A German married to a Bengali has won a major award for her food blog that combines the two cuisines

Beatrix Basu’s blog ‘Cooking for Elephants’ is a melting pot of flavours and culinary influences.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Dec 13, 2018 · 11:30 am

From Shahi Tukda to Dahi Toast: How Indians desi-fied humble white bread

Across the country, bread is used imaginatively and prolifically to drum up a range of quintessentially desi treats, some of them iconic.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Nov 15, 2018 · 11:30 am

Porkaholics, Pork Lovers and Porkaddicts: A peek into a growing culinary subculture in India

Online communities are bringing together Indians who have two things in common: an unflinching love for pork and the hope to wed it to more regional cuisines.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Aug 22, 2018 · 11:30 am

Why the sandesh is the perfect representation of cultural reforms in 19th-century Calcutta

Photos of sweet shop owners in Amit Chaudhuri’s new exhibition remind us of the connection between the Bengali confectioner and the Bengali Renaissance.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Aug 16, 2018 · 11:30 am

From night jasmine to banana blossoms: India’s centuries-old love affair with edible flowers

Indians had discovered the scrumptious secrets of edible flowers long before American hipsters.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Jul 13, 2018 · 12:03 pm

From Bengal to Gujarat, this is what Indians eat and drink to beat the oppressive summer heat

Sharbats, fermented broths and light, seasonal fruits and vegetables make for delicious dishes that also protect against the heat.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Apr 19, 2018 · 11:30 am

On Makar Sankranti, the one thing that ties festivities across India is seasonal eating

From Assam to Tamil Nadu, Sankranti feasts mark the change of seasons and pay homage to the bounty of the new harvest.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Jan 14, 2018 · 11:30 am

Indian X’mas bakes: Have you tried a boozy Allahabadi cake, Pondicherry’s vivikam or Goa’s baath?

Made with coconut milk, rice flour, ghee and desi spices, these confections represent forgotten histories.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Dec 25, 2017 · 11:30 am

The universe of Bengali sweets was vast even before the roshogolla arrived with the Portuguese

The pillowy Bengali roshogollas are underwhelming, compared to the other quirky, creative confections from the state.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Nov 24, 2017 · 11:30 am

In these polarised times, Patua painters are the perfect reminder of the syncretism in Durga Puja

Religious boundaries are incredibly porous for the Muslim Patuas of West Bengal.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Sep 27, 2017 · 11:30 am

From Iraq to Burma: These recipes show that Bengalis aren’t alone in their devotion to hilsa

Sindhis and Burmese also grow up on stories of the beloved fish.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Aug 16, 2017 · 11:30 am

What India eats in the monsoon (it’s a lot more delicious than chai and pakodas)

A comprehensive list of comfort foods for monsoon.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Aug 08, 2017 · 11:30 am