Bengali

Aam Sorshe Ilish -Hilsa with raw mango and mustard

11:23 PM


It's that time again.

It's that time again to smell the petrichor, to forget umbrellas and then chase the rain with your hair flying in all directions, to snuggle on the bed when the thunder storm roars outside, to splash in the muddy puddle with the kids and not feeling guilty about it, To feel melancholic under the overcast sky, to have moods wings and follow the rainbow for happiness, to walk aimlessly drenching in the untimely drizzle, to make paper boats and see it whirl down the drain,  to gulp endless cup of masala tea and still feel thirsty...
And if you are a Bengali then to put a potful of bubbling khichuri on the stove and scour the market for the best Hilsa available.

Yes! It's monsoon again and we have a lot of catching up with our lives. It's time to slow down and smell the fresh moist air and follow our hearts-even only for a day.

Bengali

Mashla Alu bhaja (Bengali style spicy potato dry dish)

8:34 PM


Every morning around 5.30 I would wake with a gentle nudge on my leg. It's Dida gently calling my name for the morning tea session in their second floor room. Though the huge kitchen was in the first floor but in the morning she and Dadu loved to make tea on their kerosene stove and drink it quietly. The veranda adjacent to the bed room had beautiful filigree and the morning sun loved to play hide and seek their creating pretty patterns on the deep red oxide floor. The pond beyond that had almost apple green water and the favourite place for morning birds to flock on the coconut trees and chirp incessantly. While I sleepily will take the stairs, Dadu will wake up the little sister only 4 or 5 back then. We would sit cross legged on the floor in a tight circle, dida facing us with her kerosene stove. She quietly will go about her morning tea ceremony. Steeping the Darjeeling tea till it turns dark amber in colour, stirring little sugar and then pouring milk. We will watch in awe how beautifully the amber turns into a milky caramely hue. Then she would sprinkle some water on the stove and we eventually would bend down to smell that smoke coming off the kerosene soaked wick. when the tea would be served we would first dunk our biscuit in them and then will drink the lukewarm tea in long slurpy sips. While Dida and dadu will go about their work afterwards, we eventually will go back to sleep again, this time in Dadu's bed. 

Whats that n How to

Following Ayurveda in everyday life-Guest post by Sharmistha

8:44 PM

Light summer meal
Ayurveda, that age old system of medicine and general wellness is our very own. Though Indian food has always been guided by the Ayurvedic principles but with time we are losing touch with it's healing properties. So when my friend Sharmistha started posting very useful tips on her Instagram account I wanted her to write this article in a easy manner, for everyone to understand and incorporate these easy steps in our daily life. 
Here is her beautiful article. Do comment all your questions and she will try to answer as much as possible.

Author Bio: Sharmistha can be contacted for free consultations, writing collaborations and workshops at sharmis.majumdar@gmail.com. She is currently studying Ayurveda along with Modern Nutrition Science.
Facebook handle: facebook.com/ancientfoodwisdom
Instagram handle: Ancientfoodwisdom


When my dear friend Sayantani enthused me to write a post on Ayurvedic Diet and Nutrition, I felt deeply encouraged yet very nervous. The 5000 years old healing science of India is so detailed and vivid, that it is difficult to decide where to begin and where to end.  Well, I attempted this article from the perspective of a layman.Every reasonable human being desires for health and well-being. 

Ayurveda has laid a strong foundation for knowledge of one’s Prakriti or physical-mental-emotional constitution for maintaining health, understating cause of diseases with management and prevention of future ailments. Knowledge of one’s Prakriti can guide us to follow the appropriate lifestyle, diet, and regimen suitable for the particular environmental condition.Ancient vaidyas or healers had enumerated several factors which influence our constitutional, temperamental, psychological and spiritual makeup; they are:Matrija- Pitraja Bhava (Hereditary Factors) - It refers to the genes transferred to the offspring from both the parents.

Bengali

Sabur Khichuri the Bengali way

7:27 PM


Shubho Nababarsho to every one. Though Belated but like everyone else's they mean the best for you.

Big changes are taking place at home and with a fragile health am finding it difficult to cope up with the stress. but among all these chaos my recipes got published again on Ananda Bazar Patrika for their Nababarsho special issue on 14th April, 2018. Many have requested for the recipes as they were published in Bengali. Hopefully can update them one by one.

Review

Poila Boisakh-Lets usher in the new year with tradition, hygiene and Chingri Bhape

6:23 AM



April is the busiest month for us Bengali mothers. While on one hand schools reopens after a long session break then on the other April Means our second biggest festival of Nababarsho or Bengali new year is just around the corner. No matter how people joke about the many Parbons (festivals) us Bengalis celebrate but we never shy away from it as for us festivities are always synonymous to family time, following tradition, enjoying good food and having overall good time with lots of adda.

As kids we loved Nababarsho for the new clothes that parents will buy for us. Bachhorkar prothom dine sob bhalo korte hoy (You need to be and do good on the first day of the year) was what Maa tought us. So on every new year without fail we took ritualistic bath in neem and turmeric water, wore new clothes, visited shops for their new ledger opening puja, exchanged handmade cards with New year wishes and in the afternoon feasted on a huge spread of Bengali traditional recipes by Maa.

Popular Posts