Today’s lunch was no coincidence. It was a planned affair—right from the chopping board to the dabba lids snapping shut. Lately, I’ve been trying to bring more discipline into our meals, especially the lunch box routine. Ever since my son stepped into college, our lunch dynamics have shifted. Earlier, he’d be back home by lunchtime,…

As the arrival of September heralds the festive season in West Bengal, the state gears up for Viswakarma Poojo, a day dedicated to Lord Viswakarma, the divine architect and master craftsman. But, before the colourful kites soar in the sky and the machines in factories are adorned with marigold garlands, an equally significant yet lesser-known…

“I am going to the canteen to have something now, you give my proxy in the class !!”, I asked Barnali and hopped towards the college canteen. It was raining. I travelled very early, and hardly had breakfast to college. This was in the late 90s. The 5.30 am local to Mednipore from Kharagpur was…

“Welcome to Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata. The temperature outside is 35 Degree centigrade and humidity is 74 %” announced the pilot. This was a completely unplanned trip. This was sudden planning as we planned to meet a few cousins who finally made it for this year’s Jamai Shosti celebration from the United States.…

During the scorching summers of my childhood, my cousins and I transformed the kitchen into a bustling culinary laboratory.  Our mission: to concoct the most outrageous and delicious dishes imaginable. One particularly memorable day, armed with a mishmash of ingredients scavenged from the pantry, we decided to create the ultimate dal of the day: the “Healthy Bitter…

Today’s lunch was initiated with a bowl full of cold Gota Seddo drizzled with mustard oil and kancha Lonka by the side. The first spoon took me back to that specific day of the year in the winter at my home in Kharagpur, West Bengal.      12 মাসে 13। পার্বণ or Baro mashe tero…

Before we delve into today’s story, I want to take a moment to express my deep appreciation for the formative years that shaped who I am today. My childhood in Kharagpur, West Bengal, holds an irreversible smudge in my heart, and it’s a privilege to share a little of those treasured memories with you. From…

Thamma once made this for me on Christmas when I refused to eat Phulkopi. This was back in the 1980s. Very recently I had a craving for this particular delicacy. Calling a few relatives back in Bengal and exploring the family amongst the previous generation of mamis and kammas led me to the recipe very…

Veggies and Bongs are inseparable. After I shifted to Gujarat in 2003, I observed over the years that there weren’t many options when it came to green vegetables. Even the fact that the people here understood and even today they do the same that Bongs eat only Fish 🐬. A big green papaya was initially…