It's all about food in the city of joy....after all, food is joy, and joy is food!

After the Sikkim snowstorm story, we almost immediately decided that the next trip has to be to a forest. I was done with snow, at least for now. So, we decided on visiting the Sunderbans, what with the imminent fear that the river islands will soon get eroded! We opted for the 3 days, 2 night tour offered by Backpackers Tour de Sunderbans, and were to fly in and out of West Bengal via Calcutta/Kolkata in the last week of December.

Thankfully, both of us had seen most of the city's historic and religious monuments on previous visits. So, this turned to be a food tour of what Kolkata had to offer. The researcher that I am, did quite some research regarding the food in Kolkata. However, I could do no justice to all recommendations for the time that was very limited (just 3 days!). But to be honest to my commitment towards a food tour, my itinerary revolved around where to eat and what to eat. Below is the itinerary that we followed.

21st December: Land in Kolkata, and check-in.
1. Brunch: Peter cat, Park street (chelo kabab)
2. Nahoums, New Market (minced pie, lemon tart, almond tart, coconut ball, fruit cake, marzipan)
3. J.Johnson corner shop (semi-soft and smoked Bandel cheese)
4. JN Barua, Bow Barracks (channa poda)
5. Balaram Mullick, Park Street (channa poda, baked rasagulla, kheer kodum, mango dahi, gur bhara sandesh)
6. Dinner: Mocambo, Park street (Chicken ala Kiev and Fish Diane)

22nd to 24th December: Sunderbans tour

24th December: Reach Kolkata, and check-in
Lunch: Kasturi, New Market area (mutton kosha, and poshto)
Dinner: Pa Pa Ya, Park Street (mulled wine and dimsum)

25th December

Durga idols at Kumartuli

1. Nahoums, New Market (Cheese Samosa, fish Patrice, chicken pie)
2. Nabin Chandra Das sweets, near Kumartuli (gur rasagulla and regular rasagulla, rasagulla wrapped with malpua)
3. Kumartuli to see durga idols being made
4. Lunch: Arsalan (mutton biryani)
5. Visit to a friend's place
6. Local train from Shobha Bazaar to BBD Bagh to see Howrah from land.
7. Dinner: Mitra Cafe, Shobha Bazzar (fish kabiraji, diamond fry, prawn cutlet)
8. Cocktails: Moulin Rouge, Park Street

26th December
1. Breakfast: Flurrys, Park Street (all day breakfast)
2. Victoria memorial
3. Papdi chat, jalmuri outside the memorial
4. Lunch (part 1): Mocambo, Park Street (deviled crab, baked Alaska)
5. Lunch (part 2): Bhoj company, New Market area (betuki paturi, sukhto)
6. Sweets: Mishti doi, jamun, baked sandesh at Biswa Bangla, Airport

Pending for our next visit to Kolkata:
1. Coffee house, College Street
2. Street food: Puchka, ghugni
3. Shyam Bazaar. Golbarir Kosha Mangsho
4. Shiraz/aminia: Chicken/mutton biryani and phirni
5. Mocambo's pepper deviled crab
6. Bow Barracks: Street home food (cutlet, vindaloo) during new year
7. Saldhana bakery (walnut cake)

While I fulfilled so many of my wishes which were on my bucket list since years (Moulin Rouge, Fish Kabiraji, Flurry's, Mocambo...), I have few favourites elaborated below that I will repeat whenever I go to the city again, and needless to say, they are highly recommended too!

Checking off Flurry's from the bucket list

1. Place: Mocambo, Park Street
What I loved: Chicken ala Kiev. This dish is insane. I am in a dilemma if I should reveal the surprise or not. Do me a favour, just go order it!
Other favourites (not mine, but of other Kolkata dwellers): Deviled crab (cheesier), Baked Alaska (it's all in the presentation).
What to remember: This place does not take table bookings and often involves long waiting periods. So, opt for a time that has less takers.

2. Place: Nahoum and Sons, New Market
What I loved: I really can't pick a favourite. Given a chance, I would have my breakfast of pies and cakes here everyday. I had the cheese samosa, mince pie, chicken pie, almond tart, marzipans among others (Just typing that made me hungry!). Just go there and pick what attracts you.
What to remember: Go early. I had to endure a long queue for almost half an hour a couple of days before Christmas, only to find most items sold out!

The loong pre-Christmas queue at Nahoum's

They all were yummmm!

3. Place: J Johnson (corner shop), New market
What I loved: The semi-soft, smoked Bandel cheese. If you like the smoked flavour in your dishes, this is a must have. All of Rs.8 for the size of a peda, this is quite a buy.
What to remember: After you fall for the cheese in the first bite and want to take it home, buy the dry one. The dry ones stay for a year, and when needed, has to be just soaked overnight.

4. Place: Balaram Mullick, sweet store.

You cannot stop at just one!

Disclaimer: I don't like sweets. So, while I maybe choosy here, feel free to indulge yourselves.
What I loved: Baked rasagulla! And Kheer Khadum (pronounced khodum), which is basically dry rasagulla coated with dry shredded kheer.
Other favourites: Jal bhara sandesh (pronounced Jol bhora sondesh), which is molten jaggery within sandesh; Chenna poda (roasted cheese); gur rasagulla (jaggery rasagulla)...
What to remember: There are many outlets throughout the city. Also, pick one of whatever sweet entices you at the store before deciding what to indulge in.

5. Place: Mitra Cafe, Shobha Bazaar

Fish Kabiraji

What I loved: Fish Kabiraji. The origin of the name is 'fish coverage' as it is fish fillet covered with egg. Introduced by the then resident Britishers, the dish stayed to eventually become 'kabiraji' from 'coverage'. Everyone here orders just this one dish!!
Other favourites: Diamond fry which is a crisp fish fillet served with mustard sauce.
What to remember: The place opens at 5 pm, and apparently sell out by 8 pm. Also, the place does not have more than 5 tables cramped up in a tiny space. Indian Coffee House in College Street also dishes out great fish kabirajis.

6. Street food - anywhere!

Jalmuri

What I loved:
      A. Rolls at Hot Kathi Roll near Park Hotel, and Kusum rolls, midway on Park Street. I had them in my previous visit and unfortunately couldn't squeeze time for the rolls this visit.
      B. Jalmuri. This is the Bengali cousin of bhel puri, only more spicier and with a generous dose of mustard.

I missed out on trying the puchka, ghugni, chowmein,.. Seems like I will have to plan a visit again soon.

7. Authentic Bengali food, multiple places.

Disclaimer: I am not a Bengali and hence, I may not be able to distinguish authentic cuisines from non-authentic ones. So, Bengalis, spare me on this one.
What I loved: Sukhto and Betuki Paturi, Bhoj Company, New Market. I had had my lunch and was full when I ordered these dishes. Yet, the mustard flavoured dishes completely won me over.
Other favourites: Poshto, mutton kosha
What to remember: These dishes are rich in mustard flavour. So, tread slowly if you are new to the flavour. 

Where to stay?

Vintage love!

If you are a traveler like me who spends less time in the room and more outside, I totally recommend Sunflower Guest House, close to Park Street, (just across Mocambo) for budget stay. I stayed here even on my first visit, and will stay here on my future visits too.

What I loved: The vintage look of the entire place and the lift of course. The proximity to both Park Street and New Market is such a bonus for the price!

What to remember: Book the AC rooms as they are larger. The rooms are basic and clean, but not luxurious.

Sunderbans tour

We went with Backpackers Tour de Sunderbans, and I think it is easily one of the best choices I made on this trip.
What I loved: From the word go, these guys are well organised with tastefully done office and eco-village.
What to remember: Although basic, the food and stay are good. The weather was on the colder side when we visited and hence, warm clothes will be useful. There are more chances of you not spotting the tiger. Don't let that disappoint you. Look around if you are a bird watcher; or simply relax on the boat with a book.

Sunset at the eco-village

So, go ahead and plan your next trip to Kolkata. There is a lot of information on places to visit available on the net. This blog post will help you with what to eat, esp if you are a non-vegetarian. 

I will have to stop blogging now, because my smoked Bandel cheese is calling out to me. 🙂

Varanasi Diaries

We traveled to Uttar Pradesh in April 2017. Yes, yes, very hot. But, beautiful!

The itinerary was as follows -
Lucknow for the Nawabi architecture and food (2 days)
Allahabad for the prayag and well, food!! (1 day)
Varanasi for the experience (2.5 days)
Sarnath (half a day)

However, Varanasi stole the limelight and hence this blog post is dedicated to the oldest city of the country.
Diary entry 1 - Boat rides and the ghats

I saw the ghats of Varanasi first in the fading light of the day and was mesmerised by it. The boat ride from Assi ghat to Manikarnika ghat was enchanting, except for the mosquito like insects. At the Dasashwamedh ghat there were boats aplenty, thus our boat got the farthest 'river space' to witness the famed Ganga aarti which was the agenda of this first boat ride.

We took our next boat ride along the same route next morning. The view from the boat ride gives the bigger picture - of the picturesque ghats and life associated with the ghats. The ghats are of myriad types - some colourful, some monochrome, some palatial, some simple, but all of them majestic. The people and their habits contribute to the changing hues of life every ten steps are so. Actually, there is no demarcation between the ghats - the changes are dynamic.



The ghats offers you a peek into its life. From boxing classes to young kids head diving into the water for their swimming lessons, from the classical music morning - Subah-e-Banaras to the Ghat Sandhya where dances are performed every evening to enthral the transient crowd, from the localites who obtain their morning dose of meditation to the people who have travelled far and wide to wash off their 'sins', from those sleeping peacefully on the ghats to those who arrive 'sleeping' to attain salvation, the ghats offer a view of almost every spectrum of life one can imagine.

Dasashwamedh ghat is believed to be the most spiritual of ghats and people throng to witness the Ganga aarti here. In the day time, numerous large umbrellas provide the shelter and address for the pandits who are much sought by the visitors for various kinds of appointment for/with their forefathers. It is probably the most occupied ghat.

Kedar ghat, also called Vijayanagaram ghat looks a lot like a temple in south India. So, it is no surprise that you see a lot of south Indians here. Apparently, just behind this ghat you can pamper yourself with authentic south Indian dishes.

Assi ghat is where the Subah-e-Banaras, a morning musical programme happens, along with the morning aarti. In the evening, Ghat Sandhya attempts to bring together the spiritual and the cultural aspects.

Kathak by the Ganges as part of 'Ghat-Sandhya' - an evening celebrating the confluence of art, culture and spirituality. 

As you walk you find Rajput era styled ghats, numerous shiv lings which are bathed in the Ganga water by the devout, a ghat covered with white sheets just washed by the washer-men in raincoats, many tourists taking photographs of the interesting graffiti, men painfully cleaning the river beds and pulling out any piece of plastic that catches their eye, saffron and black robed men with matted hair - some in in yogic postures, some meditating, some seemingly transfixed on something distant, some giving 'interviews' to the curious onlookers; men preparing their nets for fishing, some insisting on taking you on a boat ride, some smoking (it's Shiva's place after all), some massaging, some selling piping hot tea in earthen cups... Well,... I could go on and on. Like I said, life exists on the banks of this river. People live off her and by her. And what about the death, you ask? Mother Ganga has provision for that too.

Ghats of Varanasi

It is said that at Manikarnika ghat, also known as the burning ghat, the fire has never been put off as the ghat sees around 150 pyres each day! Life thrives along the ghats at Varanasi. And so, it completes the spectrum when you see the departed, brought from far and wide to one of the oldest ghats in Varanasi, dipped in Ganga, water poured into the mouth, and finally cremated on the banks. This is because the ghat is considered sacred and is believed that people cremated here receive moksha or liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth. Some people considered death as 'unholy', so it is surprising that this is situated very close to the Kashi Vishwanath temple. One needs to witness the action in this place to feel the weird calming experience of appreciating the ritual, and the livelihoods created out of it. Okay! This alone requires an entire blog post! Also, it is one of the 51 Shaktipeeths, as Mata Sati's ear-ring fell here, and thus the name.

The burning ghat. Source: Wikipedia 

Situated very close to the Kashi Vishwanath temple, Kachori galli is a narrow lane and a landmark on its own, which serves as an all time diner. A localite told us that there is also a custom where people, after cremating the departed at the Manikarnika ghat, make it a point to have kachoris in one of the many shops dotting this lane. Weird I thought! But, maybe that is to signify that 'Life Goes On'.

It is at Varanasi that it occurs to you that the Ganges is not just a river, but an emotion. She has stayed longer than anyone of us and witnessed not just eras, but the rise and fall of civilisations. While both the dead and the alive come seeking to the patient mother for salvation, the others live by her, and off her - truly a mother!


Diary entry 2 - Ganga aarti

On her many ghats, aarti is performed to Mother Ganga in the evening just after sunset. Hugely watched from the Dasashwamedh ghat, it does make for an event to be witnessed. The devotees and others flock the ghats to watch it from either the ghat or from a boat on the river. Mini stages erected on the ghat serve as stage for the pandits to perform the ritual facing the river with the crowd sitting behind and beside.

Young male pandits dressed in yellow/ orange shiny kurta, white dhoti, and other paraphernalia perform the ritual which lasts over an hour. Starting with the blowing of the conch, the pandits wave their hands during the aarti in various patterns which looks choreographed and staged mainly because they nervously look at each other as to what 'step' comes next and also to appear synchronized.
During the ritual, many items are used- a snake shaped aarti with flames that are tended to through out the aarti, a towering aarti with multiple lamps, incense aarti, peacock feathers' fan, and so on. The background score of chants and recorded bhajans provides rhythm for the aarti.

The much talked about, much anticipated Ganga aarti. The energy and enthusiasm is infectious

The crowd plays its part by clapping along which actually makes the whole atmosphere feel electric, and the energy is palpable. Marigold flower petals are thrown in the air occasionally. Some of the petals are distributed to the crowd who are requested to offer it to the river in the front after which, prasad is distributed.

The large flames against the dark sky makes it a spectacular event, but not really spiritual. Infact, the shayan aarti (aarti to put the Lord to sleep) inside the Kashi Vishwanath temple was more electrifying and provided that 'oneness' feeling.

It is interesting that people are allowed to witness the aarti with their footwear on. There are no qualms of what your religion is. It is open for all and when there are less rules, there is more acceptance. That is what Varanasi taught me.

To witness the Ganga aarti, reach well before dusk to secure the best place and witness it on any of the ghats. But for the best experience, watch it at the Dasashwamedh ghat. You can also watch it from the river on a boat and this gives a different perspective. Best, do both. First evening watch the performance from the ghat, next evening take the boat ride.