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Mishti Mookh: The Unknown Bengali Sweets

“Eating should be a pleasure, not an intellectual exercise”
- Joan Gussow (food policy expert and matriarch of the eat-locally-think-globally food movement).

The mere mention of the word “sweet” invokes numerous positive sensations. You are bound to have a smile on your face the moment one compliments you with the given adjective or just says it all with a bar of chocolate. Indulging in sweetness has, therefore, become an inherent part of the human DNA.
Bengal, like its delectable variants of food, also boasts of a rich sweet tradition. After all, it is the birthplace of the iconic Rosogolla. However, despite a wide variety of desserts, the sweet image of Bengal has somehow stayed stuck at Rosogolla, Mishti Doi and Sandesh.
TimesCity brings to you a list of seven lesser known sweets in Bengal that somehow remain hidden from the national limelight but are a rage within its territorial boundaries.
1)Kheer Kadam

The melt in the mouth diagrammatic representation of the Earth’s core.

If the film Inception led you on to move from one dream to the next, be rest assured this sweet delight would make you experience just that in terms of taste.
Kheer Kadam, also known as Raskadam is a two-in-one orgasmic experience combining two different kinds of sweets. The name of the sweet comes from the local Kadamba flower which explains its appearance.  It initially gives one the notion of an ordinary white Khoya sweet on the outside, but cut it in half and you’ll find a surprise within. The Kheer Kadam almost looks like a diagrammatic representation of the Earth’s core.
While the core is made of a harder and dryer version of the Rosogolla, what sets this sweet apart is the outer casing made of milk solids or Kheer, making this a must try sweet the moment you touch Bengal.
2)Joynagar Moa

What makes this dessert special is its availability only during the winter season

Come winter and you shall find sweet shops stacked with these. Don’t be surprised if you find villagers at your doorstep selling this delight as well. Joyanagar Moa - as the name suggests – was conceived in Jayanagar Mazilpur, a small town and municipality in South 24 Paraganas district of West Bengal.
The sweet is made with Nolen Gur (jaggery made from the tree extracts of the Date Palm), Kanakchur Khoi (puffed rice made from a special variety of aromatic rice), Gawa Ghee (a type of clarified butter made from cow’s milk),  Cardamom, and Posto (poppy seed). The ordinary Moa on the other hand is a small crispy ball made of puffed rice (muri rather than khoi) and jaggery.
What makes this dessert special is that it’s availabile only during the winter season since Nolen Gur and Kanakchur Khoi are available only during November to January.
3)Langcha

The origin of this sweetmeat has an interesting history

Originated from a small town called Shaktigarh in the Bardhaman district of West Bengal, the Langcha is an oval-shaped sweetmeat made of cottage cheese (Chena), Khoya (reduced solidified milk) and different cereals, deep fried and then laid to rest in a pool of sugar syrup.
The origin of this sweetmeat has an interesting history. According to Bengali author Narayan Sanyal’s novel Rupamanjari , Langcha goes back to a  matrimony alliance between two seats of power – Burdwan and Krishnanagar – in Bengal.  The bride – who hailed from Krishnanagar – expressed a desire to eat the sweetmeat that artisans from her maternal home used to prepare, during her pregnancy. Unable to remember the exact name of the sweet, she called it Langcha because the artisan who used to prepare this specific sweetmeat used to limp and walk (in Bengali Langchano means to limp).

4) Mihidana

The patent for this Burdwan creation is legally given to the Government of West Bengal and is also recognised as a heritage sweet of India.

On February 10, 1904, Viceroy Lord Curzon visited Burdwan to confer the title of Maharaja on then king of Burdwan,Vijaychanda. To mark the occasion, a local sweet-maker, Bhairav Chandra Nag, created a delight called Mihidana.
Mihidana, the micro cousin of the traditional Boondi, is derived from two words, Mihi meaning fine, and Dana, meaning grain. The word is literally translated to mean “fine grains”.
This dessert is made from powdered Kaminibhog, Gobindabhog and basmati rice, mixed with a small amount of gram flour and saffron for a golden colour. It is then blended with water by hand till its colour lightens. This mix is then poured through a brass ladle with tiny holes into a pot of ghee and deep-fried. The fine fried small rice-like grains are dipped in sugar syrup and drained once soaked.
The patent for this Burdwan creation has legally been given to the Government of West Bengal. The Mihidana is also recognised as a heritage sweet of India.
5) Sitabhog

To a layman it appears as a bowl of sweet white rice accompanied with miniature gulab jaamun pieces, but there’ s more than what meets the eye and definitely the palate.

The Sitabhog of Burdwan has been exciting many a taste buds for more than 102 years now. An invention by sweet maker Bhairav Chandra Nag- who is also known for creating the iconic Mihidana - the Sitabhog is made of powdered rice and cottage cheese mixed in a proportion of 1:4. The Sitaser variety of Gobindabhog rice – that grows solely in one patch of Burdwan district – is said to give the sweet a distinctive flavour and taste.
To a layman, it appears as a bowl of sweet white rice accompanied with miniature gulab jaamun pieces, but there’s more than what meets the eye and definitely the palate.

6) Sarbhaaja

This delight is not for the faint hearted and definitely not for the calorie conscious.

Ever had the idea of deep frying layers of thick cream and creating a culinary delight out of it? Believe it or not, it has been done, though mind you, this particular sweet is not for the faint-hearted and definitely not for the calorie conscious.
Sarbhaja is a connotation of two Bengali terms – Sar meaning malai or the creamy layer of milk in a condensed form and Bhaaja meaning deep-fried.
This sweet owes its origin to the Krishnanagar district of West Bengal and is a hot favourite during the festive season of Durga Puja. Another version of this sweetmeat is called the Sarpuriya which is more or less made in a milk cake format and not fried.

7)Kaalo Jaam

This delight has its origins from the Bangladesh borders of Bengal. Bearing a resemblance to the famous Gulaab Jaamuns, the distinct taste is what sets this dessert from its counter part.

This particular sweet has its origins from the Bangladesh borders of Bengal. Bearing a resemblance to the famous Gulab Jamun, the distinct taste is what sets this dessert apart from its reddish-brown counterpart.
It is prepared from ghee, flour, milk and sugar. The milk is boiled with squeezed lemon juice to enable curdling. The cheese is then removed, washed thoroughly and hung overnight. The ready cheese is mixed together with flour and ghee, and kneaded into small balls with little milk powder added in the centre.
Kaalo Jaam balls are deep-fried until a hint of black is seen on the outer coating. They are then soaked in thick sugar syrup for two hours and served coated with milk powder.

Simple Recipes 1

Sweet Surprises From The South

Tamil Nadu is a land deeply rooted in tradition and even though it’s becoming increasingly cosmopolitan now, traditions still remain preserved in the farthest corners of the state. Any festival in this part of the country involves a minimum of three sweets among other savouries and mains. In the days of our mothers and grandmothers, preparations for the feast used to start a week or two before the big day, depending on how big the festival was. There was a lot of activity in the households with ladies churning out amazing sweets one after the other. Thankfully, with time it has become easier to just buy sweets from a shop, but there are those who still prefer the homemade touch. So here is our collection of some easy-to-make sweet recipes that you can add to your repertoire.

1. Mysore Pak
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
½ cup Besan/Chickpea flour
1 cup Ghee
¼ cup Oil
2 ½ cup Sugar
1 tablespoon Powdered Sugar
Method:
1. Sift the chickpea flour to get rid of lumps. Take a tray and grease it.
2. Take a heavy bottom pan and pour sugar in it with enough water to keep the sugar immersed.
3. Boil the content till the sugar and water appear to be in a thick consistency.
4. Add flour to this mixture and keep stirring continuously and do not let the mixture form lumps.
5. While you are mixing this, pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of ghee in the mixture and continue stirring.
6. Keep adding ghee till you exhaust the cup. At this stage, the colour of the mixture changes to a pale yellow and it becomes frothy.
7. Pour this mixture into the previously greased tray. Spread it around evenly and add powdered sugar on top.
8. When it is somewhere between hot and warm, take a sharp knife and cut it in desired pieces (squares/rectangle).

2. Kozhukattai (Modhakam/ Modak)
Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
½ cup Rice Flour
1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
Water as required
1 cup Shaved coconut
1 cup Jaggery
2 cloves Elaichi
Method:
1. Boil water with a pinch of salt, add rice flour in it and mix well.
2. Once warm, take the mixture and knead it into dough. Then make equally sized balls and keep them covered.
3. In another pan, mix coconut, jaggery and elaichi powder. Add water to it and sauté on medium flame.
4. Make small cups of the dough and place little balls of the coconut jaggery mixture inside it. Then close the cups with a pointed top.
5. Repeat and finish the modaks.
6. Boil water in steamer and arrange the modaks in a steaming plate and cook for five minutes.

3. Boondi Laddu
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
½ kg Bengal Gram flour
1/4 cup Rice flour
¼ tsp Cooking Soda
A pinch of Lemon Yellow food colour
1 ½ tablespoon Ghee
¾ kg Sugar
2 cups Water
¼ teaspoon Cardamom Powder
A pinch of Edible camphor
25 grams Raisins
50 grams Cashew nuts
5 to 6 Cloves
Method:
1. Sieve both Bengal Gram flour and rice flour separately
2. Fry cashew nuts, raisins and cloves in ghee separately and keep it aside.
3. Prepare the sugar syrup and keep it ready.
4. Take a pan, add water and sugar. Mix well first and then bring it to boil.
5. Add milk to it so that all the impurities in sugar will come to the surface. Remove it with a ladle.
6. Boil the syrup till you get a thick consistency.
7. In a separate pan, mix both Bengal gram flour and rice flour before adding cooking soda and a pinch of yellow colour.
8. Add water in regular short intervals and make it into a batter.
9. Heat oil and pour a little batter on the boondi ladle and gently tap it. Tiny droplets of batter will fall into the hot oil. Fry till golden brown. Keep aside.
10. Repeat the process for the rest of the batter.
11. After the boondi cools a little, add half of it to the sugar syrup. Repeat process again till you finish the batter.
12. Finally, add ghee and make small round balls.

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Kid Friendly Restaurants In Your City

Dining with kids in any city is a tough prospect, and it’s certainly not easy to locate a kid-friendly restaurant. Foodie parents always want the complete package – a restaurant which will not only give them a taste of various wines before they decide which one to order and at the same time, not balk at a request for buttered pasta or a high chair.
A very happy parent, Karan Utsav says, “Ever since I became a parent, I have always been on the constant lookout for restaurants that satisfy both my palate and my children’s; a restaurant that has an understanding staff, a relaxed dining environment, and – added bonus – activities for kids.”
What: A child friendly means that the staff welcomes your children with open arms. The food is yummy enough to tempt those little taste buds and at the same time, healthy. A child friendly restaurant would also have an entertainment center to keep your children occupied while you have a relaxed evening.
A child friendly restaurant = a happy meal for all.

TimesCity lists out the restaurants that are definitely kid-friendly!

New Delhi	Bukhara	Jamavar	Bikanervala	Mamagoto	Daniell’s Tavern
Mumbai	Candies	Le Pain Quotidien	Spaghetti Kitchen	Seasonal Tastes	Ray’s Café and Pizzeria
Bangalore	Benjarong	Curry Leaves	Infinetea	Khansama	Aromas of China
Hyderabad	Olive Bistro	Nautanki Gali	The Square	Holy Basil	Via Milano
Chennai	Tuscana Pizzeria	Kryptos by Willi	The Cascade	Azulia	Benjarong
Kolkata	Italia in Cucina	First Innings	Mainland China
Jaipur	1135 AD	Okra

Mint Route, Ahmedabad: Critic Review

Mint Route is a restaurant at Panjarapol Crossroads in Ahmedabad.
Decor
Mint Route is a pleasant restaurant with a casual vibe.  With mint green as the signature colour, the restaurant has mint leaf patterns on the contoured ceiling and walls. The dining hall is interspersed with partitions providing privacy for those who take a table behind one of the screens or walls.
Food

The menu is very diverse, covering authentic Indian cuisine and takes on East Asian, Mediterranean, European and Mexican dishes.

The chefs’ signature dishes are marked on the menu with a prominent mint leaf.  They have a fair selection of soups including Chilled Watermelon Gazpacho, their take on the Spanish cold soup that can be a good alternative to the hot soups in the warm months. The Spicy Chickpea Soup and the restaurant’s special Tomato Cappuccino with Cinnamon Dust are other soups on the menu.  The house special starter is the Filo Pastry Pizzette, a pizza with peppers and cheese topping on a light and flaky crust made from paper-thin sheets of pastry.  For cheese lovers, the Spiced Pimento and Corn Cheese Balls melt in the mouth – they are served with house-made tomato chutney.  If you prefer Indian food, they have Paneer Tikka with a choice of three marinades – mango chutney, basil and red chilly. They also have signature tandoori starters with mushrooms and broccoli.
The Masala Cheese Fondue  is one of Mint Route’s most popular items –  a pot of spicy melted cheese served with exotic vegetables, toasted breads and olives to dip in it.  Another take on the Swiss originals is the Roesti with Mushroom and Zucchini Ragout.
While they have an acceptable standard of western food, it is the Indian mains for which Mint Route is known. The Paneer Makhani, Aloo Bhindi and Malai Kofta are some of the hot-selling items here, but it is their version of Dal  Bukhara that is the real star of Mint Route. They have also recently introduced the Rajasthani Thikri Dal. With this you could try their signature breads like the chilly cheese and coriander naan, herbed naan, olive naan or sundried tomato and basil naan. For dessert, the Dark Chocolate and Butterscotch Mousse is not bad.
Plus and Minus
Mint Route has some unusual starters and good Indian food. However, some of their international selection is just above average.
Meal for two: Rs 1,200

Maggi Recipes With A Twist

Do you remember the popular advertisement of Maggi noodles in the 80s where two kids after their playtime, enter the house screaming – ‘Mummy bade ghazab ki bhookh lagi, Maggi chhaiye mujhe abhi?’  The commercial concludes with a ringing tagline–hmm… Maggi noodles!
This is probably one of the fondest memories of country’s most loved convenient food –Maggi.
Ask any kid if they like Maggi and there is only one reply – wow. In other words – we simply love Maggi! We love it cooked with vegetables, with eggs, in a soup form or even fried. In short, if variety is the spice of life, then there has been lot of innovation and experiment with Maggi and the result has always been yum.
And there is more than just the above four ways to make Maggi.
In this post, TimesCity presents new ways to cook your favorite comfort food, Maggi.  
SOUTH INDIA STYLE MAGGI: Now who would have heard of Maggi noodles with mustard seeds? Giving a taste of traditional south Indian curry, this crackling twist to masala Maggi is apt for all who love to gorge on southern delicacies like dosa, ildi and sambhar. Try it out!Ingredients:
1 packet Maggi
1 and 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon oil or butter
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
Salt to taste
A pinch of turmeric powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon of vinegar
Method to prepare:
1) Heat a pan and add oil or butter to it.
2) When the butter melts or the oil is hot, add mustard seeds to it.
3) Now add water to the pan
4) When water starts boiling, add dry spices including salt, turmeric and red chilli powder.
5) Immerse Maggi noodles into this mixture and bring to boil
6) At this stage, add vinegar to the dish and remove it from the gas
Tip: Garnish it with finely chopped coriander or celery.
BAKED CHEESE AND CORN MAGGI: A yum twist to the classic baked Macaroni and cheese – this is one Maggi recipe that is gooey, creamy and simply irresistible. The silkiness of melting cheese combined with herbs and Maggi noodles makes it an instant hit among kids. Ingredients:
2 packet Maggi
2 and 1/2 cups shredded mozzrella cheese
2 tablespoons butter
Salt to taste
1and a 1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup semi boiled boiled corn
Method to prepare:
1) Add water in a vessel and bring it to boil
2) Now add Maggi and masala into the water
3) At this stage add corn and a bit of salt to the Maggi
4) Grease a flat baking tray with a dollop of butter
5) Once the noodles are half-cooked, pour them in the greased baking tray
6) After leveling up the noodles on the tray, add the shredded cheese on top
7) Cover the bed of noodles with cheese and sprinkle some fresh herbs on top
8) Place the baking tray in a preheated oven for 4-5 minutes
9) Take the tray out of the oven once the cheese melts and a light brown crust starts appearing on top
Tip: While making Maggi in the vessel make sure that it is not too runny or watery.  
MAGGI NOODLE SALAD: If you like your Maggi to be crunchy and crispy then this raw Maggi salad is your thing. Packed with the nutrients of vegetables along with the freshness of spices, this is a simple, quick and easy to make Maggi recipe.
Ingredients:
1 pack Maggi noodles
1/2 teaspoon powdered cumin
2 pinches rock salt
1/2 teaspoon powdered sugar
Salt to taste
1 diced cucumber
1 finely chopped onion
1 finely chopped tomato
A few mint leaves and coriander leaves (finely chopped)
1 green chilli
2,3 garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon chat masala
Method to prepare:
1) Break down Maggi noodles into small curls and dry roast them in a heavy pan until a light brown colour appears
2) In a large bowl, combine vegetables like cucumber, tomato and onion
3) Coarsely crush garlic cloves and green chilly by a rolling pin and add to the bowl of chopped vegetables
4) Add spices like rock salt, chat masala, cumin, salt  and sugar to the mixture
5) Combine the veggies with crushed Maggi noodles
6) Garnish it with mint and coriander leaves
Tip: To prevent the salad from going soggy, serve the salad immediately.

MAGGI MASALA TIKKI: How many times have you pondered over the question: what to do with leftover Maggi? Fret no more and convert the sticky cluster noodles into a decadent tikki with a simple 10 minutes jig.Ingredients:
1 packet Maggi noddles
2 boiled potatoes
1 finally chopped onion
1 boiled carrot
Bread crumbs (optional)
Salt to taste
5 tablespoon oil
3 teaspoon ginger and garlic paste
1 teaspoon chat masala
Chopped coriander
Method to prepare:
 1) Use the leftover Maggi or boil Maggi into the water
2) In a big bowl, grate the potatoes and mix with Maggi. Add carrots or any vegetable of your choice – along with bread crumbs (if you want)
3) Add salt, ginger and garlic paste, chat masala  and coriander to the dry mixture
4) Mix the ingredients together and shape it into a round tikki
5) Deep fry or shallow fry the tikki as per your liking
Tip: Sprinkle a bit of Maggi masala (tastemaker) on tikki for that extra zing
MANGO MAGGI: Yes, you read it right! If you have ever thought of widening your food horizon then this is one Maggi recipe that will help you explore new territories. So, open up your mind (and tummy too!) to this out-of-the-box twist to your favorite convenient food.
Ingredients:
1 pack Maggi noodles
1 cup thick Mango Syrup (made of mango and sugar)
1 cup diced fresh mango
2-3 spoon sugar
2 cups water
Method to prepare:
 1) Boil water and sugar together in a vessel
2) Immerse Maggi cake into the liquid until it is cooked. (Do not add masala to it)
3) Now sieve out the excess water and allow the noodles to rest
4) When the noodles are cool then add mango syrup to it
5) Put the vessel into refrigerator for 2-3 hours
6) Top it up with fresh mango