My World of Food and Travel

My parents are here for some time while the in-laws are away in Assam to celebrate Durga Puja with the other grandchildren. Suddenly, I am no longer the apple of my parents’ eyes. All they can think of is their grandchild, my two year old brat. I am no longer their centre of the universe – that position has been proffered to the gibberish-speaking toddler. They are delighted at every syllable he utters and at every little action. They go into a tizzy at every little sneeze and every little cough. I am driven to frustration by Deta’s countless accounts of “Has he eaten?”, “He must be hungry”, “He is feeling cold”. Ma, in the meantime, gives me accusatory glances whenever the kid opens his mouth to bawl.  But then, that’s what my maternal grandmother had done as well. Every time we went to her place during vacations, I would be pampered royally and Ma and my aunts would be directed to keep me well-fed. “Has she eaten?”, “Give her something to eat, she is hungry” would be her co...

This was not how I had envisaged my first post after Christmas. I had grand plans of putting up a picture of an herb-roasted chicken with the title ‘Chicken roast for a merry Christmas’ or something like that. But thanks to someone , someone who reads my blog and is accountable for the shopping, it did not happen. That particular someone conveniently forgot to get the whole chicken required for the roast and brought cut pieces instead. And he insisted that I never told him about the roast. Okay, before this rant turns more sarcastic, let me concentrate on the food. Perhaps that shall calm me down. So, my plans crashed and I had to improvise on the chicken. I shall put up a post later on the chicken recipe. Now, my original Christmas menu included a vegetarian dish of methi paneer (cottage cheese with fenugreek leaves), a dish I had been wishing to make ever since I read it on P’s blog (presentedbyp.blogspot.com). She is a fantastic cook and I trust each of her recipes. Unf...

I just love paneer. Period. I don’t care how it is cooked or presented. Quite an abomination for someone who is known for her non-vegetarian cravings! My husband, on the other hand, runs a mile away from it. His excuse is, since he was in Delhi for two years he just got over-fed or fed-up with paneer. He says he doesn’t remember any dish where paneer is not added!  At home in Guwahati, I remember my mom making paneer since we did not get it in shops for a long time. She would curdle the milk and tie it up in muslin cloth, keeping a heavy grinding stone on the top. The resultant paneer would be silky soft and so flavourful. When I moved to Mumbai, I stayed in a hostel where we were not served paneer owing to its high cost. That was when I discovered the joy of having it ‘raw’ with tomato sauce! I would buy some paneer from Punjab & Sind (the best!) and run to my room upstairs to taste my loot. I would either crumble the meltingly soft paneer or cut into thick strips ...