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Showing posts with the label north indian weekday meals

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What North Indian Homes Actually Cook on Busy Weekdays

on February 21, 2026

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FOOD ITEMS FROM "Q"

"Q" is an alphabet, not many food items start with. I would like to recorrect this - not many Indian food items start from "Q". Anyway, now, as they say, the world is shrinking (literally and metaphorically too), so let us take food items from Q, irrespective of their origins. Before listing the other food items, I will share what comes to my mind with Q - this one is everybody's favourite - Quaker's oats. Quaker is a popular brand that produces many healthy(?) breakfast options. The other is Quesadilla is a Mexican Pic Wikipedia dish made with a tortilla filled with cheese and other fillings. There is a post in my blog about it. Please do check here . It has an Indian cousin invented by Indian mothers made with the available leftover roti and sabzi. :) Even Quinoa (pronounced as k iː n . w ɑ) is something we have recently introduced to. When I read about it and searched online, I found it very expensive. But to my Pic : Wikipedia surprise, I went to...

All Foods A - Apples & Artificial Sweetner

As I had mentioned in my last post, which I had posted just a few minutes ago, though it should be posted yesterday and it was ready last night only but I guess, I forgot to click "publish". Forgetfulness or old age dementia? Whatever... I prefer to forget it and move to today's post. It's 1st April, the day of "A's" in my A2Z challenge. As I thought of three food items starting from A, apple comes first, and why not, I had learned A for Apple, then taught the same to my sons and now my granddaughter is teaching me the same. Artificial sweeteners are the other foods from A, which I will be covering in this post. APPLES Who does not know the old adage - "An apple a day keeps the doctor away"? A fresh apple is an ideal mid-morning or evening snack. It is an easy-to-carry snack that really satiates hunger. I love to eat the whole apple and the flow of juice in my mouth as I bite into fresh apples (only from Apna Kashmir or Himachal Pradesh) i...

Lost Recipes of Maharashtra: Culinary Gems That Deserve a Revival

When we talk of Maharashtrian cuisine, names like Puran Poli, Misal Pav, and Vada Pav instantly come to mind. But beyond these well-loved dishes lies a treasure trove of forgotten flavours — recipes passed down orally through generations, once simmered in traditional kitchens but now missing from modern menus. Today, let’s revisit some of these lost and lesser-known Maharashtrian recipes that deserve a place at our dining tables again. 1. Ukadpendi – The Humble Cousin of Upma A nourishing porridge-like dish made from roasted wheat flour (gavhacha peeth), Ukadpendi was once the go-to comfort food in rural Maharashtra. Cooked with tempered spices, onions, green chillies, and sometimes buttermilk, it was a farmer’s energy booster before a long day in the fields. Its simplicity and nutritional value make it a perfect candidate for a modern revival. 2. Shevgyachya Shenganchi Amti – Drumstick Delight While drumsticks are used in sambar and bhaji, the flavorful amti (dal) made with she...

Dining Etiquette in India: A Guide to Eating with Grace and Respect

I n Indian dining etiquette, it is customary to begin dining by washing and drying your hands. Whether in a restaurant, hotel, or urban home, dining tables and chairs are typically provided, while in rural areas, families may gather on floor mats in comfortable clothing for their meals. In contrast to Western traditions, food serving in India doesn't follow a course-by-course structure. All dishes are presented simultaneously. Nevertheless, serving styles may vary depending on the regional cultures and specific cuisines of the country. Instead of individual portions, dishes are served communally, either by the homemaker onto your plate or by allowing you to serve yourself. The customary Indian meal usually includes a variety of flatbreads such as naan, chapati, roti or paratha, along with daal, curries, raita, rice, pickles, and sweets. However, the particular dishes offered may vary depending on the region of the country you visit, such as Punjab, Gujarat, Bengal, North-East Indi...

Title: Lost Recipes of West Bengal: A Culinary Time Travel

West Bengal is not just about literature, Tagore, and rivers—it is also about a rich, nuanced cuisine shaped by history, geography, and emotion. While iconic dishes like 'rosogolla', 'ilish bhapa', and 'shorshe bata' remain popular, many lesser-known gems of Bengali kitchens are slowly vanishing. These are the lost recipes—once made with care and love in ancestral homes, now fading from memory. 1. Paanch Phoron Diye Gathi Kochur Dalna (Taro Stem Curry) This dish uses tender stems of taro (kochu), cooked in a mustard-based gravy with paanch phoron (Bengali five-spice). Once a rural household staple, it’s rarely seen now in modern kitchens. Why it disappeared: It requires a lot of cleaning and prepping, and many people find taro stems hard to digest. 2. Shuktani / Shuktoni A distant cousin of the famous shukto, this dish was reserved for specific rituals and made with bitter and medicinal herbs like kalmegh or thankuni. Why it disappeared: Urban living ...