bengali traditional recipes and then I discovered the beautiful world of Pithe making. Maa was an expert in it and together we experiemnted a lot in this.

Desserts and Sweets

phirni

12:00 PM


Happy Diwali  everyone. May you all be blessed with a wonderful time with your family..May peace and wisdom Take over all evil through out the World.

Here is one of my favourite dessert, the rich, gritty, indulging Phirni , a must have for all Mughlai cuisine lovers. Being in Kolkata means you get to see a simpler form of Phirni everywhere. This does not have any nuts or other expensive ingredients but just plain unadulterated full fat milk, sugar and rice...thickened down over time, stirred with oodles of patience  and finally flavoured with some green cardamom. But love you must have, to prepare this dish... because it's only love has that immense power to transform some simple pantry staples to such a rich fit for the king dessert. 

Being the firm believer of 'Homemade is Best'...I though prefer to make them at home most times. That way you have complete control over the quality of the dish. 

Desserts and Sweets

Pantua-Bengali Gulab Jamun

1:06 PM


I grew up in Santiniketan, an University town where most of the schools and colleges were residential. Every year when Monsoon will slowly make way to a clearer sky and white fluffy clouds will come floating,  my friends living in the hostels would yearn to go home. 

Nearing to Puja  Maa would make a trip to Kolkata to bring us new dresses and in class we would start rehearsing for Autumn Drama Festival 'Sharodotsav'. Our evening cycle trip to Kopai, a small river outside the main town with it's banks covered in white pillowy Kashful will make us believe...pujo asche (durga puja is NEaring).

Santiniketan during any vacation means a very sad place, an unusual quietness taking over the otherwise busy university life. With all the students gone home, lesser tourists the streets would be empty of the usual cycles and rikshaws. As if to escape the loneliness, evening would come early making the uncanny silence take over the vast grounds and surroundings. The yellow street lights would flicker glumly making the shadows of the age old trees grow deep, dark and mysterious. The shops will close much earlier than usual and by late evening the small university town of ours would feel like midnight. 

Cakes cookies n savory goodies

Cherry Clafoutis with Browned Butter

10:22 PM


Clafoutis is a French baked dessert, quite rustic and homely in its baking but very satisfying to have as a light dessert. Light because it generally does not involve much fat and are always made with some stone fruit that adds to the sweetness and the flavour. In rural France this is often made with unpitted cherries which a slight bitterness and an almond like flavour to it, but pitted cherries definitely adds to a smooth mouth-feel which is preferred for desserts. 

Bengali

Kolar Bora (Sweet Banana Fritters)

1:12 PM


My Daughter is very happy these days. Ever since the driver left job to go to his native village she is very excited. Both the kids do not like car rides rather they prefer to commute on public transport. My son's joy breaks all bounds every time he makes me agree to ride a bus. Same with the daughter, her favourites are Auto rikshaw and rikshaw.

Since her play school is just 5 minutes ride from home, now a days I am picking her up in a rikshaw and everyday after school when her eyes fall on the waiting rikshaw outside the gate she starts jumping with joy. her joy is so infectious that even the Riksha pullaer or commonly known as rikshaw wallas starts smiling at her. Everyday she tries to persuade me to sell our cars and buy a Rikshaw for her to ride all day long. and every day I argue with her saying Baba has to go to office and we do not have anyone to pull the rikshaw. but am pretty sure soon she will ask her grandpa and brother to do the job for her.

Bengali

Bhapa Pitha (Steamed Rice dumpling with jaggery and coconut)

4:35 AM


Wish you all a Blessed Poush Sankranti. May the Goddess bless all of us with food and shelter and pray that this coming year no one in this world goes to sleep hungry.

Sorry for again being late in bringing you a new Pithe recipe. I love making them  but this year  my plate is overflowing with work and it definitely is much more than I can chew but just the thought that my work provides for someone keeps me going. It's a responsibility that I cannot say no to at the moment. hopefully in coming times things will improve.

As a food lover, Recipe curator, Pithe making is one thing that I enjoy a lot but evrytime I get myself going I wonder at the sheer labour involved in the whole process. I have never seen Maa, Dida (grandmother) or any older ladies of our home flinch an eye while doing this. 


They would clean, pick, soak, dry, grind the rice all by themselves to make the rice flour that we but readymade from the market. and think of the huge amount in which they used to make these sweetmeats to feed a joint family. Kudos to our traditions and those loving hands for feeding us such amazing food with love and care. This definitely is one tradition that we need to preserve for our coming generation. So here is my recipe for one of the most easiest pithes.

Bhapa pitha is known in different names across communities and region. In Assam this is Ketali pitha/ Tekeli Pitha where it is steamed in the mouth of a ketali/ketli/kettle. Among the Muslims in Birbhum this is Dhupi Pitha or Dhnuki pitha which they steam in matir sora or earthen flat bowls. But it;s almost the same. The process is real simple and quick if you know the process and have the right utensil. 

Desserts and Sweets

Kaju katli in fruit shapes (Cashew nut fudge)

9:48 AM


Every year before Diwali she would call me with a patent question, 'What are you making?' and to annoy her I would reply, 'nothing maa, will buy something from the shop'. I knew this would irritate her and could almost see her smirk with disgust. After that would come a series of lecture ending with another patented emotional dialogue with a deep sigh, 'I wish I could send you some homemade sweets, but I am so far away...' Yes every year she would almost force me to make some homemade sweet for her grandson and son in law who are lactose intolerant and while I knew I would oblige her, yet I could never let this chance go to annoy and irritate her.

....This year I just remembered that and started grinding the cashews she got me in March. The last stash from her and somehow I wanted to make something very special with them. Not my usual cashew barfi that I make every year but something special, bright and glittery like her soul which brought joy to all of us. 

I made cashew fruits this Diwali Maa, something that your grand kids and Jamai adored. Hope this makes you happy.

Bengali

Kheerer Malpoa (Malpua)

6:08 AM


Today is Bijoya Dashomi the last day of Durga Puja, when after a few days of vacation at her parents the Goddess goes back to Lord Shiva in Kailas Mountain. In every way it marks the end of  the five day festivities all around Bengal. So while other parts of India celebrates Dussera with aplomb, a strange gloomy feeling surrounds Bengal and Bengali. After all the preparation, anticipation, pandal hopping, dressing up Dashomi makes us overwhelmed with mixed emotions.While our heart yearn for one more day of Puja frenzy, our mind assures us 'asche bachor abar habe' to wait for the puja next year. 

Bengali

Taler bora or Ripe Toddy Palm fritters

10:39 AM


This had been a long awaited post for me. Though am not sure if you really require one more Taaler bora recipe, but I knew I had to put it online for the sake of keeping family recipes safe for the coming generations. and am glad after  many failed attempts over the last few years I could finally do it today. 

Bengali

Coconut, Cashew and Mawa Laddoo

9:40 PM


This laddoo recipe was born just out of the quest to save a crisis. I was newly married and wanted to make narkel naru for Bijoya. After the morning trip to the market to gather the essentials the problem arose when I started scraping the coconut. It was much past it's prime and was hard and fibrous. I knew it could not be turned into a good laddoo. So I looked for options and found a packet of old, unused, unopened pack of powdered milk. All I knew that after half an hour when the hubby came home he was bowled over by the taste and so were all his colleagues a couple of days later. So much so that now a days everyone at home wants me to make this version.

This also makes for a quick Diwali dessert, a saving grace for someone like me. I love cooking and made the usual suspects of Elo jhelo, nimki and jibe goja for Bijoya but after the Diwali cleaning and decoration never feels like making something special. This year the feeling is worse as without the husband the festivities are never enjoyable. I feel like doing everything for the sake of the kids and their happiness. But it's Diwali afterall. Sooner or later you get to be caught up by the Diwali snacks and sweets making frenzy.

So without far ado here is the easy and quick recipe.

 And the pictures are inspired by a picture Lakshmi Arvind shared on her page Celebrations Decor from Pinterest.

Coconut-Cashew-Mawa Laddoo

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