The delicious kale chane ki ghugni, originally a Bihari innovation is offered as prasad on the auspicious occasion of Durga Ashtami. This protein - rich dish is best enjoyed with hot puris and halwa. As this is the traditional preparation for Navaratri, it is made without onion and garlic. Kala chana (black chickpeas) is soaked overnight, washed thoroughly and pressure cooked with... Continue Reading →
Sattu, often referred to as the 'poor man's protein' is hugely popular in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and the border villages across the North - East. Sattu is fibre and protein - rich flour prepared from powdered chana (Bengal gram) or other pulses or barley or jowar or wheat. It has been traditionally... Continue Reading →
The agents sent by the ruler of Delhi came back with glowing reports of the Marathas and categorically declared that if the Mughals were to agree to 11 and 15 lacs for annual chauth of Gujarat and Malwa respectively, then the Marathas would not interfere with the Mughals again. Nizam-ul-Mulk, after being defeated by Peshwa... Continue Reading →
Tamatar bonda, a rainy season snack is sold mainly by small shops near the Banaras Hindu University. Best enjoyed with a piping hot cup of adrak chai, this delicious snack is hugely popular among locals. A couple of medium - sized potatoes are boiled, peeled, mashed and allowed to cool. Paneer is also added... Continue Reading →
The decisive victories over the Mughals in Malwa, Bundelkhand and Gujarat in 1729 created quite a consternation in the heart of the ruler of Delhi. Though Nizam-ul-Mulk was checked to some extent in Palkhed, he continued to cause trouble for the Marathas in the Deccan. The death of Giridhar Bahadur and the defeat of Muhammad... Continue Reading →
One of the most fascinating winter sweets of Kashi is the centuries - old palangtod that literally translates to bed breaker! Though the name makes one laugh out loud, its taste will definitely leave you speechless. Known to be an expensive sweet because of the time, effort and labour involved, this sweet has been given the... Continue Reading →
The invasion of Malwa by Peshwa Bajirao and Chimaji Appa on the advice of Sawai Jai Singh opened up new avenues for the Marathas and the Rajputs who were dissatisfied with the Mughals. The Bundelas in particular had been friendly with the Marathas for a long time and adopted their approach to fight for their independence.... Continue Reading →
Thekua or khajur as it is known in Uttar Pradesh is a traditional deep - fried sweet offered as prasad during Chhath Puja, Saraswati Puja and Navaratri. Though the dish originated in Bihar, it is now hugely popular in Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Thekua is made from wheat, jaggery or sugar, desi ghee, spices and nuts. It has a... Continue Reading →
A delicious milk sweet of Kashi that has been served as prasad in most of the temples for centuries is the humble doodh peda. Made from full fat milk that is in abundance in Varanasi and Ghazipur districts and areas around the Ganga River, this simple milk innovation is hugely popular among locals and visitors and makes... Continue Reading →
Kashi's most iconic milk sweet is the centuries-old Lal Peda that has been praised to the hilt by travellers, food connoisseurs and historians. This traditional dairy product of Kashi is offered as prasad in the Kaal Bhairav Temple, Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple. In the olden days, the abundance of milk in the... Continue Reading →
One of the most iconic and celebrated sweets of Kashi is Tirangi Barfi. Also known as Rashtriya Barfi, this unique creation is the handiwork of Shri Raghunath Das Gupta of Shree Ram Bhandar in Thatheri Bazar. The British from the late 1700s right up to the mid - 1940s had managed to successfully loot the ancient... Continue Reading →
One of the best chaats of Varanasi is its very own stuffed aloo tikki served at Kashi Chat Bhandar. This delicious chaat is unbelievably flavoursome with a bit of everything - crunch, spice and wholesomeness. Potatoes are first boiled and divided into two portions. One portion is grated when hot and mixed together with... Continue Reading →
Muhammad Amin Khan, the cousin of Nizam-ul-Mulk who was appointed as the Wazir died in February 1721 creating a vacancy that the ruler of Delhi felt only the experienced Nizam-ul-Mulk could fill. However, the Nizam was not keen on getting stuck in the political intrigues of the court as that would greatly curtail his ambition to... Continue Reading →
The traditional breakfast of the ancient city of Kashi is the piping hot puri sabzi, kachori and droolworthy jalebi! Interestingly, the lightly spiced raswale aloo sabzi with greasy puris followed by kachori served with chana, meethi chutney and hari chutney and topped off with sinfully sweet jalebis (normal serving is four in a plate) really hits the spot! The batter is made by... Continue Reading →
Dahi bhalla with an overwhelming flavour of bada elaichi and adarak is a delightful innovation of Kashi. Also known as dahi pakodi or dahi vada or dahi gujiya, this vada made from urad dal makes its appearance in almost all festivals and celebrations. A certain measure of urad dal (sometimes moong dal) is rinsed and soaked overnight. It... Continue Reading →
One of the most iconic chaats of Kashi is the scrumptious palak patta chaat served at Kashi Chat Bhandar. Better known as palak chaat, this delicious innovation has a bit of everything - crunch, spice, sweetness and tartness. Fresh palak is thoroughly washed and wiped down. It is then dipped into a thick batter of besan, turmeric powder,... Continue Reading →
A visit to the holy city of Kashi is deemed complete only if one samples their signature dish, the delicious, creamy and mildly sweet rabdi. This quintessential dessert makes it appearance in every festival and celebration across the country. Arguably the most preferred sweet of North India, rabri is prepared using traditional methods even today. The... Continue Reading →
All gastronomical roads in the ancient city of Kashi lead to Kashi Chat Bhandar to sample their delicious gulab jamuns, tamatar ki chaat, palak patta chaat, chooda matar, dahi bhalla, aloo tikki and other innovative creations that are unique to the city. Fresh khoya is mixed with maida, cardamom powder, kesar and other secret ingredients and kneaded to... Continue Reading →
The finest paan of India is the celebrated Banarasi paan prepared in the world-famous Keshav Tambul Bhandar in the ancient city of Kashi. This paan has been loved by visitors from all over for years. Even heads of state including Prime Minister Narendra Modi have sampled their renowned meetha paan. Interestingly, all the ingredients... Continue Reading →
Kanpur, renowned for its brilliant and varied gastronomic delights is the best place in India to sample multitude of chaats at reasonable prices. Eating chaat in Kanpur is a social ritual with a number of narrow lanes and even a whole street dedicated to this important tradition. One can choose from the famous kurkuri tikki,... Continue Reading →
Kanpur's most iconic breakfast is the freshly churned white butter and warm bread topped off with delicious creamy mattha served at Pahalwan Ji Ka Special Mattha on Mall Road. This hugely popular joint is frequented by locals and visitors from across the world. The shop had very humble beginnings with its founder selling his... Continue Reading →
Kanpur has often been called as the food capital of Bharat with countless travellers from across the world praising the wide range of local delicacies over the years in their chronicles. One such fine example is the Kanpur lassi. Like the delicious Prayagraj and Banarasi lassi, the Kanpur lassi is equal to the task and is an amazing combination... Continue Reading →
A droolworthy Kanpur delicacy that features in the prestigious Raj Bhog is imarti. This hugely popular sweet that is very often mistaken for its sister, the delectable jalebi is interestingly more of a breakfast item than a dessert or a snack in Kanpur. Imarti rabri, imarti dahi and plain imarti are available in almost every street corner and relished by... Continue Reading →
Kheer, the most popular sweet of India that makes it appearance in every social function, religious occasion and festival season is loved by one and all from children to the elderly. This delicious preparation of rice and milk with a generous helping of dried fruits is the quintessential favourite any time of the day and... Continue Reading →
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