Yesterday, we examined the basics of cake science, understanding the role each ingredient plays in the making of a simple pound cake. With the basics sorted, let’s crank the level up a notch. I like to think of Christmas cake as a glorified pound cake, since the technique and science remains the same, with the…
Category: Calcutta Chronicles
The Not-So-Sweet Shop
It is the winter of 2017 in Kolkata, and the clock has just struck 8. Thoroughly exhausted after a night shift, I walk out of the of Gate 2 of Medical College, half-staggering. I cross the road, walk over to Surya Sen Street, and into my favourite sweetshop. I order the usual: kochuri, aloor torkari,…
The Biyebari Formula
It is officially wedding or biyebari season, with social media being inundated with countless posts and photographs of happy couples tying the knot. Although we aren’t totally out of the coronavirus woods yet, there is finally a glimmer of light, a new hope. Of course, the wedding ceremony and reception isn’t a matter of joy…
Mishti : The Tale of Flour
Lakshmi Puja is over, and whatever Pujo fever we could have mustered this year is now slowly dying down. It is time to conclude our series on Bengali food with the final instalment of the mishti series, where we take a look at a variety of flour-based delicacies, which can be broadly divided into those…
Ode to the Kolkata Biryani
Kolkata Biryani is a dish very near and dear to my heart, and I’ve being wanting to write about it ever since I started my blog. However, I’ve been consciously putting it aside for a time I was better equipped to deal with it, doing it justice, so to speak. But unlike pastas or molecular…
Pujo, Inktober and Biryani
Pujo 2020 is downright weird. It is my first pujo away from home and family, and from what I hear from people back home, the vibe isn’t the same. The situation is dire, and under current circumstances, the best thing to do is stay at home and keep our fingers crossed that the next year…
Mishti : The Tale of Oil
So far in our series, we have talked about sweets that involve reducing milk or cooking chhana in a sugar syrup. We have talked about the basic milk-based desserts like rabri and payesh, and the two heavyweights of chhana-based sweets, the sandesh and the rosogolla. It’s time to step up the game. There is another…
The Fried Rice Duality
Around three months ago, a Malaysian stand-up comedian took the Internet by storm thanks to a video where he trashes a BBC food video on egg fried rice. Nigel Ng as Uncle Roger, a conservative middle-aged Chinese man dressed in a bright orange polo shirt with a hilariously thick Chinese accent, severely critiqued chef Harsha…
Mishti : The Tale of Chhana
Last time, we started our exploration of Bengali sweets with a look at the milk-based desserts, rabdi and payesh. This time, we move on to chhana, derived from milk and the starting point for two of the most popular Bengali sweets. “The name Sandesh is mentioned in medieval Bengali literature, including Krittibas’ Ramayana and lyrics…
Mishti : The Tale of Milk
Pujo is almost here, and in celebration the Gourmet Glutton is going full-on Bengali, with an array of articles based on Bengali cuisine. We have already explored the bitter and sour sides of our cuisine back in April, and this time we will tackle the sweets. The articles in this series are in direct contrast…
