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MUZAFFARPUR VEG FOOD TOUR

 

In this special blog we bring you heartwarming accounts of a nostalgic gastronomic journey from the bustling lanes of Anubhav’s hometown Muzaffarpur in Bihar. Apart from being an important trade center of the state, Muzaffarpur is referred to as the ‘Land Of Shahi Litchi’ as it is the country’s leading producer of this deliciously succulent fruit. So brace yourself for an amazing lineup of street foods from some old and famous eateries that Anubhav had grown up eating. It was an utterly emotional experience for him to reconnect with his favourite vendors and dishes. So let’s get started. 

We began with a simple and filling nashta platter from Makhan Shah Halwai at Sonarpatti. It consisted of hot, fluffy puris, a no onion garlic aloo ki sabzi, malpua and jalebis. The highlight of this platter was the freshly made malpuas. Made with a batter of maida and sugar these disc shaped sweets were pure bliss. 

 

The next destination i.e Ram Bharan Aloo Kachalu Wale near Devi Mandir, was one of Anubhav’s childhood favourite stops that he frequented while returning from school. It was a ritual to relish the ghugni muri and aloo kachalu from this place along with the classmates. The former was a combination of puffed rice and black chick pea curry and the later was a zesty mix of boiled potatoes and spices. So during this visit, he went for these two dishes to refresh those memories. Everything, from the taste to the arrangement of things on the cart and the passionate warmth of Ram Bharan uncle was the same as it was years back. Anubhav was grateful to get this opportunity to express his thanks to him for the good times. 

After that super nostalgic encounter we relished some sev buniya and lavang lata from Hotel Bahadur at Kalyani Chowk. The lavanga lata is a khoya stuffed, deep fried pastry whose loose ends are sealed with a clove. The sticky coating of sugar syrup on the crisp exterior adds more fun to the sweet’s taste profile.

The next dish that impressed us was a well assembled Dahi puri from Chintu Dahi puri wale at Kalyani Chowk flyover. For all chaat lovers like us, these curd filled crisp puris are a perennial source of joy. 

We then came across a popular pav bhaji wale at Safi Saudi market. Along with the usual assortment of veggies, their version of this iconic street side dish from Mumbai had spinach and a distinct handmade spice mix in it that lent a unique flavour to the thick, buttery curry. 

From there we headed to Hari Ji Kachori Ghugni Stall at Suttapati. It was a delightful place full of yummy fried snacks. Our pick was a plate of choti kachori that was a combination of sattu stuffed kachori and ghugni. It was so delicious, especially the flavour of besan fried in mustard oil was a treat for the taste buds. Hari Ji’s eclectic range of fritters attracts a huge crowd. 

It was soon time for another round of sweet indulgence at two consecutive places Bharat Jalpan and Maharaj Dugdh Bhandar at Choti Sariyaganj Sutapatti. At the former place we tried rasmadhuri, balushahi and chena khajoor while at the later one we tried rasgulla, lal mohan and raskadam. In terms of great taste, the second place garners an extra admiration for serving optimally sweet treats in comparison to the first one. Anubhav has lots of yummy memories at Bharat Jalpan which he frequented with his parents during family shopping sprees. 

It was soon time to punctuate the gluttony with a paan and some jamun flavoured drink both of which are known to speed up the digestive process and cleanse the palate. We need to make room for a few more popular delicacies.

The next destination was Sundar Maharaj Pede wala at Suttapatti.This Rajasthani sweet and snack shop is popular for its pedas and different varieties of namkeens like dalmoth, mixture etc. We tried some dalmoth and peda. The soft and rich pedas made from freshly made khoya bearing a sweet fragrance of cardamom were quite irresistible. Their Dalmoth i.e., spicy and tangy fried channa dal mixed was a decent snack.

This was followed by a playful helping of aloo tikki ghugni chaat from Ma Bhawani Chaat Bhandar. This mix of crisp aloo tikki, ghugni, chutneys and spices was fun. 

Our penultimate destination was a Bindeswar Ji ki dukan at Purani Bazar Chowk. This humble pakoda and chup stall was situated close to the locality where Anubhav stayed with his family. It was an overwhelming experience for him to meet Bindeswar ji as it led to a flood of memories. He recounted some heartwarming recollections of the fried treats that he used to bing on from this place. A morsel of the crisp beguni stirred up more memories. 

The final destination of this close to heart food tour was Sindhi Sweet Shop. Here we tried the topi khaja which is a delicious multi layered, firm and glazed sweet treat. 

Thus comes to and end the walk down the memory lanes that is bustling with tales of tastes and flavours that had satiated Anubhav’s quest for food right from his childhood. Hope you enjoyed this recollection. 

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NORTH KOLKATA CLASSICS

North Kolkata Food trail that started from Chittaranjan Mistanna Bhandar followed by College Street has now extended to the historic lanes of Hedua, Bidhan Sarani and Shyambazar. Apart from the exciting colonial history that these places bear in their bosom, they are also home to some of the iconic eateries whose glory continues to enthrall foodies from all walks of life.  Most of the dishes available here are quintessential to this region. And a majority of them have been tickling our taste buds since aeons. Hence as we set to embark on the gastronomic journey, were super excited to partake not just its acclaimed taste but also the stories that they entail. And to guide us in this quest of ours we are being assisted by our gracious host Pamela Das a young food enthusiast who know these areas extensively.

While passing through the footpath of the busy thoroughfare of College Street, first we halted near a vendor selling another the favourite, quintessential Bengali snacks known as Jhal Muri. A potpourri of puffed rice, potatoes, spices etc.  mustard oil this ubiquitous snacks from Bengal is a zesty, filling, economical and convenient option to the random hunger pangs. No wonder this simple eclectic dish embodies the spirit of the city that is humble, joyful, endearing and vibrant.

From there we took a tram ride to reach Bidhan Sarani. Kolkata is the only city in India that uses this mode of transportation and hence it is one of the quintessential features of the city. Our destination here was the famous sweet shop Ghosh and Co. Pamela recommended their chocolate sandesh that are deemed as the best in the city. We were pretty surprised by this innovative sweet whose optimally sweet, balanced chocolaty taste was pure delight. We also tried the seasonal jaggery sandesh that was made with the season’s special date palm jaggery called the Notun Gur. This one surprised us with a coconut filling inside.

Next place was again a sweet shop that is an institution when it comes to the traditional Bengali sweet called Sandesh. A visit to the land of sweets in incomplete without paying a visit to the legendary Girish Chandra Dey and Nakur Chandra Nandi who have been selling just sandesh since 1844. A morsel of their coveted Jalbhara was enough to cement their indisputable reputation of being the best sandesh maker in the city. We also loved their Mohini Sandesh, coffee sandesh.

From there we went to try some chaat from 80 year old Hedua Chaat Corner. Their Singhara with lentil stuffing and tikkiya chaat were hearty and fun. Soon it was time to try another popular evening time Bengali snacks called chop or vegetable fritters at the celebrated Lakshmi Narayan Shaw and Sons shop.

The Aam Choop and Beguni were delicious. After such deep fried savoury treats we arrived at Allen’s Kitchen to relish their special prawn cutlet. This greasy prawn fritter made with humble ingredients was truly indulgent.

Our penultimate stop was this iconic eatery named Mitra Cafe. We loved their best selling dish fish fry and chicken cutlet. It was soon time to wrap up this gratifying food trail that was full of flavours and stories. Stay tuned for more.