Category: More

Friends out for Food

Friend 1, “Hey! Have you tried that new Veg. Burger at XYZ?”
Friend 2, “yes! I have. It is so awesome! In love with it! A new addition to my favorite’s list.”
Friend 3, “How come I haven’t heard of it?”
Friend 2, “Come on! We’ll take you there. You won’t tire talking of it. It’s that good.”
Friend 3, “Oh! Let’s go then. I can’t wait anymore.”

Such conversations among friends are very common to hear. Friendship has always been a sweet relationship, a sweet duty, a sweet responsibility to take care of. Friends have all time to discuss about their tit-bits, and major events happening in their lives. Food is one such a topic on which friends talk a lot. You’d usually hear a group discussing about a new restaurant opened nearby, or they discussing about a new recipe which they tried at home, and many more endless things related to food. There could be thousands of moments where ‘friends & food’ come together. As it is said, “Friends, who buy you food, are your real friends”. Any outing with friends is incomplete without sharing a bite together. It wouldn’t be incorrect to say, if you have friends you with you out, you won’t return home with an empty stomach.
A college going group of friends planning to try out the new Chinese platter introduced in one of their favorite café after lectures. Twenty of classmates planning a short trip to an amusement park and then thinking where to have their stomachs full. Two colony friends meekly moving out at night and tasting the joy of having something at 24×7 outlets. Friends on a scooty ride, having an ice-cream and eating it up on the way to their homes. The idea of having to go out and try new food items at different places is itself so amusing that the actual experience of it would automatically be of great fun. And the pleasure of having the meal always doubles when you have friends with whom you share similar thinking and taste.

There are various communities also formed, thanks to internet and social media, which give the food updates to their following members and even arrange food trips to various destinations, in their respective cities, to some of the famous outlets and serving their most popular dish on menu. Just with one click you can easily join certain communities and become a member, and thus communicating with people of same interest. This not only provides you with food updates, they even bring you an opportunity to exchange a few words with unknown people with whom you share a common trait, i.e. food love! This all might even get you some really good friends because the fact that, “similarities create friendship” holds true.

We all have that memory of hanging out with friends and eating the street food all day long. Sharing each moment of joy with laughter and gratification and an inevitable object, Food! Be it bad or good, we love going out with those caring souls and enjoying the taste of an enriching, may or may not be healthy, meal. When out with friends ‘health’ is that one matter which comes the last. What matters the most at those times is Fun and Food. The friendly and favorable dines at restaurants can be done in the most wild ways with no one around whom you have to act formal, and starting and ending your meal obediently following the table manners learned at school and home. You can be ‘you’ without being hesitant of the thought that what people will think. Friends are super cool creatures who make you learn that ‘you are actually one of a kind and definitely in its best version’.
Food can actually do wonders when it is about friends. A slight gesture of offering your lunch at school can create a darling feeling for you in the heart of the receiver. Giving a birthday treat to your fast friends at one of their suggested places might bring you a lot of memories that you will cherish all your life. An upset friend can be made cool by getting him/her his/her favorite pasta or may be a sandwich prepared by you, and it is even more happening when your friend is aware of the fact that how bad you are in the kitchen. So many hands on that one pizza slice which nobody took notice of at first, breaking a piece of chocolate into two halves when the shopkeeper is out of stock of that particular brand or buying just one pack of lays of a new flavor, all such remembrances will always earn you a tear of joy when recalling them on a future date.
On such calls, it can be made that ‘friends and food’ together is an evident base of life. One would definitely have those silly but yet worthy to remember moments of ‘food joy’ with the unmatchable and adorable intimate associates. Friendship is a relation which demands your attention and at the same time prospects you nothing but a feeling of oneness. The way we have meal together with our families, in friendship also, we, at few portions of time spend such happy hours. Very thoughtfully said, “Friends are the family whom we choose ourselves.” 

June 15, 2014
Dutch Delicacies

We generally do not find many Dutch restaurants in India. The food from the Netherlands is not as famous as Mexican, Italian or French food but has a spectacular flavor which makes your mouth water and fall in love with it. A foodie like me would never miss a chance to hog on to Dutch food. A lot of sea food and vegetables are consumed by the Dutch, simply because they are into fishing and farming. Bread is also consumed in a large by them. They are number one consumers of bread worldwide.

Dutch cuisine includes many vegetables and little meat; since the consumption of bread is high, breakfast and lunch generally include bread with a variety of toppings whereas the dinner included some meat and potatoes with lots of seasonal vegetables. The Dutch people prefer relatively high carbohydrates and fat in food, reflecting the dietary need of the labourers. They also consume many dairy products. Many holidays and special occasions are good time to cook special foods. In the course of the twentieth century this diet changed and became much more cosmopolitan, with most international cuisines being represented in the major cities.

HISTORY

Traditionally, the Dutch cuisine consisted of simple food such as bread and herring. Their poverty played a huge role in modifying their cuisines. They consumed foods that were filling yet cheap. In the 18th century people started eating potatoes which became their staple food by 1800. In the early 1800s, while the rich afford what they desired, the working population ate bread and potatoes. In some areas, pancakes, fish and other seafood were consumed along with fruits and vegetables and a little meat.

Since potatoes were grown on a large scale; they were eaten at almost every meal. Boiled and pealed for the main course during lunch and warmed and mashed for dinner. The leftovers were served for breakfast with salt, sometimes vinegar, but without gravy or any other fat. Generally, gravy was served during lunch or dinner. Since it was the food of the poor, it wasn’t very lavish but was filling and tasty. Its simplicity was its USP.

During the nineteenth century, whatever the people drank was more or less watery, which meant that they consumed poor quality beverages with a lot of water in it. In few areas hot chocolate was consumed but beer and Jenever were the most famous drinks in the country. For most of the century beer was drunk in the southern part. This beer was top-fermented and of terrible quality; not until the 1880s did German-style bottom-fermented pilsner enter the Dutch market. Jenever consumption early in the nineteenth century was twice that of the equivalent.

FOOD

BREAKFAST AND LUNCH

Breakfast and lunch are similar in Dutch Cuisine. Both consist of bread with a wide variety of cold cuts, cheeses and sweet toppings; such as Hagel slag, vlokken and muisjes. The Dutch are known for their dairy products and specially cheeses. Edam, Gouda, Leerdammer, Leyden, Limburger, Maaslander, Maasdam, Mimolette, Parrano, Roomano, Vlaskaas and Prima Donna are a number of cheeses that are consumed in this nation. Dutch bread tends to be very airy, as it is made from yeast dough. Additional seeds such as sunflower or pumpkin seeds often mixed with the dough for taste. A Frisian luxury version of white bread is suikerbrood, white bread with large lumps of sugar mixed with the dough.[4] Kerststol is a traditional Dutch Christmas bread made of bread dough with sugar, dried fruits, raisins and currants and lemon and orange zest, eaten sliced, spread with butter. The Dutch produce a wide variety of breads.

TEA TIME

Dutch people invite friends over for koffietijd (coffee time), which consists of coffee and cake or a biscuit, served between 10 and 11 a. m. (before lunch) and/or between 7 and 8 p. m. (after dinner). The Dutch drink coffee and tea throughout the day, often served with a single biscuit. Dutch thrift led to the famous standard rule of only one cookie with each cup of coffee. It has been suggested that the reasons for this can be found in the Protestant mentality and upbringing in the northern Netherlands.Café au lait is also very common. It is called koffie verkeerd (literally “wrong coffee”) and consists of equal parts black coffee and hot milk. The Dutch drink tea without milk and the tea is quite a lot weaker than the typical English types of tea which are taken with milk. Other hot drinks used to include warm lemonade, called kwast (hot water with lemon juice), and anijsmelk (hot milk with aniseed).

DINNER

You will not find many vegetarians over there and thus consumption of meat is common. Dinner is generally served early that starts around or even before 6 o’clock in the evening. The Dutch dinner consists of one simple course: potatoes, meat and vegetables. Traditionally potatoes with a large portion of vegetables and a small portion of meat with gravy, or a potato and vegetable stew are served. A typical traditional Dutch dinner would include stamppot (Dutch mashed potato mixed with other mashed vegetables) and pea soup.. Vegetable stews served as side dishes are for example rodekool met appeltjes (red cabbage with apples), or rode bieten (beetroot). Regular spices used in stews of this kind may be bay leaves, juniper berries, cloves, and vinegar, although strong spices are generally used sparingly. Stews are often served with pickles, including augurken (gherkins) or cocktail onions (zilveruitjes). The Dutch food is rarely hot or spicy. They prefer eating boiled food over fried ones.

SPECIAL FOODS

Cooking special food during special occasions is not something that only the Dutch follow. A variety of food is cooked at different occasions. The birth of a child is an occasion for serving beschuit met muisjes (Dutch rusk covered with sugared aniseed).

The Dutch celebrate a festival of Sinterklaas is held on 5 December. On this occasion, the Dutch drink hot chocolate milk and eat spice cookies, like speculaas.

Christmas dinner is also a family occasion where roast pork, game or other luxury meat may be served. An alternative typical Dutch tradition for Christmas meals is ‘gourmet’, when people sit together around a gourmet-set (small table top cooking stove with miniature frying pans) and use their own small frying pans to cook different types of meats, fish prawns/shrimps and finely chopped vegetables accompanied by salads, fruits and sauces.

A famous Dutch sweet is zoute drop, (lit. “salty liquorice”) and other liquorice sweets. These sweets are small, black and look much like gums. The four types of drop are soft sweet, soft salt, hard sweet and hard salt drop. It is said that Dutch settlers introduced the cookie to North America. In fact, even the word ‘cookie’ comes from the Dutch ‘koekje’.

June 15, 2014
Wicca: The Mysterious Religion

Wicca, even though treated as a religion, can also be termed as a school of thought or philosophy. A nature-based religion Wicca was brought into the limelight by retired British civil servant Gerald Gardner around 1950s. Wicca is the infamous witchcraft practice and the female followers of the beliefs of this religion call themselves as witch, but basically they are regarded as neo-pagans.

Wicca is a religion shrouded in mystery with no central authority or figure defining it. It is diverse in nature with various traditions, each having its own structural organization and level of centralization. The religion is quite controversial as well with the unknown facts of what actually constitutes Wicca. Being typically duotheistic, Wiccans celebration follows eight seasonally based festivals known as Sabbats.

Wicca often involves ritual practice of magic which is the core of discussion in this article.

The Use of Magic in Wicca

Wicca is regarded as the mysterious religion majorly for the use of magic in it. The magic is widely regarded as black magic or a manipulative force exercised through the practice of witchcraft or sorcery. Wiccans majorly believe in the definition of magic given by magician Aleister Crowley who says that “magic is the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with will”. Wiccans firmly believe magic to be a law of nature, and regrets that it is being misunderstood by the society by large and the contemporary science as something supernatural and is often being feared of. They believe that magic is the simple way to use the five senses with concentrated and pure soul in order to achieve surprising result. For example, if you are feeling depressed wiccans would suggest to light some scented candles in a dark room and resign from the outer world to look within. In this way a person would come close in contact with his/her five senses to eventually reach a state of relaxation. Or else they could also suggest on to welcome any spirit in order to get out from the depressed state.

Wiccan ritual practices are often staged in a sacred circle involving cast of various spells like dragon spell, moon spell, and nature spell, actually intending to bring changes in the physical world.

Dichotomy of White-Black Magic

Ancient Wiccans such as Alex Sanders, Sybil Leek and Doreen Valiente preferred to call their practice as white magic, might be in order to refer their work as serene and in the hope of recognition in the world; since their work was widely considered as something ominous and termed as black magic, purposed only to bring forth evil. Though in their words they say black magic is completely different from their kind of work and is related to pure evil and Satanism. Some modern Wiccans have however stopped using the white-black magic dichotomy arguing the skeptical theory that the color black should not be essentially attached with evil.

Days and Dates of Celebration

The magic used in Wicca ranges from the “low” or “folk” magic to a more complex rites and rituals influenced by ceremonial magic of Western Hermetic Tradition.

Apart from being performed rites in a sacred circle, the Wiccans celebration of Sabbats include fix days and dates for the celebration. Often these are carried out in the nights of full moon.

And in some cases during new moon known as an Esbat.

The Magical Tools in Wicca

The casting of spells involves the invocation of Guardians of the cardinal points along with the respective natural elements: earth, fire, water, and air. These rites often include a special set of magical tools such as a knife, known as athame; a wand, a pentacle, and a chalice. Other tools include the infamous and usually portrayed broomstick known as a besom, a cauldron, candles, incense sticks and a carved blade known as boline.

Sacred Attires Worn in Wicca

One of the aspects of Wicca includes working or performing the rites nude, something which is typical in Gardnerian and Alexandrian school of Wicca, known as skyclad. The practice is apparently being derived from a line in Aradia, Charles Leland’s supposed record of Italian witchcraft.

Other traditions involve attires like robes with cords tied around the waist worn while performing the rites.

Sex Magic

Another theme which makes Wicca a controversial and mysterious religion is the theme of Sex Magic. In certain traditions of Wicca ritualized Sex Magic is performed and is often termed as the Great Rite. In this a High Priest and a High Priestess invoke the God and the Goddesses to be seen before them performing the sexual intercourse. Wiccans believe that the energy that is being involved during the intercourse is completely pure and is powerful. The energy is thus believed to raise the power bar of the spell work making the spell more effective. In this rite the athame is used to symbolize the male organ while a chalice is used to symbolize the female womb.

Therefore it can be concluded that the use of magic in Wicca is like any other ritual and is nothing extraordinary. The Wiccan religion itself is as pious as any other religion. Like every religion has its own way of performance and execution Wicca too follows its own practices. Even though it is not a recognized religion yet but there are many groups such as Coven Celeste and The Aquarian Tabernacle Church in Canada has successfully campaigned against the British Columbian government which confined them to practice their religion. In India, Ipsita Roy Chakraverti is the sole Wiccan priestess who came out to call herself as a witch after the completion of her studies on Wicca without any apprehension. Even though this was opposed by the late Bengal CPM leader Jyoti Basu, Ipsita Roy Chakraverty has achieved a greater level of applause while administrating Wiccan ways of healing in the remote villages, and also in major cities like Kolkata in India.

June 15, 2014
All About Flax Seeds

Flaxseeds are obtained from flax which is also known as linseed, and botanically is known as Linum usitatissimum, which is a member of genus Linum of the family Linaceae. It is a food and a fiber crop grown in cooler regions of the world. The species are native to Western Asia and Middle East, including India.

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June 15, 2014
Love For Salads

For the ultimate in healthy and satisfying fare, there’s nothing better than a refreshing salad. Whether you yearn for a cool, crisp lettuce, sweet fruit salad or a savory potato salad, there is something for everyone on the list of salad recipes.

Salad, a popular ready- to eat dish often contains leafy vegetables or fruits, often served with dressings usually served at a chilled or at a moderate
temperature. Salads may sometimes additionally contain grain, meat, tuna or other seafood.

Leafy vegetables are generally served with dressings, as well as with garnishes, and sometimes with meat, pasta, cheese, eggs, fish or whole grains.
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June 15, 2014
Street Food Made Easy Part-2

Okay, for those of you who have read the previous edition to this article, I am not going to bother with an explanation regarding what street food is, how it tastes, what are its benefits and the like. However, for those who are reading about street food for the first time, this article will surely prove to be a pleasant surprise. And dare I say both for the tummy and the mind!

Street food can be of various types. It can include heavy or light food items as per your hunger pangs. Well, in this article, I would like to satisfy those among you who prefer the former category.

Often while returning from work or from school or from college, you find your stomach rumbling. Really loudly! Well, what to do? You know that having food from the street is not really the safest bet for your health. But what is the alternative then? It is really simple actually. Just make those street food items which you have been craving for God know how many days at your own home! Follow the recipes given below to get the most satisfying and sumptuous results with the utmost amount of ease on your part. I assure you that you will not be disappointed in the least. Simply read on to find out more!

(1) Dahi Papdi Chaat:

Dahi Papdi Chaat is a very popular north Indian (Maharashtrian) street food item. Chaat essentially means a Hindi word which literally means ‘to lick’. It is now used to describe a whole range of savoury snacks and fast food items across Indian and in some places abroad as well. Papdi refers to the special crisp fried dough wafers which are made in a special way by using refined white flour and oil (mustard usually) as the main ingredients.

Ingredients:

•Crisp Papdis: 24.
•Whisked Yoghurt: 1 ½ cups.
•Salt: According to taste.
•Sugar: 1 tbsp.
•Boiled and Chopped Potatoes: 2 medium sized.
•Blanched Sprouted Green Gram: ½ cup.
•Red Chilli-Garlic Chutney: ¼ cup.
•Green Chutney: ½ cup.
•Sweet Tamarind Chutney: ¼ cup.
•Roasted Cumin Powder: 1 tsp.
•Chaat Masala: ½ tsp.
•Red Chilli Powder: ½ tsp.
•Fresh Coriander Leaves: According to use.
•Sev: As required.
•Peeled Pomegranate (Anar): 2 tbsp.

Preparation:

•Add salt and sugar to the yogurt and whisk further till it has arrived at a smooth consistency. Keep the mixture in the refrigerator till use. In the meantime, arrange the Papdis on a medium-sized plate.
•Place some of the chopped potatoes over each Papdi. Over that, put some boiled sprouted moong. Drizzle a little Red Chilli-Garlic Chutney, Green Chutney and Sweet Tamarind Chutney over those.
•Sprinkle cumin powder, chaat masala, a little red chilli powder and salt. Top it all up with the chilled yogurt mixture.
•Drizzle some more of the Sweet Tamarind Chutney and the Red Chilli-Garlic Chutney. Then add the coriander leaves, Sev and the pomegranate pearls on top at the end.
•Serve immediately.

Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes.

Serves 4.

(2) Pav Bhaji:

Pav Bhaji is an exceedingly popular Maharashtrian street food item that traditionally originated in the Mumbai cuisine. While the Bhaji part of the dish is a traditional Indian name for a vegetable dish, the Pav or Pau or Pao was the Portuguese word for bread (small rolls). Pav Bhaji is native to Mumbai and has now become popular in almost all the metropolitan areas in India especially in those of central and western Indian states such as Gujarat and Karnataka.

Ingredients:

•Turmeric Powder: ¼ tsp.
•Pav Bhaji Masala Powder: 1 ½ tbsp.
•Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 ½ tbsp.
•Finely Chopped Tomatoes: 3 medium sized.
•Tomato Sauce (Optional): 4 tbsp.
•Lemon Juice (Optional): 1-2 tsp.
•Finely Chopped Onion for Garnishing (Optional): 1 small sized.
•Coriander Leaves for Garnishing: According to requirement.
•Butter/Oil for Bhaji: 1 tbsp.
•Additional Butter for Pav: According to requirement.
•Pav (Buns): 6 to 8.

Preparation:

•Add the butter or oil in a pan and heat it up. Add the chopped onions and fry till they turn translucent. Then, add the ginger garlic paste and fry till it gets fragrant.
•Add the chopped tomatoes, the turmeric powder and then sprinkle salt. Continue to fry till the tomatoes turn soft and mushy.
•Add the chilli powder, extra salt and Pav Bhaji Masala powder. Mix well and fry for another 2 minutes.
•Pour water so that it is just enough to cover the vegetables.
•Add the coriander leaves. Mix well and mash the curry if you desire a smooth Bhaji.
•Cook till the consistency of the gravy becomes thick.
•Slit the Pav buns horizontally leaving one edge intact.
•Heat the butter on a pan. Open the buns and toast it for a minute or two. If you like to make it spicier, sprinkle some Pav Bhaji Masala Powder on the inner side.
•Garnish with onions and serve either hot or warm.

Preparation Time: 25-30 minutes.

Serves 3-4.

So, there you are. I am sure that you must be salivating by now if you have read through the recipes and seen the pictures. Especially if you are on an empty stomach! Well, then. Why the wait up? Go to the kitchen and start cooking. Nobody is going to stop you from devouring these delicious food items once you are done!

Happy snacking folks!

June 15, 2014
Mangoes: Shout out to all the Mango Maniacs
Summer is at full stretch and the scorching heat and frequent power cuts don’t make it easy to fancy this season. There are still stuffs that we do root for throughout the year. Yes! I’m talking about long vacations, hometown visits or vacationing in the hill stations! But for all the “Foodaholics”, out there awaits the king of all fruits. Yes! MANGOES!! Though age is no category for a mango maniac, still I believe that kids are best examples of the same as to them apart from joining exciting summer camps or watching TV for endless hours, mangoes do hold a special place. Have to admit watching kids eat mangoes with pulp all over hands is an off-putting yet adorable sight. They are ones who won’t count calories but would feast upon them and contest with their siblings of who had the most like a true Mango maniac! As a kid when we used to head for our hometown, the sight of mango laden trees and lots of them used to get us frantic! Even in the cities at that time the quality of mangoes available in the market used to be fine and more feasible for the “Feast contests”. Nowadays, we find it difficult to make a difference between which one is naturally and which are artificially ripened mangoes as both of them look almost alike. Well, to be honest artificially ripened looks more alluring. There are many features that set them apart like artificially ripened ones will have distinct patches of green color and their taste gives slight burning sensation in the mouth. It is said that to get the taste of natural mango one should wait for the season to set in like after April. Now to list up all the mouth watering delicacies made from mangoes, though note that this wouldn’t include any sophisticated recipes but more like a list of the best homemade “Beat the heat” and other refreshments from mango. Just to be sure Do Google the recipes for them!
1. AAM PANNA!
Refreshing drink made from raw mangoes, Aam panna is made by taking the pulp out of boiled raw mangoes and then mixing the pulp with water adding sugar or jaggery. Of course not forget, Ice! Having a chilled glass of Aam panna after an exhausting day in office or playing all day in the scorching heat surely refreshes the senses.
1. AAMRAS!
Aamras is nothing but mango puree flavored with cardamom and saffron. This refreshment goes well with Puris, Paranthas or can relished solo. Sweetened naturally doesn’t have added sugars and one can enjoy this with limited calorie intake.
1. MANGO SMOOTHIE!
Delicious summer drink prepared by blending mango pulp with almost equal amount of water and lime juice (as per preference). Sugar or sugarcane juice can be added to sweeten it more.Smoothie should be served chilled.
1. KHATTI MEETHI CHUTNEY!
As it is not so much popular than the above refreshments, so I don’t know what its market name is. Regardless in our household it has been given that name.So, it’s basically prepared by frying raw mango pieces with mustard and cumin seeds. The fried mango pieces are the poured into hot sugar or jaggery syrup and cooked for few minutes.This mouth watering chutney tastes tangy-sweet and goes well with the meals or can be enjoyed as it is.
1. MANGO MOUSSE!
One of the favorite deserts ever! Mango mousse is a light and creamy sweet dish prepared by both using egg or egg less. Prepared by blending the mango pulp with honey and cream and refrigerated for 30 minutes or so. This can be served with your favorite toppings like blueberry, tooti fruity e.t.c. In the egg version while blending, egg whites pre- cooked in caramel is added.
1. MANGO UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE!
Fan of baking? If not too, this flavorsome cake is worth every bite. Prepared like any other cake with a twisted layer of mangoes at the bottom. Top the cake with whipped cream and there you have a perfect piece of delight. Okay, so the point made Mangoes are “Kings of Fruit”. Apart of being awesomely delicious let’s see if they carry more value.

SKIN

Having acne problems? Boil a raw mango, take the juice and apply as an acne remover. Mangoes are believe it or not great cleansers and exfoliate your skin too. Add wheat flour to mango pulp and apply this mixture to clean pores in the skin from deep within. For exfoliation purpose blend peeled mango with milk and crushed cashews or oat. People with sensitive skin can use mango-milk pack for refreshing their skin without worrying about reactions. Mangoes are also known to remove blemishes and enhance the skin color because of the presence of vitamin A, C and Beta carotene.

HEALTH

4000 Years and older this fruit contains abundant levels of anti-oxidants which is said to beneficial for preventing diseases like cancer, leukemia e.t.c. It helps improving the eyesight due to presence of vitamin A. Additionally, the presence of fiber and Vitamin C helps in bringing down cholesterol and it increases metabolism.Mangoes are said to be rich in folic acid which helps in improving fertility. So, a Mango maniac yet? There is around a month more for the mango season to get over, make sure you grab a bite of delectable must haves from safe to say now an “All rounder” fruit!
June 15, 2014
Sweets – Yummy treats for You!!

My college is situated at this awesome place. Remember, I told you about all the lip-smacking biriyani food joints near my college? Well, Park Circus also has its neat share of ‘misti r dokan’, i.e., sweet shops.

To name a few – Jugols’ , Mithai and a tiny sweet shop near Mahadevi Birla Girl’s School which serves soft hot white rasgullas that melt in the mouth. I remember walking to Jugols’ in the sultry heat in my first year (back then I was a regular customer) of college just to satisfy my taste buds.

Kolkata or Calcutta, as I still prefer to call it, is home to century old sweet shops. The ownerships may have changed hands but the love of sweets of the customers never ceased (and might I add, it never will).

Putiram’s ‘Rosomadhuri ‘, Mithai’s ‘Misti Doi’, Ganguram’s ‘Chomchom ‘, Balaram Mullick and Radharam Mullik’s ‘Mango Chanar Brulee ‘, Bancharam’s ‘Raj Bhog‘, Bhim Chandra Nag’s ‘Pranhara‘, are by far the popular choices of the ‘misti-loving’ denizens.

How to make your own sweets and woo your loved ones?

Plain and simple – follow these super easy recipes and you will be good to go.

Malai Chomchom

Ingredients: 1 cheese cloth

For channa – ½ gallon whole milk, 1 large fresh lemon squeezed and filtered to make juice (use more if lemons are small size)

For syrup- 5 cups drinking water,2 cups sugar

For malai – ½ gallon whole milk, 1 tsp cardamom powder

For garnish- Sliced pistachios

Directions: Heat ½ gallon of whole milk in a heavy bottomed nonstick container in medium high heat. Stir occasionally to make sure milk does not burn at bottom or spill. When milk starts to boil put lemon juice (freshly squeezed) slowly into the boiling milk with constant gentle stirring. As milk starts to cuddle and gets separated from the whey (greenish transparent water) in about 2-3 minutes remove the vessel from heat and pour it in a cheese cloth spread over a strainer. Note: if the whey is not transparent then add a little more lemon juice and stir gently until whey is clear and transparent. Wash the chhana under cold water nicely to remove lemon flavor. As the chhana cools down bring the edges of the cloth up and tie it together. Squeeze out as much water as possible. In order to dry the chhana even further hang this chhana in cloth above the sink or keep a plate over it with some heavy object on top. Keep it this way for about 30 minutes. Then knead the dry chhana using the heel of your palm on a flat clean surface for about 7-8 minutes until it becomes a soft smooth dough and your palm becomes oily. Divide the dough into 12-14 equal parts. Take each part and roll it with both palms gently to make a smooth ball and then roll one way to give it a cylindrical shape – and voila a chomchom! Likewise do all the chom-choms. Place all the rolls on a plate and cover them with a damp cloth on top or with another plate so that they don’t dry out.

For the syrup, take 5 cups of water and boil it in a wide vessel. Add 2 cups of sugar to it when water starts boiling. Wait until sugar dissolves completely. Add about 7-8 chomchoms one by one into the boiling water. Don’t put too many at the same time as the chom-choms need room to expand. Keep the heat in medium high and cover the vessel tightly. Let it cook for 25 minutes. Do not open the lid in between. After 25 minutes switch off the heat and let it cool (covered) for another 10-15 minutes. Repeat the steps to make next batch of chom-choms. For preparing the Malai, boil ½ gallon of whole milk in medium flame, stirring occasionally to prevent it from getting burnt at the bottom, until it thickens and becomes creamy. This will take some 20-30 mins. Add cardamom powder to it and mix well. Switch off the heat. Take the chom-choms out of the syrup and drop them into the warm malai one at a time. Kepp them in the syrup for 20 minutes. Take out the malai wrapped chom-choms carefully and lay them into a plate. Garnish with pistachio.

Pranhara

Ingredients: 4 Cups whole milk, 4 tablespoons white vinegar or strained lemon juice, ½ Cup sugar, 1 Cup dry powdered milk, 3-4 tablespoons butter, 3-4 drops of rose water

Directions: Line a colander or sieve with a large piece of cheesecloth that has been folded 3-4 times. Place the lined colander or sieve over a large bowl or sink. Boil milk in a large thick-bottomed saucepan over medium high heat. Stir occasionally, scraping the pan bottom, to avoid scorching. Mix vinegar with 4 tablespoon of water and add to boiling milk. Look out for curd-mass to separate from greenish water. As curds rise and come to the surface stop the stove. Run a spatula along the bottom of the pan occasionally to free up any stuck curds. Gently begin to ladle curds into the prepared sieve or colander. Wrap the cloth around the cheese and rinse under a running water without pressing the cheese. Gather the edges of the cloth, tie or fasten into a knot and allow to cool and drain for 2 hour minimum.

Heat butter in a nonstick pan over medium low heat. Once butter melts, add the dry powdered milk. Stir constantly to form a coarse dust and until slightly golden and aromatic. Set aside. Knead the cheese on a clean surface with your heel of the hand by pressing it across the surface until smooth and fluffy and no trace of grains. Knead about 5-6 minutes. Collect all the cheese and divide them into two parts. Mix sugar and cheese dust(Set aside some for garnish) with one part cheese and cook in low heat stirring constantly, scrapping the pan bottom. Use a thick bottomed or non-stick pan. Cook until the mixture is very sticky and a mass pulls away from the bottom and sides of the pan. Remove from heat. Let cool. Mix the rose water, second portion of the cheese and knead till smooth. Divide into smaller bite size balls. Garnish with cheese dust.

Recipe Courtesy – withaspin.com, bengaligourmet.com

Image Courtesy – peekncook.com, withaspin.com, hungryangmo.com

June 15, 2014
Kill your stress before it kills you!
With today’s rat race at full speed, stress has become an unavoidable part of everybody’s life. Be it a businessman or a salaried employee or even a housekeeper, this evil troubles everyone alike. It is more than essential to combat stress before it breaks you down from within. There are few simple yet effective ways in which you can easily fight stress and keep your smiles in place. Here they go-
1. Identify-
  
  Identification of the reasons of your stress is the primary requirement for combat.
2. Avoid someone-
  
  This is the most fundamental measure if your reason for stress is people. Just avoid them, simple!
3. Avoid some things-
  
  there are various things whose vision itself can stress you out. Put out those things from your life.
4. Deny-
  
  You know your limit to work without stress. Deny work that goes off limits.
5. Compulsory? –
  
  Ask this question to yourself if you find yourselves overburdened after analysis of your routine. If the answer is no, you know what alterations to make!
6. Extrovert-
  
  Express what’s on your mind. It is often not possible for people around you to know what actions trouble you. If they get an idea of your problems, they are less likely to trouble you unknowingly.
7. Time-management-
  
  Managing your schedule is the key to a happy life. Keeping a throat tight schedule not only tires you mentally and physically but also reduces your efficiency towards all tasks.
8. Rest-
  
  This is not something to be told. 6-7 hours of sleep per day will make your days fresh and efficient as you are likely to feel energetic.
9. Positiveness-
  
  Don’t let the positiveness in and around fade away. Be clear about your problems and see the sweet side of things.
10. Adjust-
  
  You cannot get everything in life. Learn to adjust with situations and enjoy what you have in hand instead of trying to fit everything on the same plate, same day.
11. Indifference-
  
  we all are surrounded with things which cannot be changed. People, places and rains are just examples. Instead of getting yourself mad over these things, isn’t it better to think about something that can be altered?
12. Learn-
  
  When you make mistakes, try fixing them and learning from them instead of crying over the spilt milk.
13. Share –
  
  There are people who care for you. You can at least think of one such person with whom you can share your problems. Maybe you just need a listener instead of an advisor!
14. Professional help-
  
  If your family itself depresses you, psychiatrists and counselors are always great alternatives. Expert advice can always help you.
15. Forgive-
  
  if a quarrel/brawl/argument is the only cause of your stress, simply forgive others mistakes because no one can entirely avoid mistakes.
16. Walk-
  
  personally, whenever I am stressed out or angry, I keep walking until all my anger fades away. It’s free and easy on your health. A good solution in all, yeah?
17. Write, read and talk –
  
  Talk to yourself, write your problems, pros and cons on paper. Once, they are on paper, they won’t trouble you. If that’s not all, read a fictional novel and forget the real world altogether for some time.
18. Music and movies-
  
  Music is known to heal your wounds. Listen to soothing music or watch a pleasant comedy just for fun!
19. Cook-
  
  Cook something for yourself. Try out new recipes from the internet or go for your favorite dishes.
20. Exercise-
  
  A marvelous way to discharge all your anger, exercise is something that can literally kill stress. Won’t you feel great after smashing the punching bag, imagining it to be your problem?
21. Nature and pets-
  
  Pets give you unconditional love and expect nothing in return. Who cannot love such beings back? They can make you forget everything else if you play with them. If you don’t have pets, just sit calmly in the lap of Mother Nature.
22. Relax-
  
  Sometimes sitting idle works wonders for you. Just stop your thought process, be blank and lie down peacefully without doing any work. It will calm your life down.
23. Socialize-
  
  In this era of social networking, learn to connect and bond with new and old people. Talk to them and create a good support system for yourself.
24. Loud-
  
  Be loud, be mad, cry out and listen to hard rock. let your emotions flow out with the tears and the harsh voice.
25. Enjoy-
  
  Take out time for yourself in your routine. Play musical instruments, dance or go out with friends. You are the king of your joy!
26. Laugh-
  
  Watch out for fun around you, there is sure to be some. Visit a friend whose sense of humor amuses you or just be the joker yourself.
27. Diet-
  
  Make sure you get your daily dose of nutrients. Skipping meals is the worst idea you’ve ever had. It just worsens your condition to fight tough times.
28. Let go-
  
  Leave your bad habits and think about your family. Let go of all bad company.
29. No to caffeine-
  
  even if a dose of caffeine makes you energetic and keeps you up temporarily, it climaxes into fatigue and mood swings. So avoid it as much as you can.
30. Stay away-
  
  Tobacco and alcohol are always no-no! And that’s not it, drugs and medicines are even worse. They slowly attack your mind, break your moral down and finally lead to bankruptcy. You may find them as short-lived solutions to stress but trust me, it’s a bad idea.
Help yourselves because it’s your life and you want to make it better!
June 15, 2014
Going Places: A Street Food Junkie’s Survival Guide
Holiday season is here and bags are packed. Every year some travel bug feasts on my family members and we end up in some random town. So when travel bug bite my brother this year, we ended up in Kota (Have you heard about it? It is a beautiful town in Rajasthan).

Traveling to a place where you have never eaten before is a Food Junkie’s dream destination. To tell you the truth, it is every Indian’s delight. How can you NOT like trying new food items, tell me? Though there might be some exceptions like my brother who has no appreciation for food and thus always judges me on the account of unhealthy street food I eat.

Out on street, the first thing my cousin, who is a resident of Kota, told me was, ‘As long as your taste buds are not used to this city, you shouldn’t take any risk with the street food’. Well, that’s true to every word, I swear. Else there might be some bad consequences.

Coming back to the point, every Indian city has its own street delight. Let me be sure you know exactly what I am talking about when I talk about street food. When somebody mentions street food, you might think about chaat without wasting a moment. Yes, chaat is street food but it is a small portion of the bigger universe.

Street food, as one can understand by the name itself, is food which is sold (but may or may not be made) in streets. It ranges from the light chaats to hearty meals like Daal-baati choorma, Rajma-Chawal, Pulao and Curry. Just anything and everything. The only thing that stands out between a Dhaaba and Street vendors is that these street sellers are too poor to start a dhaaba. But at the same time, due to their easy availability and reasonable prices, they are always a hit among lower to middle class and college going people. Also, the quality of celebrated street food is that it might not be the mainstream found in restaurant menus but it stands as the heartbeat of the city, adored by common people.

In other words, as historic monuments are a must visit in order to study the culture of a city, same way, eating street food and exploring regional arts is also a must to indulge in the culture of a city. It gives a new flavor to life. These things are only known by Street Food Junkies who go out in the streets to rejuvenate their taste buds.

Now, if you are a Street Food Addict or aspiring to be a Street Food analyst (if there is any such thing), you can follow some of these tips in order to enjoy Street Food without mulling over consequences.
1. Give your taste bud a little time to get along with the local taste.
Especially if you are not used to local spicy food. Proceed with small amounts at first and build up tolerance to the taste.
1. Have you ever played the game ‘Follow the Leader’?
You have to do the same. Follow the crowd and have faith on the locals. They know more than you. If they are avoiding a particular street vendor, it isn’t a time to act all radical. Go with the flow.
1. Make sure food is being cooked freshly.
Fresh doesn’t mean something cooked 8 hours earlier and heated in the present time. Sneak peak in the vendor’s utensils to check if he is continuously cooking. If not, this isn’t a place for you.
1. How many flies can you count at the counter/the vendor’s utensils?
You know the rule- higher the number of flies-lower the quality-worst the consequences. However tasty the food may seem, if it is already taken by the flies, you shall not claim it.
1. Fact-Fruit is healthy. Reality-It depends on circumstances.
Don’t let the worldly pleasure of pre-sliced fruits tempt you. ALWAYS make sure fruits are freshly cut or get it sliced right in front of you. Don’t take the chance with heavenly-looking fruits if you love your stomach.
1. Last but not the least, when you are out in the street, keep clean drinking water handy. You shall be a teenage rebel or a liberal minded person. But water is water. It should be clean and hygienic.
There is a lot more to learn in the art of Street Food eating but we believe what the elders have told us, ‘Experience is our true teacher’. Being broke teaches us the art of bargaining, especially if there are no written prices. Loyalty towards a particular street vendor earns us the extra sauce. And a lot more such tricks.

Now, go out in streets and don’t be afraid to try new dishes. In this free country, we have every right to eat the food we want without being judged by those who don’t know anything about the pleasure of street food. Feel gratitude towards these people who feed us Food Junkies.

Also take adequate precautions to fully enjoy the trip and food. You will survive, just like I do every time.

As for me, I’ll go back into the street for another street photography session hiding this eating bug somewhere inside me that will guide me to the final destination- a Street Vendor’s Stall.
June 15, 2014