Rangalur bhaja puli..

Today I wish you all a happy Makar Sankranti. A harvesting festival, Makar Sankranti is also the oldest solstice festival, when Sun enters the zodiac sign Capricorn or Makar. So the name of this festival actually means the movement of Sun to Capricorn. During this time sun starts to move towards Northern hemisphere, making the days longer and warmer, marking end of winter and beginning of spring. From mid-December all the holy or auspicious activities are  prohibited among Hindus. Makar Sankranti also marks the beginning of auspicious activities. This particular festival is celebrated on a fixed date, 14th of January, and celebrated all around India majorly as a harvesting festival. Different parts of India celebrate this auspicious day under different names, Uttarayan, Lohri, Pongal, Poush Parbon etc.

Chicken kofta curry...

I prefer a spicy and hearty curry for winter dinners. A curry to wipe off with a piece of roti or naan. Last night I was indecisive about what to make for dinner. Jr. S was asking for a chicken curry, where as Sr. S made a face and sighed 'why that same chicken curry?' So keeping balance between both I opted for a chicken kofta curry with a special twist to the gravy. And to my joy both of them loved it and gave a big thumbs up to curry.

Kumro phool bhaja..

It's great to receive a bunch of bright yellow flowers as a surprise, but being a foodie it's feels equally good when you see your favorite edible bunch of flower as a surprise gift. Last weekend when S, smilingly handed me these vibrant yellow bunch I was overjoyed. I couldn't resist myself and took pictures of them. They made my winter Sunday morning extra special.

Christmas fruit cake..

Every festivity brings a wonderful feeling of merriment, joy and happiness and above all a feeling of togetherness which is beyond any religious faith and belief. Christmas is no exception. Everything feels so special during this time.  The little one writing a list for Santa without showing it to me and I'm trying my best to sneak around to know what's in the list. Decorating the Christmas tree, buying new decorations are so much fun.

Homemade Sprinkles...

Making something at home instead of buying it from store gives me immense satisfaction. It may sound pointless to many, why do I need to make something which is easily available at stores. But the creative satisfaction that I derive motivates me to take that challenge. This time I made colorful sprinkles, that we use to decorate cakes, cupcakes and cookies. During this festive season, when baking is almost a daily activity, sprinkles are a common requisite. So I thought to make some myself. And thankfully got some wonderful ideas. I tried and adjusted the recipes to suit me. The little one is the house was super excited and volunteered to be my hand model, all she asked for was to lick the bowl of the chocolate. 

Coffee cake with coffee glaze..

Christmas and the holiday season brings joy and happiness. The crisp chill in the air adds to the feeling. Shops are now stocked with cakes & Christmas decorations. Streets are getting decked up with lights. It's great to see how we all overcome the barrier of religion to celebrate every single occasion in Kolkata. The parks, zoo, museum and gardens in and around the city gets the highest foot fall during this time. The most common sight during this season is of course the picnickers enjoying the winter sun and food with friends and family.  As we celebrate Christmas, we also celebrate winter in Kolkata. People of Kolkata enjoy relief from the hot and humid weather during this brief period of 2 months.

Honey n oats whole wheat bread

If you are regular to my blog you know how much I enjoy baking, specially breads. Proofing, mixing, rising, baking, the entire process makes me feel relaxed. This time I baked a whole wheat bread. You may have heard baking a whole wheat bread is tougher than a baking white flour bread. What's so different about whole wheat flour and white flour. The answer lies in a single word 'gluten', to understand the flour one should understand what gluten is.