How immunity-boosting food became a part of monsoon festivals in India

No matter where you go in the country, you will invariably find seasonal foods and dietary practices codified into rituals and festivals.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Aug 13, 2022 · 11:30 am

Thank Mughal love for fruit for murabba’s popularity in India

A preserve made with sugar, spices and fruit, the murabba has many origin stories.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Jul 27, 2022 · 11:30 am

The delicious story of how Milkmaid became the byword for condensed milk in India

Colonialism brought condensed milk to India. And it was colonialism, with capitalism, that made Milkmaid a pantry staple in urban kitchens.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Jul 11, 2022 · 11:30 am

What explains Indians’ love for churan?

Recommended in ayurvedic treatises for their medicinal values, the delightful mixes of powdered herbs and spices have cornered a warm place in sepia memories.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Jun 04, 2022 · 11:30 am

The long history of fragrant food in India, from massaging hens with musk to cooking in leaves

Perfuming food has been an obsession in the country for aeons. To get the right aroma on the plate, some Indians have been willing to go to great lengths.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· May 19, 2022 · 11:30 am

‘We call it anda bhurji’: How the Indian subcontinent discovered Persian khagina and made it its own

Across India and Pakistan, there are many versions of the scrambled egg dish, from simple to complex, sweet to savoury.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Apr 23, 2022 · 11:30 am

From gobi aloo to gobi manchurian: Celebrating 200 years of the cauliflower in India

At first repudiated as an exotic vegetable, the cauliflower has come a long way.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Apr 06, 2022 · 11:30 am

Dulaler Taalmichhri: The untold story of how a brand of palm candy made Bengal fall in love with it

For generations, Bengalis have reached out for the iconic canary-yellow bottle for comfort and cure, without knowing the full story behind it.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Mar 19, 2022 · 11:30 am

‘Mahua saved our lives’: The social and culinary legacy of an edible flower in India

Although primarily thought of as an ingredient in homegrown liquor, mahua has long been used in recipes both simple and complex.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Feb 26, 2022 · 11:30 am

The mystery of why the British created a stew after the town of Burdwan in Bengal

A hearty dish of meat, onions and wine was once popular among colonialists in Calcutta. What led its rise and ultimate fall?

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Feb 03, 2022 · 11:30 am

The amazing story of the chef-conman who first made America fall in love with curry

Ranji Smile was the King of the Curry Chefs and a heart-breaker, before an immigration scam led to his fall from grace.

Arup K Chatterjee

· Jul 27, 2020 · 07:48 am

Coronavirus has given Indian ‘foodies’ a chance to become genuine ‘food lovers’

The pandemic has bared the vulnerability of our food sources. This is one of our best shots to hit reset on what and how we eat.

Sona Bahadur

· Jun 11, 2020 · 11:30 am