Food!: Day 03 - Christmas and Food Chronicles in Kolkata - Dal Puri, Telay Bhaja, Phuchka, Chicken Kati Roll, and Chicken Soup

Silent and cold is the morning in Kolkata. Fixating oneself to the comfort of the bed and within the warmth of a কম্বল (blanket) is a natural reaction.

Crisp, piping hot, deep fried dal puri from the nearest neigbourhood কড়াই (kadahai) is one of those things that can draw one from the womb (perhaps) or at least the কম্বল (blanket)...

Dal Puri

The dal puri from the muslim eateries around my place in Ripon Street is a creature distinct from similar species from the Bengali or any other part of this nation, separated by the taste of the filling and the texture of a deep fried concoction. The Jaipur kachori comes closest to the texture.

It is had in winter with copious soup plates of piping hot Nihari and Paya during winter mornings.

I decided to cook something simple at home for lunch. So I made some Aloo Methi and Aloo Karela... (I hope to put the cooking experience up in a separate post)

Karela... করোলার তরকারি

Aloo Methi...আলু মেথির তরকারি /आलू मेथी

Lunch done and a little siesta later, my dad wanted to visit an old friend of his from his office days. So, we hopped onto a taxi and landed up in Lake Garden.

Enroute, across a railway crossing the তেলে ভাজা (telay bhaja) stall beckoned like a siren from the rocks. So we had to try the piping hot fare that invited us so :P

তেলে ভাজা (telay bhaja) stall

ধনে পাতা ভাজা (Dhania patta fritter)

আলু বড়া (Aloo fritter)

আলু বড়া (Aloo fritter) being devoured

The delights of a nourishing road side economy in early evening is beset with tempting fare. So. Next it was a ফুচকা ওলা (Phuchka Wala) who started his evening with us as his first customers.

Beware! This is NOT the paani puri or gol gappa! Growl and Grr just in case you decide (and dare) to get mixedup between these!

A ফুচকা in hand

A beautiful গন্ধরাজ লেবু (Gondhoraj Lemon) makes things aromatic

তেতুল জল, আলু সিদ্ধ, মটর সিদ্ধ, মশলা এবং কিঞ্চিত লঙ্কা গুড়ো ... আর একটু বিটনুন
(Tamarind water, boiled yellow peas, mashed boiled potatoes, and phuchka masala... With a dash of red chilly powder and rock salt

Here we go...

Then of course there was some ভাড়ে করে চা (tea in earthen kulhads) from the nearest stall followed by Tamilian home cooked savouries and excellent filter coffee. The latter of course was at the home of the people we visited.

Once back home, the left overs from lunch got rejected for dinner owing to typical Bengali-esque idiosyncrasies that I have escaped for the last 15 years (রাত্রে তিতো খাইলে অম্বল হয় !)

So I got my dad some Sino-Nepali clear chicken soup (though I was looking for the Chinese made Maida Surua (that is now extinct in Ripon street)), while I settled for an egg chicken kati roll...

Kolkata style Chicken Kati Roll in the making...

Presenting... The Egg Chicken Kati Roll

Within the Egg Chicken Kati Roll

Clear Chicken Soup... A valid contrast...

Then I decided to have a look-see at the decked-up-for-Christmas Park Street...

No festivity in Bengal. Let me reiterate. Nothing festive... is possible sans food... Hence the crowds thronged the music arena at Allen Garden and of course--the plethora of food stalls doing brisk (and insane) business...

One was spoilt for choice between authentic chinese, anglo-indian, muslim, and bengali cuisine. Apart from the adapted (and hence not so authentic) Thai, Japanese, and of course the ubiquitous Momos!

Of course there was confectionary from Flury's and a host of interesting places and even the humble candy floss!