Bombay Foodie

Today is a day of many festivals. Maghi in the north, makar sankranti in Western India and pongal in southern regions, the day variously marks harvest, new year and start of an auspicious time. My favourite festival though happens a day before January 14. On lohri day, my state of Punjab celebrates winter solstice with bonfires and much signing and dancing. As with all festivals, food forms a major part of lohri. It's traditional to eat peanuts, sesame brittle called rewri and for some strange reason, popcorn, on the day. The same foods are also thrown into the bonfire, an offering to bring in good luck. There are also sweets, of course. The more popular one is bhugga, made of condensed milk and sesame seeds, bringing in warmth in the cold months. But it's this lesser known sweet that I wanted to tell you about. This sweet springs up at all sweet shops in Amritsar the first week of January. It's called khajoor, the same name as dates. And yet, the sinful treat has...

There is no grain that polarises opinion more than polenta. Most people I know can't stand it. Even an Eastern European friend, who should be guzzling this stuff, couldn't understand why I would order polenta fingers at a restaurant. It's peasant food, he said. But peasant food or not, I like the simple comfort of polenta. I like it even better when it is cut into fingers or wedges, then pan fried. And topped, in this case, with a creamy mushroom sauce. I am not going to tell you how to cook polenta because it varies from one package to the other. So go by what it says on yours. Once it's cooked through, pour into a greased pan large enough to hold about 1 inch thick layer. The one you see above is in fact a bit too thick. Once it's in the pan, leave it in the fridge overnight to set. Next day, cut into fingers or wedges or a shape of your choice. Heat a tbsp of olive oil in a pan and shallow fry your polenta until browned on both sides. The thinner you s...

Here's to a year full of...           The richness of cream           The decadence of chocolate           The sweetness of vanilla           The comfort of cinnamon            And the joy of tiny, tiny marshmallows. Have a delicious 2014!