Meat n Poultry

Egg Biriyani

8:36 AM


“The Indian subcontinent owes a deep debt to the Muslim community, for it is they who introduced the gamut of biryanis and pulaos to us.”- Pratibha Karan

My first taste of Biriyani was when I was 7.
and for that first time, I was lucky enough to taste the real deal- cooked by khansamah from Lucknow and served as a community meal.

Bengali

Shutki mach or Bengali style dried fish curry

6:23 PM


'Aj Shutki Mach banachhi. (today am making dried fish curry)' she called out as we opened the gate to leave. Maa looked back and Dida waved smiling from ear to ear.

I had no clue what it was but could understand it must have been something very good as maa scrambled to gather her things after finishing classes in the college.

I was around 4 then. Often accompanied maa to her Mastergrad classes. While she studied, I was left in charge of her other batch mates or often in the common room where the professors indulged me in stories and toffees. I was a  talkative kid and Maa was adored for who she was and also for how she strived to get her degree even after three kids.

Hasi Kakimar Nonta Pithe

9:36 PM



When I think of my childhood my senses act in a weird manner. The mind is followed by all my senses in such a way that I almost could feel, smell and experience those moments. Trust me I had a dream childhood, where our guardians conspired with the nature to make us ready for the future.

And that brings me to Hasi Kakima. My friend M's mother. A frail yet strong, very soft spoken person who I strongly believe could have written a best selling Bengali cookbook had she chosen that path. But not her cooking skills, what set Hasi kakima apart from everyone else is her relationship with every kid who befriended her kids. She never scolded us but we knew when she did not approve of things. She was friendly and gentle with our emotions and we could share our thoughts and problems with her without any hesitation. I remember even how we shared our biggest mischiefs with her and could giggle together. Now as a mother I often try to decode her style of parenting and loving every kid as her own.

Cakes cookies n savory goodies

Thumb print cookies

7:32 PM


It's that time of the year when my kids will run around the house and put the Christmas decoration on every surface they can reach. They would write letters to Santa, Switch on the fairy lights every evening and look at them with dreamy eyes. They would pester me to bake cookies with them, make cards for everyone they know and every night when it would be time to go to bed, they would cross one more day from their wait to Santa. 

Christmas in true sense is magical and we as a family celebrate it with great enthusiasm. The dip in the air makes me cheerful and with their contagious energy, I try to co-operate with them as much as possible. Just yesterday We baked these thumbprint cookies. While the elder one mixed the dough and made lime size balls, the little one with her tiny hands filled each cavity with jams. 

If you are planning to make cookies do try this recipe. Perfect for a weekend affair with kids.

Bengali

Moshla pora Mach Paturi /Spiced fish grilled in Banana leaf

6:59 PM


It's amazing how the human mind works. It's a mystery in itself the way it associates smells, colours, visuals and brings back the memory of some distant time you never even remember existed. but the most unsettling part is it's not always clear. sometimes it comes back in a flavour here, in a voice there Not that we ever complain but at times when you cannot put a finger on what it is, it could become really unsettling. As I always say giving tangible forms to memories is not possible and sometimes the memory is so faint that you do not even dare to try too hard. 

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