Related: Food Crawl in Darjeeling – A rare treasure of the North Bengal Tourism

Foodies’ heaven – Darjeeling Restaurants

Sipping hot Darjeeling tea with the view of Kanchenjunga is something to live for. And when these two are accompanied by different restaurants serving authentic Continental, Chinese and Nepalese food, what more to ask from life?

Breakfast Options

Chillout Restaurant & Bar

Address: Dudhia, Plot No 114, Rl, Khatian 152, O, 276, District Darjeeling, Kurseong, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, 734217

You can start with this small restaurant, which is more famous for lunch and dinner, but we had our breakfast here on our way to Darjeeling from NJP. They serve tasty momos. And the quantity is perfect. The noodles and pork preparations are worth tasting.

Sonam’s Kitchen

Address: Dr Zakir Hussain Rd, Chaurasta, Darjeeling, West Bengal 734101

A tiny breakfast joint serving delicious, healthy and sumptuous breakfast options. There are a few sitting options, and you might have to share your table with other tourists. Because of the rush, the service is sometimes slow, but the behaviour of the staff is homely, and the food is worth tasting. Try out their choice of eggs & freshly brewed coffee. And if you eat their hash brown potatoes, fried eggs, roasted tomatoes and bread toast, you are sure not to feel hungry for at least 4 hours.

Himalayan Coffee

Address: 5/1, Nehru Rd, Bellevue, Darjeeling, West Bengal – 734101

Located on the 1st floor, the restaurant is quite a contrast to the entrance. While climbing up the fleet of stairs, you might ask yourself why you came here, but keep walking because you’ll get a cosy and warm vibe once you enter the cafe. With wooden chairs and the aroma of the bakery & coffee, it’s a place where you would like to start your day. Their pancakes are good, and so are the omelettes. In addition, they serve a wide range of tea and coffee.

Arcadia Resort

Address: West Point, Darjeeling, West Bengal 734101

We stayed here for one night. A bit in the premium range, but the resort offers a grand view of Kanchenjunga from the balconies. Since it’s very close to the Darjeeling station, the toy train and the birds chirping add to this place’s charm. Coming to their breakfast – unlike the other two places, where we had Continental food, we were served poori, sabji, halwa & chicken sandwiches. That halwa was simply yummy. If you ever plan to stay there, try out their breakfast. They also serve a variety of paranthas.

Darjeeling restaurant serving lunch and dinner

Ara by Bellevue

Address: Nehru Rd, Chauk Bazaar, Darjeeling, West Bengal 734101

It’s better to visit this Darjeeling restaurant for dinner. With dim lights and live music, it helps to complete the day. Along with good food, they also have a full bar serving well-crafted cocktails. You can choose North Indian, Asian, Continental or Mexican food. Though a bit pricy, overall, the food is good & staff is cordial.

Penang

Address; 27Q8+V5F, Unnamed Road, Limbugaon, Darjeeling, West Bengal 734101

Penang is a must-visit if you want to taste authentic Nepalese food. But do not go by the exterior of this restaurant – it’s very deceptive. After all, the path to heaven is narrow! They have a full bar and serve a wide range of Asian food like noodles, soups, thukpa, yakishoba (spelling check please) etc. But, the major attraction of this place is their pork/chicken Nepalese thali. The thali comes with saag, sabji, daal, 3-4 types of chatni (dips), rice, a bowl of clear soup, 1 fry, dalle (Darjeeling chillies) and pork or chicken, whichever you opt for. All these are authentic Nepali dishes.

North Bengal: DOOARS: The ultimate getaway to the wonderland of the North Bengal Tourism

Yeh Dil Mange More

Neha had often heard from her friends that once you visit Darjeeling, your heart craves to go there again. But she didn’t believe it. Reason – when she visited Darjeeling with her parents after her Class X exams, after staying in Gangtok & Pelling, she found this queen of hills dingy & congested. But, on hearing about it from different people, they decided to give it a shot last year. The fundamental objective of this trip was to try out different restaurants, loiter in the Mall and help the kid to have loads of fun. And even before their trip ended, she and her 7-year-old started planning the next visit! That’s the charm of this place! So, if you have yet to visit one of the major destinations of North Bengal tourism, you’re indeed missing out on something. For a budget-friendly hotel – you can opt for Classic Guest House. And for a high range, Arcadia Resort is good. But, while Classic is very close to Mall, Arcadia is a bit secluded.

The post Darjeeling Restaurants – The Hidden Gems appeared first on KolkataFusion.

Joypur Forest

The following day, i.e. on 17th December, we started for Joypur jungle. A sweet aroma punched me as we entered the magical forest area. No! Not the typical smell of the forest; it came at sudden points, making me go crazy. After stopping our car once to find the source, we were reminded that it was winter, time for khejur gur (date palm jaggery). So, along with my nose, I kept my eyes open. The following person we saw on the road with bottles and mud pots, we stopped to purchase some fresh khejur gur. If you visit Bishnupur, Bankura, in winter, it’s a must-try out! But, be careful of fraud.

After a 2 hours ride, we reached Banalata resort near the outskirts of Joypur forest.

Bonphool Tree House

Banalata resort is the most commonly known resort in Joypur forest. But, since it’s overtly priced and overcrowded, we booked our stay in Banphool Tree House. So, while Banalata was bang on SH2, we had to travel further inside the forest to reach Bonphool.

Bonphool was once again precisely something what we wanted. In the lap of nature, it has a swimming pool, children’s play area, sufficient space to laze around, and is preferably deserted. They have boating options and also arrange jungle safaris for a minimal cost. You can also go for cycle rides in the forest. Their room rent includes three times’ meals. Initially, we were not happy with it. But all our complaints vanished after having the first bite of food.

We had booked a treehouse, which was very cozy, and perfectly crafted for a family. They also have other options like cottages, tents, and bamboo houses.

After having our sumptuous lunch, I decided to lie in the room while the other two went for a walk with my cousin, who had come to visit us.

Lying on the low-raised bed and looking at the wooden floor, before I could gather my thoughts, the party was back. So, we went downstairs, ordered our tea, and prepared our board under the eucalyptus trees for playing Connect 4. We played, chatted and drank some excellent tea until the sun went down, and we started feeling the chills in our bones.

Buy the exciting board game ( Connect 4) online from Amazon.

Since it was peak winter and the forest wind made our teeth chatter, they arranged for a bonfire on request. It was near the dining area. So, we went upstairs to keep the board game and covered ourselves with another layer.

The evening went by singing, dancing and playing with the puppies who stayed in the resort. The icing on the cake was the finger-licking snacks.

As the fire started to fade out, we decided to move back to our rooms for dinner and a night of peaceful sleep.

The next day was our last day in Bankura and we had decided to spend it in Bishnupur.

Bishnupur

It took us around half an hour to reach Hotel Annapurna, in the heart of Bishnupur town. Unlike the other three stays, it was a brick-and-mortar star category hotel.

Bishnupur Bankura temples

Bishnupur is renowned for its terracotta temples, artefacts and Baluchori saree. It has a vibrant history and every temple has a story behind it. While I wasn’t interested in sarees, I was keen to visit some temples and the haat. So, we quickly freshened up and left for the famous Rasmancha. Totos are very readily available near the hotels. On fixed rates, they’ll take you through all the temples. You can book entry tickets to the temples either online or at the entrance gate of Rasmancha.

Rasmancha

In 1600 AD, King Bir Hambir built this historical temple to celebrate the Vaishnav Ras Utsav in a protected area. To know more about the history of Rasmancha, click here.

Its structure and artefacts attract not just tourists but historians and artists from far and wide.

Dalmadal Kaman & Ma Chinnamastar temple

Our next stop was the Dalmadal Kaman. It’s indeed a legendary canon but lacks maintenance. Then, very close to it, is Chhinnamasta temple. This 100-year-old simple temple’s deity has been engraved out of Red Desert Sandstone. She is seen holding her severed head in her right hand. In her left hand, she holds a sword.

To know the story behind this temple, click here.

We didn’t visit any other temple, but to learn about the temples in Bishnupur, click here. Unfortunately, we had to return to our hotel due to my health issue. But, here’s the list of temples for you:

Poramatir haat

And after a delicious continental lunch and some rest, we went to poramatir haat. As a homage to the burnt clay and brick artefacts of the Bankura district, this evening market is named Poramatir haat. It starts at around 2 pm and runs till around 7 pm.

The vast ground has specific areas for painters, singers, dancers, and sellers. It’s the perfect place that captures the vibe of Bankura. Along with the beats of the baul and tosu songs, from somewhere, you’ll get the rhythms of dhamsha, and madol. The folk dancers move to their beats, creating an unforgettable ambience.

As you walk to the other sides, you will find some incredible painters engrossed in their canvas. And then there are the villagers, with their colourful handcrafts. Starting from dolls, mud tea sets, cotton stoles and handmade lanterns – each represents Bankura’s native art and crafts.

From the moment you enter this place, it’s bound to remind you of Shantiniketan’s Sonajhuri Haat.

After a few bags full of shopping, we retired to our hotel. They accept gpay, which is good but got quite heavy on my pocket. Nonetheless, I enjoyed my evening.

Tips

Carry an electric kettle with you and a flask. Rooms (except Annapurna hotel) did not have electric kettles. Since we are tea lovers managing without electric kettles was a bit challenging. And flask to help you enjoy a few tea sips while travelling through the forests.

There are quite a few routes to Bankura. But I suggest, if you’re going by road, don’t miss the trip through Jhargram. After all, the road towards the destination is as cherishable as the destination.

To Conclude

Be it a weekday or a weekend; everything’s mostly planned in our lives. Our mind is either planning something or executing it—no doubt why most of us wake up every morning feeling tired. And even after a long weekend (stuffed with household work and socializing), we look forward to the following weekend. However, after visiting Jhilimili and Joypur, I realized the true meaning of relaxation.

“Live close to nature and your spirit will not be easily broken, for you learn something of patience and resilience. You will not grow restless, and you will never feel lonely.”

Ruskin Bond

The post Joypur And Bishnupur Bankura-The Journey Continues appeared first on KolkataFusion.

Being a Bankri (someone from the Bankura district of West Bengal), Bankura as a holiday destination always sounded quirky to me. Moreover, my son and I prefer the beach. Though my hubby loves the plateaus, we always won by 2 to 1. However, last December, I decided to see what’s there in Jhargram or Bankura that entices him so much. And fortunately, we found a resort (Rimil Lodge) with treehouses. The kid also loved the videos and instantly agreed to divulge from a beach trip.

So, off we were….

15^th December is my kiddo’s birthday and in 2021, it was also the last class in school before winter vacation. Our booking at Rimil was for the 15^th itself. So was his maths exam, from 8:00 am. We were so excited that instead of waiting for a day, we decided to let our son experience some fun on his birthday alongside having serious business to take care of. I know many will frown on this idea, but that’s a life skill, to be honest!

The plan was to Jhilimili forest via Jhargram- approximately a 5 hours drive. So, the kid was to take his exam from a roadside eatery in his school uniform!

15^th December 2021

We started our journey at around 6:00 am, aiming to reach Kolaghat by 7:30 am.

We reached there by 7:20 am, giving us enough time to freshen up and prepare for the test. Though we were worried about how the teachers would react to our crazy idea of taking the test inside an eatery, they were quite sporting. After all, it’s the new normal. However, the kid was excited to reveal his birthday plans to his teacher. We had to literally beg him to restrict his words only to “Ma’am, today’s my birthday.” And to keep aside his excitement as after vacation stories. Once the test was over, we changed him into his birthday dress and resumed our journey.

Trust me! I’m not exaggerating, but this was one of our best road trips – the roads were very smooth, and the lush green forests, from the moment we entered Jhargram, added to the charm. There were so many moments when we just stopped and looked around. Unlike any other trips, we had no hurry to reach our destination. There was hardly any traffic and we either passed by villages or forests. Life seemed so peaceful and so enticing. It seemed like a journey that we could continue forever.

Jhilimili Forest

We reached our destination by 2 pm and there wasn’t a single drop of tiredness in us.

Rimil Eco-Tourism

Rimil Eco-Tourism was just the place where we wanted to be. There’s enough open space with a children’s park. However, the treehouse is a bit overtly charged. It’s a make-believe tree house put up on a few pillars. After reading a few stories, the kid expected something more realistic, but the park and the freedom to roam about maskless made him happy. And he also loved the company of the staff. They were very hospitable and paid as much importance to the kid’s words as ours.

They also have a small pond, beside which you can sit and detoxify your city life’s tiredness. And the entire area is perfectly lit up, ensuring that you neither feel unsafe nor does it interfere between you and nature.

In the evening, we had a bonfire just near our treehouse. And they prepared a sal-pata chicken, a speciality of Bankura. The smoky flavour of the countryside chicken can beat any 5-star restaurant’s tandoori.

My father and his friends used this sala-pata recipe, as an old technique, as kids. They used to marinate fish with spicy Indian masalas, wrap them up in sal-pata and put it at the base of the bonfire. Then, once the fire was towards the fag end, they took it out and enjoyed it with hot rice. We enjoyed the same thrill but with chicken!

From Rimil resort, you can visit the Talberia dam. Amidst tribal villages, it’s an appealing spot for visitors who want to spend quality time with themselves.

Visit the hills: An Accidental Sojourn In Darjeeling

Sutan forest

The next day we left for Kangsabati Dam in Mukutmanipur, Bankura. On our way, we took a detour and went to Sutan forest, which is half an hour from Rimil.

Someone has rightly said, “True bliss is found in the silence of the nature.”

Sutan forest is no activity spot. It’s the ultimate heaven where one can sit and do nothing. And if you have a poor mobile network (like we had), consider it as nature’s gift. We could see nothing around except Sal, Seora, Simul, Amla, Palash and many other trees standing in tranquillity. And Sutan lake calmly flowed through them, creating a rustling sound. As if the ambience solaced us by saying, “we are there if you need us!”

After spending some time there, we started walking into the forest. The silence, the smell of the different types of trees, the hustling sound of water and the sudden ruffling sound made by the leaves as air gushed through them – created an aura of calmness and fear. It was broad daylight, but my heartbeat fastened as we went deeper inside the forest. I had to keep a straight face with the seven-year-old, showing courage. And I was relieved when he finally declared we should turn around or we’ll lose track.

After spending some time there, we continued on our journey toward Mukutmonipur.

Another Weekend Gateaway: Let’s travel to the unknown lands of Purulia Ayodhya Pahar

Mukutmanipur

Travelling through the exciting forest of changeable heights on both sides, we reached Mukutmanipur, one of the well-known places in Bankura. The WBFDC resort is on a hill covered by green woods. And within walking distance of the Kangsabati Dam. From the dam, if you look in the resort’s direction, you’ll see nothing but a small forest on a hill. But inside stands a resort with a hauntingly tranquil ambience.

WBFDC resort Mukutmanipur, Bankura

Though the rooms are big, they aren’t well maintained and the service is poor. As the parking is quite far from the reception, climbing up to the rooms might be difficult for aged people. So, try to book rooms near the reception.  For booking and other information, click here.

Kangsabati Dam

No vehicle is allowed on the dam. So, if you want to visit the tourist spots, you’ll have to book an auto or totos, which charge exorbitantly. The sites are mostly overcrowded with tourists, but the boat ride over Kangsabati was exciting. We didn’t want to disturb the harmony of the ride with the motor boat’s sound and took a paal-tola-nouko (a sailing boat). Every time the vast azure water current swayed the boat, chills ran down my spine. After the adventurous ride, we spent some more time loitering on the dam before retiring to our room in the evening.

Personal opinion

I feel we could have avoided this halt. It can be a day’s trip from Rimil resort. But, the hotel options are much more here than at Jhilimili forest. So, make your choices, depending on the type of traveller you are!

Coming up soon with our experience and stay options at Joypur forest and Bishnupur.

The post Bon Voyage – Jhilimili Forest And Mukutmanipur Bankura appeared first on KolkataFusion.

Special Thanks To

Paramita Mukherjee, Sayani Sarkar & Tannistha Mukherjee for their contributions. This post could not have been possible without the recipes they have shared.        

Healthy, quick tiffin box recipes

Flattened rice (Poha) Tikki

Packed with iron, fibre, carbohydrates, antioxidants and vitamins, Poha (chire) provides a wholesome meal. And it’s also gluten-free.

A quick look at the ingredients to prepare poha Tikki for tiffin

Poha – a handful for two medium size tikkis, a small potato, seasonal vegetables (most preferably carrot, beans and capsicum), 2-3 tablespoons refined oil, ½ cube cheese or one teaspoon butter, half onion, pepper & salt according to taste

The ratio of poha to potato should be 1:1/2

Poha Tikki recipe

Wash the poha to soften it but ensure it does not become soggy. Mash the hardboiled (not very tender, yet mashable) potato in a bowl and add finely chopped onion, grated vegetables and cheese or butter. Mix well. Add the softened poha. Sprinkle in some salt and pepper. Mix well with your hand. Take small portions from the mixture. Give the portions flat shapes like Tikki or patty. Keep aside. Heat the oil and shallow fry the Tikki or patties till golden.

Preparation time: 10 to 15 mins. You can prepare the veggies the previous night and refrigerate them in a bowl of water or in an air-tight pouch.

Pick it and place it in your child’s tiffin box. As a dip, you can give tomato sauce or mayonnaise. (Try out Hellmann’s Eggless Mayonnaise.)

Pancake/Gola Ruti

This is one of those quick tiffin box recipes which has the widest variance. Different moms make this all-time favourite tiffin food in different ways. The process is the same, it’s only one of the ingredients that differ from mom to mom. 

Ingredients which has a wide options to choose from

An egg, all-purpose flour/semolina/Rava/wheat flour, chopped onion, grated veggies (if available), turmeric (optional), salt, pepper/chillies, oil for greasing the pan so that the batter doesn’t get stuck, a pinch of julienned ginger (optional). You can also add a bit of milk to the batter. It helps to maintain the consistency of the mixture and is healthy but adding is not a must.

Preparation

Preparation time: 10 to 15 mins. You can prepare the veggies the previous night and refrigerate them in a bowl of water or in an air-tight pouch.

Whisk the egg and mix in every ingredient to make a batter. The batter should be neither thick nor watery.

Grease the pan and start putting a ladle full of batter for browning. When one side browns, flip it and let the other side cook in the same way.

If in a dire hurry, you can also make this preparation without veggies and onion. In that case, add half a teaspoon of honey.

You can also add mayonnaise to it. But, in that case, whisk the mayo and then add the egg.

Quick fix Rava/semolina upma

Along with various other benefits, upma helps in digestion and boosts energy (something that all our kids need).

Ingredients

• Half cup Rava/fine blended suji (Semolina)
• Mustard seeds and curry leaves for tempering
• 1/4^th potato
• 1/4^th onion
• A small portion of carrot
• A handful of groundnuts
• 2-3 tablespoons oil or ghee
• Salt according to taste
• A teaspoon of coriander for garnishing (optional)

Preparation

• Finely chop all the vegetables
• Add oil/ghee to a deep-bottomed pan
• Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves to splutter. Then, add the veggies to it.
• Stir fir them until mildly cooked.
• Add the Rava and keep frying. Sprinkle some water on and off.
• Add the salt.
• Once the rava turns golden brown, take it off the pan, and garnish it with coriander.

Preparation time: 10 mins. You can prepare the veggies the previous night and refrigerate them in a bowl of water or in an air-tight pouch.

Lemon Rice

Like pancakes, lemon rice is also a prevalent tiffin food which our friends from Southern India swear by. Lemon rice is straightforward to make and lengthens the shelf life of rice. During humid days, when our kids cannot digest fried food easily, you can prepare lemon rice to cool the gut.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of pre-cooked rice (tastes better with short-grained gobindobhog atop chaal/rice)
• A handful of groundnuts
• A sprig of curry leaves
• A pinch of mustard seeds, chana daal (Bengal gram), urad daal for tempering
• ½ tsp of turmeric powder
• Salt and Sugar according to taste
• ½ slice of lemon
• 2 tbsp refined oil

Preparation:

• Heat the oil in the pan
• Fry the groundnuts and keep them aside.
• Now, put the mustard seeds, urad and chana dal in the same oil.
• As they start spluttering, add the curry leaves and immediately add the pre-cooked rice
• Stir in. Add the fried groundnuts, turmeric powder, salt and sugar. Mix well.
• Meanwhile, take the juice from the lemon slice and mix it with 1 ½ tbsp of water.
• Turn off the flame after mixing the rice well with the other ingredients.
• Add the lemon juice and water mix. Mix well. Once you see the colour of the mixed rice changing to faded yellow, you know it’s done.
• Preparation time: If you use a cooker, the rice hardly takes 15mins to cook. And once that’s ready, the rest is a matter of just 10 mins more. To quicken the process, you can use last night’s pre-cooked rice.
• Serve in the tiffin box after a standing time of 5 minutes.

Kabuli Chana Chaat (Chick Pea Salad)

The Chick Pea or Kabuli Chana has high protein content, which is required for nourishment in children.

Preparation that’ll make your Mondays happier

1. Boil overnight soaked Kabuli chana (Chick Pea), or use pre-boiled chana. The quantity depends on the kid’s appetite.

2. Mix chopped onion, cucumber, tomato, chilli and Kabuli chana in a bowl. Add a dash of lemon juice and black salt before packing the tiffin.

Preparation time: This is one of the best quick tiffin box recipes. It hardly takes 8 mins to prepare this delicious recipe. And can be used as a great evening snack too.

So, here are a few handpicked quick tiffin recipes, and we have a storehouse full of more tiffin ideas. So, please write to us in the comment section if you want more quick tiffin ideas from us. And if you have some other ideas, which will make the tiffing times more joyful for the kids without burning us, the moms, please share with us.

Related Articles: Hugely Popular Bengali Breakfast Dishes

The post Quick Tiffin Box Recipes appeared first on KolkataFusion.

In one of his books, Ruskin Bond says, “It is always the same with mountains. Once you have lived with them for any time, you belong to them. There is no escape.” To us, it’s just the case. So every year, we keep on searching for new places in the hills where we can escape for a few days. Burmaik, near Kalimpong, was one of the places we carefully selected from the paraphernalia of North Bengal Tourism spots.

We halted in Burmaik for around three days and experienced gradual detoxification from the madding city environment.

Reaching Burmaik from Darjeeling:

It took around 3 to 3 ½ hours to reach Burmaik from Darjeeling via Rishi Road. We encountered a plethora of homestays in a scenic place and feared that we might have to put up in that crowded place. But then we found out THE place called Ramdhura. It is further downslope from Burmaik.

As our cab climbed slowly up to Burmaik, turning left and not advancing towards Algarah, a pristine silence greeted us. The crickets sang as we took the stairs to Pranay Golay’s Magnolia Homestay.

Staying experience in Burmaik, a new destination of North Bengal Tourism:

The homestay owner, Pranay Ji, quickly welcomed us and asked us to settle in our rooms before the sunset. His request made us curious. But once we settled down on the upstairs verandah with our teas, we saw one of the most beautiful sunsets in our lives. The vermillion-tinged sky played with the clouds as the sun decided to hide under the cloudy shrouds. The purple, orange and bluish-gray hues rioted all over the sky, protesting.

By then, our stomachs growled too. We had plates of instant noodles and retired to our rooms for evening Adda.

Also Read: Food Crawl in Darjeeling

During dinner time, Pranay Ji served hot chicken curry and rotis. The curry did not have any hint of chillies. Therefore, we could share it with our kids. The food was delicious, no doubt. While serving, he talked about his carefully nurtured farm around the homestay building, where he grew green cardamoms, turmeric, black pepper, seasonal vegetables, a few fruits, and flowers and orchids. He kept a small coop of hens, too.

The following day, we took a round in the farm. Pranay Ji appeared to be an extremely hardworking person. His helps had gone away to their homes for Diwali leave, but he ensured that the homestay and farm premises were spic and span every day. We often saw him either with a broomstick or a floor mop roaming around, cleaning. Even the hen-coop was extremely clean, which is unusual given the hens’ biological habits.

Flowering plants bordered the farm. The seasonal flowers smiled from their places, exuding warmth and vibrance. We saw a brilliant example of indigenous engineering in a water conduit channeling the water from a natural cascade to an open reservoir at about a slope of 45 degrees downhill. Pranay Ji said that he channeled the water for the watering needs. The conduit gave an aesthetic significance to the homestay also. The vacationers can hear the sound of the falling water anytime during the day or night just from their respective rooms! Long after this stay, when I write this travelogue here, I can still visualise the neatly kept farm, the orchid plants decorating the walls and an array of red chilli pickle bottles seated upon the front balcony basking in the sun.

https://youtube.com/shorts/aeUDTCBZKTM?feature=share

We headed for a walk around the place and hiked up to a place from where we could see the Teesta River. A nearly motorable road lined the Manchu Forest around. We slowly walked on that road admiring the tranquility around. Our masks were off for the first time during this vacation. We felt free and seeped in as much clean air as possible. Unfortunately, we couldn’t reach the viewpoint as three of our hikers were getting tired. The two were our kids and the third one was me. Though the temperature was never less than 12 degrees, I always felt a bone-chilling cold during my stay. That feeling of chill limited my senses from inhaling the natural beauty. Maybe my body constitution needs a rejig.

Anyways, coming back to the homestay – the balcony is the star attraction of this homestay. One can while away one’s time just by sitting there and looking up at the sky, counting the stars or gazing at the hills that border West Bengal and Sikkim.

A visit to the Cinchona Plantation and Teesta View Point on our way to Kolakham, another destination in North Bengal Tourism:

It was thoughtful of Pranay Ji to pack a half bottle of milk as we headed out towards Kolakham for our next part of the tour. We would be staying at Kolakham for two more days before returning to Kolkata. He also gifted us a packet of fresh turmeric and two seasonal flowering plants.

We bade him goodbye with a promise to revisit his homestay during Spring. On our way to Kolakham, we stopped at the Jalsha Bungalow to observe the Government-owned Cinchona Plantation. Before Jalsha Bungalow, we got to see a Teesta View Point, where Teesta appeared like a braided stream with sandbanks on alternating curves of the river.

The Cinchona Plantation is a fantastic place, a wonderful natural setting altogether. It was placid green with the heritage Jalsha Bungalow in the middle. We got to know from the Security Staff that the West Bengal Tourism Department allows booking options for staying at the Bungalow premises. We’ll try that next time.

Address and Contact Details of Magnolia Homestay:

Owner: Pranay Golay

Contact Number: 9382131929, 7427990227

Golay Niwas

Kalimpong, Burmaik,

School dhura Burmaik,

West Bengal 734301

The post Burmaik – a rendezvous with tranquility in North Bengal Tourism appeared first on KolkataFusion.

Picturesque Darjeeling’s Food Scene – The best choice for the foodies exploring North Bengal Tourism

Darjeeling, a part of the North Bengal Tourism, undoubtedly offers one of the most spectacular views of the Kanchenjunga peak, but the food scene there is pretty interesting. There are very few travel destinations where you get outstanding qualities of fusion cuisine. Be it the continental food reminding of its colonial past, Nepali cuisine, Oriental spread along with the quintessential Bengali Alu Posto, Bhaat and Daal, or shuddh shakahari platter (Jain Cuisine) –  Darjeeling food trips would offer you all.

Since visiting Darjeeling has become our yearly ritual, we sample food in different eateries. However, we could try out only four places this year because we stayed in Darjeeling for a couple of days before heading to Barmaik.

On reaching Darjeeling, we had lunch in Glenary’s, dinner back in our hotel Alice Villa, next day’s breakfast in Hot Stimulating Café, lunch in Park Hotel, and dinner again at the same place. Yes!! That’s Darjeeling! And these are just a handful of the best restaurants in Darjeeling. We had a brunch in Keventer’s on the last day before moving out to our next destination. Let’s talk about each of these astounding eateries in Darjeeling.

1. Glenary’s (A must visit spot in the North Bengal Tourism for the Gourmets)

The Glenary’s was established by an Italian named Vado during the Colonial Era. It might have been one of the most popular eating places along with the Keventer’s where the British used to go back then. Later it was bought by the Edwards Family and rechristened to Glenary’s.

The family worked to preserve the colonial heritage of this eatery and divided it into three units – a restaurant upstairs, a bakery on the ground floor and a pub in the basement. The seating arrangements are aesthetically made with a view of Kanchenjunga on clearer days. It appears as if you have time travelled and entered a British eatery during the pre-independence days.

We had our lunch here after a tiring train journey. The glasses of fresh lime soda and chilled beer refreshed our senses. We had ordered Fried Fish and French fries for the kids along with steamed rice with chicken, veggies and mushroom, roasted pork, bread and beef cutlets for us. Our children instantly liked the Fried Fish because they had no hints of chillies and the upper coat was as thin as possible with a fat chunk of the delicate fish piece underneath.

The steamed rice with chicken, veggies and mushrooms was quite an interesting revelation for us. It presented a healthy main dish with subtle flavours but incredibly delectable – a near cousin to the chicken pishpash may be.

The Roasted Pork and Beef Cutlet were beautiful delights to our taste buds. The meats were tender, well done with measured spices in it.

On our way back to our hotel, we bought Apple Pie, Blueberry Cheesecakes, a brownie and chocolates from the famed Glenary’s bakery to treat ourselves during the evening.

2. Hot Stimulating Café

(This discovery has made this cafe one of the personal favourites amongst the best restaurants in Darjeeling)

The following day, we went out for a walk around the Darjeeling Mall and Observatory Hill. We had a plan to try out the new eatery (lesser-known) near the Shrubbery Nightingale Park in Richmond Hill before moving to the Darjeeling Zoo.

We all were quite hungry as we reached the Café. The uphill walk made us yearn more and more for a hearty breakfast. However, we felt at home on entering this quaint café. It is run by a Tibetan, Yapla Rumba and his family. He said that his ancestors settled in Darjeeling long back, even before the Chinese invasion of Tibet. He treated us to homemade sausages, home-baked burger sandwiches, soupy noodles (no, not Thukpa) and delicious piping hot coffees.

The open-air seating arrangements helped us soak the warm sun while silently appreciating the green hills lying afar. The family maintained a small garden with blooming colourful flowers swaying their heads with every cool breeze swiping through them.

The Hot Stimulating Café also organizes Tibetan Momo cooking classes for interested travellers. After the lessons, they encourage the travellers to help them make the Momos for practical experience. So we promised them to be their Momo disciples on our next trip before walking towards the Zoo.

Recommended Read: An Accidental Sojourn in Darjeeling

3. The Park Restaurant (A place of authentic Thai food in North Bengal Tourism):

The Zoo walk made me pretty weary, if not all, of my party. The kids were ever energetic. I needed a place to sit down for an hour and be lazy (being lazy feels like being me, can’t help it). But it was not possible till we reached The Park Restaurant. We had to buy a few woolens from the Chauk Bazar before settling down in the restaurant.

The Park Restaurant was established back in 1993 by a local named Deep. The place specializes in Thai and Chinese cuisine. We had ordered Raw Papaya Salad, Dry Chilli Chicken, Crispy Chicken, Chicken Hakka Noodles after the beverages of Fresh Lime Soda, Chilled Beer, and Long Island Tea. Unfortunately, we were restricted to venture out on sampling other specialties because of the inability of our children to eat hot and spicy food.

To me, personally, the Raw Papaya Salad was the clear winner. The rich tanginess of the salad balanced by the crispiness of the peanuts were absolute delights to the food lover in me.

A word of caution here – The Park Restaurant seemed a bit pricy, so, if looking for budget eating options, this one can be left out unless you are eager to sample proper Thai food more than the other Oriental dishes in this restaurant.

4. Keventer’s:

I understand that Keventer’s or Kev’s has a rich heritage in serving the British gentry in the past. And it’s one of the best restaurants in Darjeeling that boasts of well-prepared continental cuisine, basically cold cuts, but it failed to satisfy me. Also, the crowd of patrons hankering for the open space with limited seating arrangements outside was a major put-off for me (Call us the extremely highbrow and obnoxious people, who can’t mingle with ‘tourist’ crowds, but that’s how we, the Kolkatafusion people are as travellers. We accept our vice. So, now Peace!).

I missed ‘Boney’s’ all along. The food was okayish, if not good, although not promptly served. The kids had Cheese Omelette and Scrambled Eggs along with fruit juice for their breakfast. We had chicken salami sandwich burgers, toasts, and a mixed platter of fried portions of bacon, sausages, hams and salamis. The hot chocolate was well done, though!

5. Alice Villa:

To all our food adventures during mornings and afternoons, Alice Villa, our abode for this time’s Darjeeling visit, offered solace to our tired digestive systems. We invariably ordered soul comforting food like Rice or Roti, Daal, Daal Fries, Mixed Vegetable Curries and Potato Fries (simple Alu Bhaja) for the dinners. We also sampled the famous Alice Villa pudding, but we didn’t like it much, maybe because the sweetness is on the higher side.

Although we wanted to sample food in Penang Restaurant, Kunga Restaurant, and Boney’s, we couldn’t cover much. However, we didn’t return empty-handed from our yearly food pilgrimage in Darjeeling and that memory would keep us upbeat for another year till we visit again.

The post Food Crawl in Darjeeling – A rare treasure of the North Bengal Tourism appeared first on KolkataFusion.

The Bengali Sweets of Bankura District

MECHA SANDESH

 Mecha Sandesh has always been a trademark and pride of Beliatore, Bankura, the birthplace of the great artist Sri Jamini Roy.

As the legend goes, the Rajas of Bishnupur known as Malla Kings, used to rule this area.  There was scarcity of milk in this part of Bengal. But due to the high demand for sweets from the Malla kings and the local people, Mecha Sandesh was first prepared in Beliatore between 1625 – 1635 without using any milk and chhena.

At first, the grams or chola (Bengali for chana) are dried and powdered. This besan is fried into Gathiya and the Gathiya is again powdered. Kheer (Bengali for reduced and condensed milk) and sugar are mixed with this powder and cooked to form lumps. These lumps are further well mixed with ghee and cardamom into small round balls and again dipped in sugar syrup and ultimately dried in Sal leaves to give it it’s signature scent and flavour.

One of our contributor’s home being at Beliatore, she still remembers when she used to visit there and how crazy she was about Mecha Sandesh and couldn’t resist to have a bite of this mouth watering masterpiece. Although, there are many sweet shops at Beliatore, but the best among them is undoubtedly Mecha Mahal. If anyone avails the state highway from Durgapur to Bankura, then they can have a chance to taste this delicacy at Mecha Mahal, Beliatore.

Recently, the local people are demanding a patent and GI Tag of one of the iconic Bengali Sweets, Mecha Sandesh from the government.

Best Place to sample an iconic Bengali sweet – Mecha Sandesh:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mecha+Mahal/@23.3184891,87.215957,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x39f7a029c5e49297:0x34e0dcca00233ff9!8m2!3d23.318475!4d87.2181448

HATI KHAJA

The Hati Khaja or gigantic Khaja is also a popular sweet dish found at some parts of Bankura. It is a type of khaja similar to the one found in Puri, but the size is a bit bigger. It is made with wheat flour, sugar and fried in ghee or oil. The flour and sugar are used to make several layered dough and fried in either oil or ghee. Believed to have originated from the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, khaja has become a popular sweet dish in Orissa and West Bengal. The sweet might have travelled with the Kanauj Brahmins who started settling in different parts of Bengal in the past. Good quality Hati Khaja can be found at Kalika Mishtanna Bhandar, Ranigunj More, Bankura.

Mihidana and Pera of Bishnupur, Bankura is also famous. But ‘Motichur’ or ‘Mitichur Laddu’, a masterpiece of Bishnupur is now an extinct product due to the non availability of peal seeds which was the main ingredient of this mishti. Laha Sweets is one of the best sweet shop found at Bishnupur providing quality sweets.

Best Places to sample the Bengali sweets – Hati Khaja and Motichur Laddu:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kalika+Mistanna+Bhandar/@23.2332536,87.0695221,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x39f7a58d7795f2a1:0x324301a6e0acff1d!8m2!3d23.2332588!4d87.0717077

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Laha+Sweets/@23.0624096,87.301023,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x39f793f824b0690b:0x20e00c89eabdb4c1!8m2!3d23.0624047!4d87.3032117

The Bengali Sweets of Purulia Districts

KASTAR LADDU / KASTAR MITHAI

Kastar Laddu or Kastar Mithai is a highly localized sweet of Kashipur area of Purulia district. This laddu, introduced by Jyotiprasad Singh Deo, king of Panchakot kingdom, used to be one of the traditional sweets of the Manbhum and the Panchakot Royal family. The king used to distribute this laddu among people on the occassion of Bijaya.

The main ingredients of this unique laddu is chena, kheer, flour of bengal gram, cashew, raisin, cardamom, cinnamom, nutmeg and mace. Small balls are made out of this mixture and fried in ghee. Then, they are dipped into sugar syrup and laddus are made from it. Sadly, this unique Bengali sweet is losing its prominence quite rapidly. It is found only around Kashipur and adjoining areas. You can search for the local sweet shops at Kashipur More for this sweet because at present it is prepared by only two or three shops.

NIKUTI

In Purulia, one must not miss to taste the delicious Nikuti. Although Nikuti is an origin of Shantipur, Nadia district, but it is also a specialty of Purulia as well as popularly eaten all over the district. Nikuti is a similar dish like Gulab Jamun or Pantua, but the size is much smaller. It is made with cottage cheese, flour, ghee, cardamom and sugar syrup. Small oval-shaped dumplings are made out of the dough which is deep-fried before soaking in a simple syrup.                                                      

Best place to taste Nikuti in Purulia:

Adi Dilip Sweets is a renowned sweet shop at Kashipur More.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Adi+Dilip+Sweets/@23.4361124,86.6690376,17.52z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x39f6f7ce8d21118f:0x5235ba8d2bc6493f!8m2!3d23.4364732!4d86.6701589

With increasing availability and storability of cottage cheese in these parts of Bengal and huge popularity of sweets like Rashogolla and Sandesh, only time can say whether these iconic non chhena Bengali Sweets can stand the test of time.

The post The Sweetmeats of Bengal – 5: Sweets from the Bankura and Purulia Districts appeared first on KolkataFusion.

In this article, we would be providing you with the details of the different travel locations of the Dooars of North Bengal.

A part of North Bengal Tourism- Dooars

1. JALDAPARA NATIONAL PARK

Jaldapara National Park, situated on the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas along the bank of river Torsa, is famous for its Asiatic One-Horned Rhino. The National Park characterized by an extensive grassland is also a homeland for many species like Asiatic Elephants, Swamp Deers, Gaur(Indian Bison) and a great number of birds.

The main attraction of Jaldapara is the elephant safari conducted for spotting the wildlife. Besides, jeep safaris are also organized inside the jungle. The best place to stay here is the Hollong Tourist Lodge of WBFDC. Among private accommodations, The Mystic Forest is a perfect stay. The nearest tourist spot is Madarihat.

A detour in Chilapata: The dense woods on the eastern part of Torsa river, known as Chilapata Forest, is also a part of the Jaldapara Forest. It’s one of the good options for a day tour from the Jaldapara. Chilapata Forest serves as the elephant corridor between Buxa Tiger Reserve and Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary. The jeep safaris through this dense forest is a lifetime experience, not be missed if you are travelling in Dooars.

2. GORUMARA NATIONAL PARK, CHAPRAMARI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, LATAGURI & MURTI

Gorumara National Park is perhaps the most popular zone of the North Bengal Tourism, a jungle lover would ever vouch for. It is well known for its diversified flora and fauna which includes Indian Bison, elephants, One-Horned Rhinos, leopards, deers, etc. Amidst the dense forests of Sal and Shimul, the watchtowers are great spots for watching the animals. A jeep safari is also available at the buffer zones of the jungle.

The nearest stay is either in Murti or Lataguri. Good lodging choices in close proximity to the forest are – The Reserve Gorumara or The Chapramari Wilderness Camp.

Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary, one of the oldest forests in Dooars, is an extension of the Gorumara National Park, bifurcated by the Murti River.

On the banks of the Murti river, Murti is one of the finest tourist spots. The crystal clear water of Murti, along with the surrounding picturesque landscape, is a perfect place to relax one’s mind and soul.

The best accommodation at Murti is the Murti Tourist Lodge of WBTDCL and Banani Lodge of WBFDC. Or you can also opt for the privately-owned Murti Tourist Lodge.

Lataguri is a small tourist village situated at the confluence of Murti and Jaldhaka river in the midst of thick deciduous forest and a quaint landscape. It is just 25 kms drive from the fringe of Gorumara National Park.

Out of the several resorts at Lataguri we recommend the Tuskers Den Forest Resort the most.

Recommended Read: Offbeat travel destinations of North Bengal – Palmajua and Chatakpur

3. NEORA VALLEY NATIONAL PARK

Maintaining its unique biodiversity, Neora Valley is perhaps the only forest in the Eastern Himalayas that has a few virgin forest patches that are yet to be explored by humans.

The jungle family includes Himalayan Thar, Tiger, Goral, Himalayan Black Bear, Clouded Leopard as well as the endangered species of  Red Panda. The valley is bliss for bird watchers. Here you’ll find birds like Redstart, Whistling Thrush, Golden Headed Black Finch, Niltava.

There are two routes to reach Neora Valley. One is through Kolakham, a forest village situated about 10 km from Lava. Another one is through Samsing, mostly availed by trekkers who enjoy camping and trekking in the forest trails. Forest permits are available both at Lava and Samsing. The best place to stay here is the Neora Valley Jungle Camp.  

4. SAMSING, SUNTALEKHOLA AND ROCKY ISLAND

Samsing is one of the greatest tourist attractions of the North Bengal Tourism. It has a majestic view of the lush green tea gardens, hilly slopes, orange orchards, cinnamon plantations. And the trickling sound of the Murti River adds to it charm . Situated at a distance of only 17 kms from Chalsa, you can experience a beautiful drive to Samsing through the unending stretches of tea gardens like Samsing Tea Garden, Chalsa Tea Garden etc.

There are several homestays at Samsing, which offer a good and cozy stay. Among the private hotels, Samsing Backwoods Adventure Camping offers a cozy stay at a reasonable tariff.

Rocky Island – Located at a distance of merely 3 km from Samsing, is a campsite located at the banks of river Murti. It is an upcoming eco-tourism destination in North Bengal offering opportunities like camping activities, rock climbing, river bank trekking, etc.

Suntalekhola – Just 4kms from Samsing, Suntalekhole is famous for its thrilling stay at the WBFDC lodge. The mysterious dense forests, the ghostly silence & the remote location – everything is just too thrilling. Apart from the government stay, the Mayjhora Homestay offers a comfortable homely environment amidst the locals.

HOW TO REACH DOOARS:

The only airport in this belt is the Bagdogra Airport. From here, prepaid taxis are available for any part of the Dooars area.

By train, the most preferred station will be the New Mal Junction, as it is located right at the Dooars belt. But very few trains are available for this station, like Kanchankanya Express from Kolkata. The next best option is the New Jalpaiguri station, from where pre-paid cabs are available.

IDEAL TRAVEL PLAN TO DOOARS

Ideally, you can plan for a 7 to 8 days visit to the Dooars, to enjoy and explore the unique and rare beauties of North Bengal Tourism. We suggest the following travel plan:

• Reach New Mal Junction by Kanchankanya Express
• From New Mal Junction, book a cab to Gorumara and halt there for 2 days.
• Next, you can visit the Neora Valley via Kolakham . You can also spend a night at Kolakham.
• Early next morning, travel to Samsing, Rocky Island and Suntalekhola. Among these, you should consider a halt at Suntalekhola for 2 days stay if you get a booking at the WBFDC forest resort to absorb in the sights and sounds of the beautiful place.
•  After enjoying the tranquility of Suntalekhola, you can go on for a 2 days stay at Murti ,which is in close proximity to Jaldapara and Chapramari forests.

Although all types of North Indian and South Indian foods are available here due to the tremendous development of tourism but don’t miss the local dishes like momos, dry fish pickles and bamboo shoots. And when you are in the land of tea gardens, do not dare to miss a steaming cup of the aromatic Darjeeling tea.

The best time to visit Dooars is October to March.

The post DOOARS: The ultimate getaway to the wonderland of the North Bengal Tourism appeared first on KolkataFusion.

The All-time favourite Kochuri-Alur Torkari-Jilipi

Once, a newlywed from Durgapur was told by her new family members in North Kolkata that the Sundays are ‘Kochuri-Alur Torkari-Jilipi’ days. Sunday being a holiday, almost all the North Kolkatans prefer Sunday Bazar visits for buying the veggies, fish and meat for the forthcoming week. And carry back home a big paper package of Hot Kochuris, moderately spicy potato curries and Jalebis (Jilipis) to extinguish the hotness of those curries.

The household members have their Sunday breakfasts together before embarking on elaborate cooking activities of that day. The Kochuri is so famous and ubiquitous in Kolkata that we don’t even care to know the true-blue Bengali recipe of Kochuri. Who cares to sweat out when your neighbourhood sweet shop can parcel Kochuris at your doorstep? Also, a plate of Kochuri-Torkari-Jilipi costs pretty negligible, approximately around 20-30 Rupees in the sweet shops lined in the Dalhousie-Shyambazar stretch.

The duo – Luchi and Shada Alur Chocchori

While Kochuris are to be quintessentially bought from sweet shops, Luchi is made strictly at home. Luchi, the flour cousin of the North Indian Puri, is also primarily a holiday delicacy, complete with a fill of Shada Alur Chocchori (White curry with potatoes without the use of turmeric and tempered with paanchphoron – five spices) or Begun Bhaja, and a Roshogolla or Bonde. Sometimes, a chhanar jilipi (a juicy jalebi preparation with cottage cheese) or a Pantua can barge in alongside humble norom alu bhaja (Potato fry) instead of the chochhori – depending on the mood of the cook. Commonly, any bong sweet can be a perfect accompaniment with a plate of pristine white Luchis. Period.

Talking about Luchi, it can also be considered a crime if we don’t mention the royal presence of Bashi Luchi, Bashi Roshogolla, and Bashi Paanthar Magsho (the delectable trio of Luchi, Rasgulla, and Mutton Curry made the night before for any occasion). It’s a Bengali brunch served on the breakfast tables. For, whenever you eat them in the morning, you are sure to skip your lunch of that day!

Muri – With any dish at any time of the day

It’s not that we Bengalis love only greasy, unhealthy kinds of stuff as our breakfasts. We love Muri, yes, almost all of us. Muri can be no less than a superfood because it plays multiple roles, so effortlessly, easily. A bowl of Muri, which gets huger when you visit villages, with the same Alur Torkari that we described earlier with Kochuri, tastes pleasant because the Muri cuts up its hotness. We can have a bowl of Muri with Milk and Bananas (as you have cornflakes with milk) or Roshogolla or Jilipi or Bonde or Alubhaja. Or even with that Baashi Paanthar Magsho if we want to go easy on our stomachs while making it filling and tasty.

Panta Bhaat – A Relief During Summers

During the hot summer days, many of us love Paanta Bhaat (made more famous by Kishwar Choudhary in the show Master Chef Australia). Breakfast recipe with Panta Bhaat, frying posto fritters (postor bora), or boiled and mashed potatoes, a green chilly and raw onion to beat the heat outside. Panta Bhaat is a simple recipe of soaking the pre-cooked rice in some water for a few hours before eating.

Read: Saraswati Pujo Delicacies

Doi Chinre – Another Summer Relief

In summers, we also swear by Doi-Chinre (Dahi Chura) or yoghurt and flattened rice with jaggery, ripe bananas, or ripe mangoes (preferably mangoes). The sweet-toothed Bengalis don’t mind a serving of Murki (jaggeried khoi) and batasha with the Doi-Chinre-Aam (yoghurt-flattened rice-mango), although.

Parantha in Various Forms

Along with the very Bengali breakfast items we mentioned above, there are other popular items, too. The Mughal influence or Arab influence added in the Chapati or Ruti-Torkari concept (not to forget Gur Ruti or Roshogolla Ruti), Parantha and yoghurt/Raita, and Petai Parota. The Petai Parota is just a pieced huge Parantha sold according to weight. It is commonly available in the tea shops across Bengal and served with potato curries, chholar daal, or sweet syrups (depending on the resource availability in respective shops).

Gola ruti – the Bengali style Pancake

Something started 30,000 years ago during the Stone Age and has become a staple breakfast of many Bengali households – Pancake. Bengalis prepare it in different ways – sometimes with all-purpose flour and sometimes with wheat. Keeping the egg constant, they have different variations of gola ruti – sweet, salty and spicy. It depends on the mood and the weather which flavor the family will have that day for breakfast. And not just that, sometimes this gola ruti is also prepared without eggs with urad daal, rice flour, suji as replacement ingredients.

European influence

The European influence was most commonly the bread that got rechristened as Pauruti (or bread kneaded with feet). Like Muri, Pauruti is also widely eaten across Bengal with similar accompaniments as of Muri. Adding to that, we have our favourite Bengali version of Dim Pauruti (widely Bengalized from French Toast) prepared at homes or streetside tea stalls in and around Bengal.

Chinese Influence

The Chinese influence brought in the concepts of Bengali Chowmein prepared with potato wedges, sliced onions, egg, or fried groundnuts to make up the absence of egg in common Bengali households. And the most loved Maggi or different varieties of instant noodles, which is also a dedicated companion of college-goers, is cooked by Bengalis in their unique ways. Some like fried Maggis, some prefer soupy, and others prepare it like noodles or grab a bowl in the middle of work or studies.

So, what’s your favourite?

With this, we sign off with a burp and a thought on what to prepare for our next breakfasts. But, we would like to ask you to share your favourite Bengali breakfast item or any unique Bengali Breakfast item you had somewhere and still remember.

The post Hugely Popular Bengali Breakfast Dishes appeared first on KolkataFusion.

The Bengalis swear by two things – a fill of Posto Baata or Alu Posto with rice and an afternoon siesta thereafter. Posto or poppy seeds, also known as khus khus in other parts of the country enriches our taste buds, cools down our bodies, and simultaneously heals our digestive system. The Posto Chicken recipe described here is a true-blue Bong recipe born in our ancestors’ kitchens when they discovered the power of Posto as a condiment enhancing the taste along with thickening the gravy. 

History of Posto

Though the poppy seeds and their farming originated in the Middle East back during the Sumerian Civilization, the British colonization in Bengal started its abundant agriculture in the fertile lands of Bengal for supplying the booming opium trade in China during those years. The food grain farmers suffered exploitations in the hands of the British for increasing the production of the poppy seeds to the extent where their families spent days with immense hunger. 

The British eliminated the dried poppy seeds as waste before collecting the opium. Desperate foraging by the women of the opium farmers’ families led to the discovery of posto baata or paste of poppy seeds that they could have with their rice plates.

Thus, posto, entered Bengali culinary. And today, we can add it to any preparation, be it veg or non-veg. Bengalis even have posto bata (or paste) with nothing but green chilies and a tinge of mustard oil.

Food Historian Chitrita Bannerjee rightly says about posto, though the benefits of khus khus are accepted in other parts of India, “it’s single-minded utilisation is only to be seen in Bengal.” Undoubtedly, our easy dinner recipe of Posto Chicken takes a cue from her this particular observation.

So that’s the history, let’s concentrate now on the recipe:

Preparation of Posto Chicken:

For the Posto chicken recipe, you will require the following ingredients:

1. Chicken – 500 gms
2. Tomato – 1 small
3. Onion (fined sliced) – 1 large
4. Onion (finely chopped) – 1 large
5. Cashew Nuts – 5 gms (optional)
6. Green Chillies (slit) – 4-5
7. Ginger (1 inch) – sliced
8. Garlic (10 cloves) – chopped
9. Poppy Seeds (Posto) – ½ cup
10. Dried Melon Seeds (Charmagaj) – 1/4 cup

Make sure that the proportion of the charmagaj and posto is 2:1

1. Whole Garam Masala – 1 tsp
2. Bay leaves
3. Dried red chillies – 2
4. Garam Masala Powder – ½ tsp
5. Coriander Powder – ½ tsp
6. Cumin Powder – ½ tsp
7. Whole Cumin Seeds – ½ tsp
8.  Refined Oil – 2 tbsp
9. Ghee – 1/2 tbsp
10.  Curd – 200 gms
11. Salt – According to taste
12. Turmeric Powder – 1 small pinch

How to Prepare Ghee At Home

Posto chicken video

How to cook Posto Chicken

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil. Add the whole garam masala, a bay leaf, a bit of salt, sliced ginger, chopped garlic cloves, chopped onion, green chillies, chopped tomato and cashew nuts in the oil and sauté for 4-5 minutes.
2. Add in cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder. Mix in for 2 minutes
3. Turn off the flame and leave it too cool.
4. Blend the masala into a fine paste.
5. Marinate the chicken with 200 gms yoghurt, the cooked masala paste and a bit of oil. Keep in the refrigerator for half an hour.
6. In the meantime, make a paste with the charmagaj and poppy seeds.
7. Once the chicken is marinated, heat the pan.
8. Add the ghee and oil. As they heat up, add coriander seeds, a bay leaf, 2 dried red chillies and fine sliced onions. Fry for 2 minutes.
9. Add the marinated chicken. Cover and cook for a minute and turned the flame to medium.
10. After 10 – 15 minutes, add the poppy seed and charmagaj paste. Mix in well.
11. Cook on a medium flame for 15 more minutes.
12. You can optionally add a drop of keora water before serving the Posto chicken piping hot. But, if you are trying it for the first time, taste the posto preparation without adding it.

How to enjoy Posto chicken?

The Posto Chicken can be a perfect choice during summer dinner get-togethers or quick lunch parties in your homes. This easy chicken recipe goes absolutely fabulous with Rotis, Paranthas, Basanti Pulao, Luchi or Plain Sweet Pulao.

The post Posto Chicken Recipe appeared first on KolkataFusion.