The pumpkin flower in Bengali is known as Kumro (pumpkin) phool (flower) and boy, does it make up for one of the most prized delicacies from Bengal. I had a golden opportunity to grow pumpkin in my kitchen garden and feasted on some garden fresh kumro phooley’r bhaja. Who would have thought that I would relish such a rare delicacy from Bengal in one of the southernmost state of India in [More...]
There is a lot of similarity between Kerala and West Bengal – both of them being the predominant Communist states, also known for their infamous bandhs or hartals. Food also seems to have a common point – starting with rice, coconut, banana, fish, and non-vegetarian cuisine. In Bengal traditionally they wear white dhoties, while in Kerala, they wear white mundu. But there is yet another similarity that I found during my stay in [More...]
When it comes to sari shopping in Calcutta, you are spoilt for choices. While there are quite a few popular names in the city, like Adi Dhakeshwari Bastralaya, Sari Kutir, the other authentic brands are Tant Ghar and [More...]
Gondhoraj lebu (lime) is endemic to West Bengal and once upon a time used to grow in abundance in every household in Bengal that had a garden. As children, we remember plucking Gondhoraj lebu from our garden in Asansol, just before lunch and rinsing it with tap water and slicing it in half to release the divine aroma. It used to have very little juice, but the aroma was so fresh and lemony that it could be detected from far away [More...]
