In every Calcutta home, you find a flat slab of stone upon which fresh spices are ground by hand. It’s somewhat like a mortar and pestle, except that the mortar is flat and the pestle is held horizontally with both hands. My nani’s sharp eyed Bengali cook, Radha, clad in widow white with her sparse…
Month: March 2011
Lauki chana dal
This warmly spiced lauki chana dal recipe is a childhood favorite. I grew up in Calcutta, and this nutty, hearty yellow lentil soup studded with pieces of translucent green bottle gourd showed up frequently at mealtimes. It’s a complete and nourishing meal when served with rice or Indian style bread. This dal can be made…
How to make paneer
Last year I visited Poonam aunty’s home-run organic dairy operation in rural Assam and learned how to make paneer. Although paneer making is an everyday event in my mother’s home, standing beside Poonam aunty in her kitchen that overlooked her green kitchen garden and her cow barn, was quite a different experience. Poonam aunty refined…
Bengali cholar dal
I’m from Calcutta, but I’m new to Bengali food. I think it’s because I grew up eating North Indian food cooked at home – my mom frowned upon eating out in restaurants when we were growing up, and beyond one or two invitations to meals at my friend Pramita’s home, I don’t think I ever…
Nani’s paneer with crushed cashews
In the weeks leading up to my recent three month trip to Calcutta, I dreamed of how I would go to my nani’s house and stand beside her and soak in each little thing that she had to teach about cooking. I wasn’t disappointed. I spent several mornings in nani’s house this winter, peering…
Calcutta Chow 