Navratra delights......

Navratri, or nine day festival celebrating the victory of good over evil, the celebration of life, is a very important as per the Hindu calendar. It is celebrated twice a year once in spring ( chaitra navaratra) and once in autumn ( sharad navratra) 


This festival is completed with a nine day ritual of fasting. This fast comes with a nine day dietary ristrictions called FALAHAAR....
which when translated means fruit food... In north Indian houses wheat grans are sowed for 9 days and worshiped, thus no cereals, grains or pulses can be consumed during this festival.

the recipes comprise of a few ingredients, namely potato, sago,  dairy products, pumpkin, buckwheat flour, water chestnut flour, lotus puffs, fruits, etc.


some of the wonderful things that one can make are as follows


sabudana wada
sabudana khichri
kuttu atta mirchi bonda
kuttu aatta and kaddu cheela
paneer ki sabzi
khatta meetha kaansiphal
sabudane ki kheer
crispy phul makhana
til aloo moonphalli sabzi....
fruit cream
amroob ki dahi wali sabzi....
kuttu tikkad
raw mango chutney

A piece of kolkata gastronomy

There are some cities that call you, some that scare you away , and some that even build themselves around you. My city, Kolkata, silently sneaks into your heart and grows inside it. Sounds utterly filmy dosent it? Well, Mumbai may be the city of dreams, but Kolkata is a dream come true.

Yes, i know durga puja is around the corner, and i get all hyper about the pujas and how the fan fare is so grande . But, what exactly is the Puja fan fare? Its not all the lights or the idols or even marquees . The Puja feel comes from withing, whether you are a bengali or not its irrespective.

Today I experienced a phenomenon . It is a restaurant, but i still chose to call it a phenomenon. Before I get there let me tell you few things about Bengali food. When one talks about the Bengali Cuisine, one cannot forget Mangsho ( maans in hindi ) or Mutton. Unlike all over the world, mutton to Kolkata is GOAT....or Khaasi....or Patha..... And an integral dish is Kosha Mangsho. Its nothing but a Semi dry mutton curry, which when cooked to perfection is no less than a dream. one needs to broil the meat till it gets real tender. No festivity in a Bengali household is complete without Kosha Mangsho ( which when translated is Broiled Mutton ).

Getting back to the phenomenon, when you are in kolkata , Kosa mangsho comes with history. Every die hard mutton fan knows of this restaurant called Gol Bari, which is located at the Shyam Bazaar 5 point crossing. What we have now is actually said to be the new  Gol Bari. The old one is said to have been way better. To my surprise the name of the restaurant is New Punjabi Hotel. The place is not a fancy outlet, but when you cross it, the drift of the aroma flowing in the wind is bound to catch your attention. The place is small and old, but the people are really sweet, you need to pay at the counter and get a ticket, and sit. And the magic potions will arrive.

The mutton is no-need-to-chew tender and the rotis are soft and nice. Served with a generous portion  onion salad and tangy tamarind chutney, one does not realize when the plate is polished clean. This place is not just an eatery but any food lovers dream come true. It has a small little menu which consists of dreamy potions on different stature and measure. Anothe rprecial effect that was added was smoking the place with Dhoono or incense powder. The Dhoono smell is considered very festive, and has strong associations with the so called Durga Puja feel.

Yes, yet again i had a jaw dropping gastronomic experience in Kolkata, truly a food lovers delight
The city of ( tummy) joy.

Bloggers MOMO-Day Out

When in Kolkata, A hot humid afternoon is something u don't really have a problem with. because there is so much do do in this city. Today being one such afternoon, me and my dear blogger friend went on our favorite summer afternoon activity. BINGE.

Momos from Hamro Momos

Well, after the lovely hospitality as Blue Poppy , we decided to try out  the much talked about Hamro Momo. Located at Suburban Hospital Road ( walking distance from Forum Mall ) . This place is like a small little shop , but with high activity going on in it. One can love to eat momos, But the fun of eating it in a small little joint os past comapre. Although the Momos wernt to great, the experience indeed was. We had a steamed momo, Pepper chicken and Chicken 65.

Chicken 65

The much talked about momo was just average but the chicken 65 kinda got us talking. Fantastic , and bold curry flavor and a hard hitting spicy note. Although it tasted more south Indian than at a Tibetian joint, i have no qualms saying that i did like it. Even the sauce of the pepper chicken was stunning. Although the chicken was cooked previously , the sauce was brilliant. Zing of lemon and rush of pepper . even the onions tossed in it tasted fabulous.

Pepper Chicken

The Best thing came at the end , the cheque. Chicken Steamed Momo, Chicken 65, Pepper Chicken, Mineral water ....Rs 218

Pot Stickers

Although we had a blast, the quest for La Momo Extrodinaire was still pending. Thus, we decided that why not try its slightly cleaner next door neighbor, Momo Plaza. This one looks like a dingy place when u enter it but what came to our surprise was that they had Pot-Stickers (dumplings pan seared on 1 side ) called Kothey ...... and they also had pan fried momos tossed in a hot garlic sauce. Honest opinion, The pan fried momos here are way better than blue poppy.

Pan Fried with Gravy

The thing that i liked here was the fantastic Dipping Sauce. Spicy, but not gullet burning hot, with heady coriander bursts, gingery undertones and a fantastic balance of chili, with hints of sweetness.

The Lunch ended with an over  stuffed belly an satiated taste buds.

More to come on thukpas.......

P.S. Special Thanks to My Blogger Friend Poorna

her blog

http://presentedbyp.blogspot.com/