Kolkata: Long before the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) banned "unhealthy junk food" in school canteens, some of best schools in Kolkata had already gone healthy.

At The Heritage School, children are not allowed to carry any food from home. The school dietitian ensures that every serving in the canteen has adequate amount of vitamins, protein and essential minerals. "We don't serve chips or aerated drinks. Any packet of chips we find is confiscated ," said principal Seema Sapru, adding: "Our food is vegetarian and burgers are made with brown bread or multigrain bread."The school even has a special counter for khichdi, dal, bland sabzi, fruits, salads and soups.

Lakshmipat Singhania Academy is careful about nutrition but allows a day of "healthy-junk". "On Fridays, we serve sandwiches, burgers, pasta and pizza but with a lot of veggies and fruits. The rest of the days we serve idli, vada, paratha-sabzi, and chawal-dal-sabzi. No aerated drinks are allowed. Instead, we serve chhaas or fruit juice," said principal Meena Kak.

Students can't concentrate because they don't take nutritious food, she rues. "If there is a ban on sale of junk food within 50m of schools, as proposed by FSSAI, it will force students to have nutritious food," she said.

At The Future Foundation School, the focus is on a healthy twist. "We sneak in vegetables in our canteen menu - for instance our chicken wrap is made of wheat and the filling has peas, carrots and cabbage. We put shredded carrot in biryani, too, and kids scarcely notice it. Even our chicken pakoras are healthier because we use wheat in the batter and slip veggies into the pakoda as well. We have only healthy beverages, like lassi, iced green tea and lemonade. Colas, pizzas and burgers are banned," said vice-principal Krishnokoli Mukherjee

Supriyo Dhar, secretary of Board of Governors of La Martiniere School for Boys and Girls said, "Aerated drinks and chips are not allowed on campus. In the junior school, strict instruction is issued to parents not to send chocolates, pastries or even sandesh. If FSSAI comes up with such directives, it will help us."

At Modern High School, director Devi Kar feels that childhood is lost if on occasion, a student is not allowed to bring aachar or samosa. "Voluntarily and consciously, we don't serve fast food or aerated drinks. Instead, our canteens offer idli and mango drink, which is better than aerated drinks," she said.

Have you tried these south Indian quirky dishes?

Kolkata is a foodie's paradise. From exotic cuisines to dishes with desi twists -Kolkatans love to try new dishes every now and then. CT went around the city looking for dosas that are anything but basic! From super-spicy peri peri idli sizzler to cashew utthapam to chocolate-filled dosa and dancing coffee, the City of Joy has a bunch of fusion south Indian dishes to offer. How many have you tried? CASHEW NUT

UTTHAPAM
Utthapam is a thick pancake with chopped vegetables as toppings. If you are looking for a healthy yet heavy meal for breakfast, cashew utthapam is a great option.With cashews as the main ingredient, this dish is high on nutritional value.

PERI PERI IDLI SIZZLER Living up to its name, this dish is indeed sizzling hot! "On Saturdays, when your mom wants you to stick to bland food while you secretly crave for spicy dishes, these peri peri idli sizzlers will come to your rescue," said Rishin, a regular at Mr Idli Express.

RAVA SCHEZWAN CHEESE ROLL This special dosa with an Indo-western twist is sure to steal your heart," claims Rahul, manager, Mr Idli Express. With a delectable stuffing of noodles inside, these rolls are not just tasty but also very filling. The amazing combo of Chinese and south Indian cuisine is a sure-shot hit!

PODI CHEESE DOSA The specialty of podi cheese masala dosa is its extra crispiness. Sprinkled with a generous amount of spicy gunpowder and cheese, the dosa is one of the most asked-for dishes at the restaurant.

DANCING COFFEE Coffee is indispensable to south Indian cuisine. Prema Vilas is famous for dancing coffee, a perfect combination of black coffee and thick milk put together in three layers. As you stir the coffee, these layers mix with one another, leaving the taste buds wanting for more.

How footwear designer Rohan Arora went from studying Commerce to designing shoes for Aishwarya Rai

For footwear designer, Rohan Arora, customised shoes are works of art.

Little did Rohan Arora, 30, know that his love affair with shoes would one day result in a career as a footwear designer. What he did know while studying Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) in St Xaviers College is that he wanted to do something creative. But in 2007 when the start-up culture started catching on, Arora "would get business ideas in his sleep. In college everyone was thinking of doing something on their own." The end of college found him at a crossroad. Joining the family business was not an option. This was when the idea of making customised shoes hit him.
"A cousin was getting married and the heels of her exorbitantly expensive branded shoes broke right before she was going to get on the stage for the varmala. She was understandably gutted," he says. In another incident, he recalls, "I was shopping for shoes myself, when I saw three women who were shopping for wedding shoes leave empty handed because what they wanted was not in stock. Either the heel, or the colour, or the style was off and they had looked at at least a hundred pairs." That gave him the idea of customising shoes. "I love to Google things. I researched on it but it still wasn't enough to give me adequate know how on making shoes," he says. So he decided to join a shoe factory.
"It was one of those dingy little places in CIT road. The first two days I went there saying I wanted to learn but no one paid me any attention," he remembers. His solution? To find the rattiest pair of shorts and T-shirt he could find and wear them as disguise. "I went in a torn T-shirt and gave them a sob story of needing the job, and my mother being ill and I was hired for Rs 200 a week. I was the chai and beedi guy, who was sent out to get them during breaks and the rest of the time I spent polishing rexine shoes with kerosene and a dirty rag," he says.
But if you ask him why didn't he try to attend a design school, he has a prompt reply, "I think design is like dance- no one can teach you how to dance. They may teach you the steps but not how to dance. Similarly, design schools can teach you how to make but not what to make." He remembers renting a place from a relative and making samples armed with one karigar. "My first order was for 128 pairs of shoes from a shop in AC market," he says. Soon, he was making shoes for local brands like Sreeleathers, Ajanta and Khadims. When that achieved some stability, he opened his first workshop and retail outlet in Picnic Garden.

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"It was the Subway of shoes. You could pick the colour and texture of leather, the sole, the heel, the style, the embroidery, silhouette, almost everything. Initially we didn't even make any suggestions to our customers. We let them pick whatever they liked because we didn't believe we had enough knowhow to make suggestions," he says. The word spread about a man making customised shoes somewhere in the interiors of South Calcutta and in 2008, Rimi Nayak, one of the Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) GenNext designers from Kolkata came to him for shoes. "I made her six pairs of shoes and that too at a loss because I was so excited about being featured in LFW," he says. But on the day of her show the shoe zippers didn't work.
"I was mortified but there was nothing I could do while sitting in Kolkata. But she was very sweet. She understood and didn't badmouth me to anyone," he says. He continued to make customised shoes and do bulk orders for local shops when the chance to work with Sabyasachi Mukherjee came to him. "I wasn't even prepared for him to pick up the phone when I called him. But he did and after a few questions he asked me if I would make shoes for Aishwarya Rai in Guzaarish. I almost fainted," he said. Arora worked with Mukherjee, making shoes for the brand till 2015. In between he was caught as he says "by the fashion bug." I heard that LFW was doing an accessories segment so I sent in my sample for a lark.
"It had knitted leather from Chennai, some Kalamkari and a khadi patch with hand painted Sholay image with Veeru and Basanti that also had a famous dialogue from the movie. I thought it was the stupidest thing I could have done but it worked. The response I got there made me feel like a rockstar," he says. More collections followed including Item and his now famous and much copied, parrot chappals. But 2014 was his last show in LFW. "I think now I need to take a break and concentrate on expansion," he says. With orders flowing in from the who's who of Kolkata and the East, we wouldn't blame him.

At: 83/4A Pallygunge Place
Price: Rs 2,000 and above
Contact: 24605035
Details: facebook.com/rohanaroradesign

home made bread

Chef Vikas, Flurys, 24 Hrs is the self life of our bread's http://www.flurysindia.com/about_us.htm

kamalika advice to make home bread
jessica baptist of nahoum's quality bread
Sayatani owner of the homemakers diary encourage baking at home.
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-basic-whole-wheat-sandwich-bread-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-167267

Briton in Kolkata for non-chemo therapy. Homeo cancer cure

Kolkata: Toxic side-effects of chemotherapy have increasingly been driving patients and doctors towards alternative treatment for cancer. Patients from Europe and the Middle-East are often seeking such therapies in Kolkata.

This week, a British citizen of Polish origin arrived at a city hospital to undergo Psorinum therapy -a method that rejuvenates the immune system to destroy cancer cells, bypassing the harmful toxic side-effects of conventional chemotherapy. Doctors believe he can improve substantially.

Wlodzimierz Odrzywolek, a 45-year-old resident of Brighton in UK, refused chemotherapy after being told by doctors at the Royal Sussex County Hospital that his treatment will not be curative. A lung cancer patient, he decided to explore alternative therapy after learning about the significant side-effects of conventional treatment.

A language teacher who helps migrants adopt the local culture, Odrzywolek logged on to the Internet after consulting his family and friends, to search for safer therapies that might increase his chances of survival. He eventually zeroed in on Psorinum therapy offered by Aradeep Chatterjee at Kolkata's Critical Cancer Research Centre.

"I did a lot of research on the Internet and found Psorinum therapy to be encouraging. After studying the result of the therapy on the website of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and talking to Chatterjee, I strongly felt that there was hope for me. So, I decided to come to Kolkata to get the best care through the best hands", Odrzywolek said.

Odrzywolek added that even though the general perception was that the best cancer treatment was available only in USA, a growing number of patients was now seeking to avoid chemotherapy. "It's now well established that it doesn't expand your life-span, but affects the quality of life. I believe in Psorinum therapy and that it is the best option for patients like me," he said.

Odrzywolek could be right believes Aradeep Chatterjee, principal investigator at Critical Cancer Research Centre. "Since he has not undergone either chemotherapy or radiotherapy, he stands a reasonable chance of responding well to the treatment. Unlike chemotherapy which lowers immunity, Psorinum boosts the immune system and raises the haemoglobin and platelet counts. It will not affect his liver or kidneys either. So, Odrzywolek will lead an active and reasonably healthy life while he goes through the therapy," explained Chatterjee.

Devotees wait to get holy rice that is offer from temple

EPA PIYAL ADHIKARY - India/CALCUTTA  12/11/2015 15:04   

Devotees try to touch a holy flame as they wait to get holy rice that is offer from the top of a temple during Annakut festival in Calcutta, eastern India, 12 November 2015. Annakut Puja is held a day after the main Diwali in the month of November. The day is celebrated by the Hindus as Lord Krishna. People celebrate Annakut Puja by making food of cereals such as wheat, rice, curry of gram flour and leafy vegetables in order to offer to the Hindu Lord Krishna.   

http://www.cna.org.cy/photoinfo.asp?id=1f6e1a92667f419db7cca20adf4d6823

Tea stall

The morning of any Bengali begins with the sip of the staple beverage of India called ‘Cha’. This aromatic and refreshing beverage is superbly popular amongst everyone. But Calcutta adds the special touch in tea by serving them in ‘Bhar’ aka earthen pots. In case you never sipped tea sitting in the dhaba and enjoyed a carefree adda with your folks, you definitely fail to qualify as a Calcuttan. The familiarity of Tea begins from a tea stall outside the college and keeps going on till the last day at office canteen. From ‘lal cha’ to ‘lebu cha’, from ‘dudh cha’ at Sharma’s Dhaba to the most favored ‘cutting cha’ at Shyamal Tea Stall outside JU’s gate no 4, Kolkata serves you tea in varied forms and why not? Only Kolkata can offer you popular tea joints like ‘Tiwari’ and ‘Maharani’ to complete your evening chitchat as well as sharing your passion for it. But for some twist in the tea we have ‘Dolly’s tea shop’ where the flavors touch your taste buds and the aroma makes you smile. Come, let us share our foodgasm with tea and locate the authentic tea stalls of South Kolkata and round it up with “cheers to Cha”.

Talking tea

Students grab a bite at Dolly’s Tea. Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya What: Dolly’s, The Tea Shop. Where: At Dakshinapan off Dhakuria bridge, opposite the Gurjari showroom.Why: It’s close to a lot of colleges. “And iced tea for 30 bucks in this heat! Why not?” asks mass communication student Devina Mukherjee. Affordability is a big factor in making Dolly’s a hit. “It suits an average student’s budget,” says MBA student Sonal Gupta. Particularly for those who live in the south, Dolly’s hits the spot. Food: Tea floats, iced tea, brownies, grilled sandwiches, sausages: the list of beverages, snacks and desserts available at Dolly’s is long and delicious. Dolly personally recommends the ham sandwiches and flavoured iced teas, available in flavours like watermelon and fresh mango. “I really like the iced tea. And the grilled ham sandwiches are yummy,” agrees Sonal. Freshman Sarbajaya Bhattacharya loves the tea floats and the brownies. “The food isn’t just nice, it’s super-affordable. Which is unlike the other coffee places, where you get a tiny shot of espresso for Rs 22. I even got a discount of Rs 20 here once because I did not have change,” she smiles. Service like that is sure to bring her back for more. Mood: The place is rather small. Which is what makes it cosy, the perfect spot for some nice adda. “I just love the homely ambience. Since it’s open-air, I can also light up in peace, which is another factor,” grins Devina. “What I like is that you can sit here for a long time without getting kicked out,” points out Sonal. “Whenever I visit my friend’s place close by, we always drop in at Dolly’s. It’s almost become a ritual.” Downside: The “homely” factor also means that it closes a little too early, even by student standards. And it really is too small; a large group is impossible to accommodate. “We often don’t get a table,” complains Devina. But Sarbajaya’s gang of school friends, who were hanging out at Dolly’s on a pleasant Friday evening, don’t agree. “What’s not to like?” they smiled. What’s your favourite hangout in the city? Tell t2@abpmail.com

MALINI BANERJEE

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080603/jsp/entertainment/story_9356062.jsp

Kolķata tea joints

n Calcutta, students gathered in huge numbers at the Chai Ho Jaye stall at Jadavpur University during a recent fest and the tea association hopes to be back at medical colleges, IIM Calcutta and IIT Kharagpur next fest season.

Lifestyle changes over the past decade have reshaped the market dynamics for tea. "Tea has major health benefits and that is its advantage over coffee and aerated drinks. With increasing health awareness, youngsters have taken to drinking tea like never before," Patra said.

Tea remains the preferred first sip of the morning. For Sanjay Bhattacharjee, 40, a refreshing cup of tea is a must on waking up every morning. "I drink a lot of green tea because it's healthy," said the head of retail at Titan.

Kakkar of the Apeejay Surrendra Group, which markets Typhoo Tea, stressed the need for companies to look beyond the classic milk for tea. "To reach out to the emerging audience experimenting with beverage options, it is essential that tea companies refresh their offerings. We have redefined tea with vivacious packaging in all its four major categories - green tea, luxurious black tea, flavoured tea and fruit infusions. We have also introduced decaf tea, which cuts out the caffeine completely," she said.

Convenience is another key factor but without compromising on quality. "Consumers are willing to pay more for quality, convenience and variety. So many more options are available now in the tea bag format, this is because the consumer wants to have that choice of convenience along with variety. Tea brands have risen to the occasion with innovation," Kakkar said.

Two leaves and a bud

In Bengal, the major players in the tea sector are Makaibari Tea, Goodricke and Duncan. "Darjeeling tea is preferred by those who like flavoured tea while Assam tea is preferred by those who prefer a strong and full-bodied taste. And both are trying to lure the youth, whether at the managerial level or by creating a niche market to position a brand," said Nayantara Palchoudhuri, a member of the Tea Board.

Rajah Banerjee of Makaibari Tea, who is considered the pioneer of organic agriculture in the Indian tea industry, said tea consumption in India has been increasing rapidly among the middle class. "Value addition in marketing is a must and one should be relentless on this front. Coffee is marketed as a sexy and hip beverage for the young and thus has captured their taste preferences. These youngsters will obviously influence the taste buds of their children in future. The tea industry should wake up and initiate a high-powered publicity campaign to address and regain lost ground to coffee. This is easily done as tea has only a tenth of the caffeine content of coffee."

Arun N. Singh, the managing director of Goodricke Group Ltd., feels the youth is slowly becoming the focus of the industry. "To tap the youth segment we highlight health benefits and also talk of tea as a lifestyle product. Tea mocktails and cocktails are in now. Variations of tea are being promoted to replace other flavoured drinks."

Serve it in style

Husband-wife duo Shruti and Rishav Kanoi are an example of what young blood can do to the tea business. The Kanois realised that "tea drinking is no longer only about the traditional kullarwala chai " and set up The Tea Trove on Sarat Bose Road in 2012 and another outlet at Lake Terrace the next year.

"Our menu offers options such as Chilli Chai, Vanilla Tea, Moroccan Mint, Tea on the Rocks, Tea Chino, Tea Frappe, Caramel Tea, Jaggery Tea and more. We also have a section where customers can make their own blends. There are jars with orange, lavender and lemon varieties. One can choose a single option or make a variant mix. This has been a big hit with our customers," said the duo.

Rohit Singh and Animesh Ghosh, both second-year students at Bhawanipur Education Society College, are regulars at The Tea Trove outlet on Lansdowne Road. "For us, the day has to begin with milk tea. After that there are endless cups all through the day. Most of it is milk tea. But we also have flavoured tea like green tea, peach tea and lavender tea. It is very refreshing and light. Here we can play games, read books and laze around over various blends of flavoured tea," the friends said.

Agreed Ayan Chakraborty, a lawyer who frequents The Tea Trove. "I went to St. Paul's in Darjeeling. I have literally grown up on tea and tea gardens. I love green tea, which I have almost all the time. It is light, doesn't mess with your system and the flavour is very subtle," he said.

Old and trusted favourites such as Cha Bar on the first floor of Oxford Bookstore and Flurys on Park Street, too, are popular among GenY.

Samarth Mahajan, 24, often drops in at Cha Bar with friends. "I drink a lot of peach tea and masala tea. Coffee is addictive, it makes you its slave. Tea on the other hand frees the mind," said the aspiring entrepreneur.

Cha Bar bestsellers include unfermented Chinese green tea, Masala Cha with a blend of exotic spices, zesty clove, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and black pepper and Kashmiri Kahwa made with peppermint, nutmeg, Tellicherry pepper, cinnamon and cardamom.

Flurys sells almost 250 cups of Darjeeling Tea every day. "That is the most popular item. Tea is gaining ground once again. People order iced tea, white tea and silver tea as well. Tea drinking has become fashionable once again!" said Vikas Kumar, the executive chef at Flurys.

Tea is not just about friends but family too, believes Tea Junction, which caters to a crowd of 16 to 65. "This is a family destination. We sell over 3,000 cups of tea at our 18-odd outlets on any given day. Masala tea is the most popular," said Sarvesh Saharia, the business head (retail) of Ambuja Neotia, which runs Tea Junction.

Koushik Kumar, an engineering student and a regular at the City Centre Salt Lake outlet of Tea Junction, said, "Whenever I am free, I come down here for tea and snacks with my family. The ambience is good, we have a good chat over cups of tea," he said.

Street smart

Russel Punjabi Dhaba has emerged as a brand in itself. "From morning walkers to the party crowd, everyone comes here," said Sukhdev Singh, the owner.

Sujay Majumdar, 32, assistant manager at Jaquar & Company Private Limited, loves the milk and lemon tea at the Russel Street dhaba. "I drink tea four to five times a day. I don't think drinking tea ever went out of fashion. But tea has been re-invented to suit changing tastes," he said.

At Balwant Singh's Eating House on Harish Mukherjee Road, tea has always been king. "We sell about 2,000 cups of tea a day. We are open for 22 hours a day. We have been serving steamed tea since 1926. Ours is a blend of Assam and Darjeeling tea," said owner Lakhvinder Singh.

Cha Bar regular Sanjay Bhattacharjee loves to try a variety of teas at stalls too. "I had tea with chocolate powder near Ram Mandir on MG Road. It was awesome. Another variety is the Patiala Tea, made with a lot of ghee, milk and sugar and is popular in the Girish Park area."

Vijay Sharma, 30, of Sharma Tea is aware that customers are very conscious these days and want only the best. "We have people who have been coming here for the past 30 years. We encourage people to drop by for tea and adda. The ambience is such that they stay for longer than planned. The Masala Chai is a universal favourite," said the new-generation proprietor.

Tea-off

Story on Elgin Road recently launched Tea Story, a section that sells a variety of teas. Sidharth Pansari, the bookstore owner, believes there has been a boom in the tea market. "People have realised that drinking tea is healthy. Every dietician and health expert prescribes green tea. The market potential is vast." Story stocks almost 100 different flavours from chocolate tea to Kashmiri tea.

Swati Gautam, who owns the innerwear brand Necessity, became part-owner of a tea garden near Darjeeling a few years ago. "I got into the business of tea because I realised there's something common to lingerie and tea and that is habit. You wear a particular kind of lingerie because it is comfortable and you are in the habit of wearing it everyday. Tea is a habit, once you get used to good-quality tea, you will never have anything else again," said the t2 columnist.

"Earlier, the best tea was only exported because everyone wanted only milk tea. Now good-quality tea has found a niche market among the middle and upper middle class," said Swati, who sells tea under the brand name Necessitea.

Buying and selling tea online is also catching up quick. Typhoo has interesting blends such as Orange Spicer Blackcurrant Bracer, Lemon and Lime Zest and Green Tea with Moroccan Mint at its online store.

Portals such as Teabox, which has partnered with over 150 tea estates across the Indian subcontinent, sell exclusively online. Customers can choose the type of tea (green, black, white, oolong), region (Darjeeling, Assam, Nilgiri, Kangra or Northeast) and exotic and rare flavours such as Lopchu Flowery Orange Pekoe Darjeeling Black Tea or Thurbo Moonlight Spring Darjeeling White. The website also helps customers with notes on every variety of tea, what kind of notes or flavours to expect, the right time of the day to have it and more.

"A lot of people are buying tea online. It is convenient and all stores don't sell all kinds of tea. You can choose your brand, pick the right flush and compare prices as well. Online tea market is fast picking up," said Shruti of The Tea Trove, which also retails online.

Drink to the lees

Tea Board member Palchoudhuri stressed the need for involvement of the youth in all aspects of the business, not just as tea drinkers. "We need the youth to take up courses in tea garden management and tea sales. We also need more youth as tea tasters."

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150531/jsp/calcutta/story_23069.jsp

Retro food passes GenY taste test

Kolkata has always been a foodie's paradise and it loves nothing more than a taste of nostalgia. In these days of boutique cafes, ever more exotic spreads and iPad menus, some retro restaurants have more than held their own with their time-tested flavours.

It may be a drool-worthy sherbet or a prawn cutlet that had your grandfather salivating (and your son asking for more today), they all have one thing in common — honesty. The taste is just as true as it was decades — or perhaps a century — ago.

When you speak of retro food, north Kolkata springs to mind. And one of the most unique is Paramount on College Street, which has been serving lip-smacking sherbet since 1918. Paramount was a front for the Anushilan Samiti, an organization of revolutionaries. It once hosted Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Shri Aurobindo, Rashbehari Bose, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Satyajit Ray, Uttam Kumar, Suchitra Sen and several more icons of Bengal. Students still save pocket money to sip the alluring drinks. "Nihar Ranjan Mazumdar, who set up Paramount, used to tell customers — 'If you are satisfied, tell others. If you are not satisfied, tell us'. He believed good service will always keep our customers loyal," said the present owner.

While at College Street, you have to dig into Putiram's 'kachuri and chholar dal'. This shop, established in 1889, needs no introduction among the older residents of Kolkata. Customers flock to Putiram for rajbhog, radhaballavi and 'hash-haati sandesh'.

Retro sweets in north Kolkata are synonymous with Chittaranjan Mishti. Established in 1907 by Harilal Parui, the shop is now run by Sumit Ghosh. "We are a shop with a heart and the passion that we put into our sweets is the only 'magic ingredient' in our rosogolla," said Ghosh. A customer, Rahul Sharma, recalled coming to this shop with his father back in his teens. "The quality hasn't changed in 15 years," he exclaimed.

Any roadmap on Kolkata street food is incomplete without 'Potlar telebhaja' at Baghbazar. Established in 1893 by Sasibhusan Sen and lovingly named after one of his sons, 'Potlar Dokan' remains a favourite of several writers and artists. A walk through the old streets of Shyambazaar leads you to Bhavatarini, a hugely popular sweet shop. It has been around since 1945 and has got generations of customers hooked on gujiya and rosogolla. Though it retains the old world charm, it has also evolved with time, offering vanilla, mango and even butterscotch rosogolla. Kalika at Surya Sen Street is another eatery that has retained its flavour. Set up on Kali Puja in 1965, this shop has diehard loyalists for its beguni, prawn chop, fish cutlet and more. Kalika is currently being managed by three brothers and they have kept certain family traditions alive. Those who love sweets are never disappointed with Amrito's 'mishti doi' at Fariapukur or its 'kheerer singara'. Moving with the times, the shop now offers a wide range of sandesh including flavours like butterscotch, pineapple, and strawberry.

But north Kolkata doesn't hold monopoly on retro food. A five-minute walk from Kalighat Metro station takes you to Dilip's tea stall at Southern Avenue. Dilip, who set up shop in 1984, has served icons like Mrinal Sen and present day stars Sabyasachi Chakraborty, Anupam Roy and Parambrata Chatterjee, to name a few.

Near Lake Mall, is the 80-year-old Mahaprabhu Mistanna Bhandar. Established by the present owner's grandfather, Bhadreshwar Ghosh, the shop's nolen gurer sandesh is a hot pick. And the latest diet sandesh is very popular among elderly customers. Das Cabin at Gariahat is another hot spot for retro food. For 58 years its Mughlai parantha and chicken Afghani cutlet have given restaurants a run for their money.

Kolkata's truffle rosogolla gets Forbes stamp

KOLKATA: For the last 11 years, this entrepreneur has experimented with sweets, taking his traditional yet popular family business to the next level. Today, this 33-year-old director of Balaram Mullick and Radharaman Mullick Sweets has made it to the list of six most promising entrepreneurs in the country selected by Forbes India Magazine. 

While working in the Oberoi Grand kitchen, Sudip Mullick picked up a European taste for desserts and dreamt of fusing them with the typical Bengali sweets their family shop was famous for. Now, the once-traditional sweetshop has become a one-stop destination for new age fusion mishti in the city.

Sudip is ecstatic that his efforts have got the 130-year-old brand recognized by Forbes India.

Names like strudles, pudding, truffles and souffles are now common on the Balaram Mullick racks and though they are mostly variants of the traditional sandesh and Bengali rosh er mishti in their myriad forms, you will be confused as to whether you are tasting a European delicacy or a Bengali favourite.

Sudip has mechanized the entire process by using machines he imported from Denmark, Taiwan, Japan and Italy, and fused various processes to churn out his own delicacies.The Japanese machine used to make rice dust desserts there is used to make the jol bhora sandesh with a Japanese twist, the machine from Denmark that is used to churn out pure chocolate truffles is used to make chocolate-coated sandesh and rossogolla truffle and the Italian machines designed to make cookies are making golapi pera sandesh. There is a type of singara being made by a German machine originally used to bake patties.

"People have become health conscious and they avoid deep fried savories. The baked singaras have a big fan following," Sudip said. Other promising entrepreneurs on the Forbes list are Rahul Gonzalvez of Bangalore, for his digital design agency, Ashoke Thakur, for churning out vada paos by thousands in Mumbai's Dadar, Sirish Duttatreya who is a third-generation second-hand book shop owner with over 9,00,000 titles in Pune and Parvatlal Kanhaiyalal Dubey who is the country's biggest wedding planner.  
sponge rasagolla, baked rasagolla, kesar  rasagolla, chocolate   rasagolla, rajbhog, Kamala bhog 

kolkata's famous tea stall

juhuri singh's tea stall, bentinck street kolkata for goat tea made of brass cauldron  price in Jul 2015 Rs 3/-

Balwant's Dhaba, Bhowanipur for 24hrs steamed tea

Sharma tea house, bhowanipore for goat milk, tej patta, maalai maar ke chai with cream

Radhu babu lake market fresh tea leaves

Maharani, sarat bose road thick tea made of buffalo milk & elachi. singara?

Harendra nath dutta tea stall opposite grish mancha for homely ta

Maa kaali mistanna bhandar, seldah, near prachi cinema hall tea with less sugar

Boud's chai shop, BB bus stop tea served with simui& payesh. nolen gurer payesh & khichudi

Robi Da's Tea stall, Manicktala

Dilip's tea stall, southern avenue for darjeeling leaves & condensed milk

ronga saah liquir tea in assam
kadak chai
malai marke chai
chai milk shake flavours like vanila straberry           

Shankar Lal Snacks Ezra Street The shop has a name — Shankar Lal Snacks. But nobody on the Ezra Street area would recognize it by that name. To the customers, it's their favourite Gujarati shop that sells mouth-watering mixture. A tasty concoction of eight ingredients including chura, badam, papri et al, the shop is run by brothers, Ramji and Lakshman Singh. The duo insists that this mixture won't taste good without the papaya chutni they serve with it. "We open the shop at 6 am as many people like to have papri for breakfast. But after that, it's our mixture that sells most." No wonder this tangy-flavoured snack has been a hot seller for the last 90 years. 

Podder Chanachur Girish Park It's hot! It's spicy! The chanachur that you get at this little shop near Girish Park is very popular with the locals for its unique blend of spices and to-die-for taste. Podder Chanachur, which has been selling a variety of munchies since 1965, also caters to house parties and birthday parties for kids. KC Podder, the owner of the shop, says, "Our chanachur tastes like no other in the city and that's why people love it. It was my dad who started this business 50 years ago. Over the years, we have introduced a variety of chanachurs — of different tastes and flavours. But it is our Jhal Chanachur that still tops the charts. We get huge orders for birthday parties as well." Yummy, we say! 

Sabitri Dalmoot Store New Market Remember Feluda, Lalmohan babu and Topshe buying dalmoot from a particular shop at Hogg Market? Yes, this 125-year-old shop used to be Satyajit Ray's favourite haunt. Even Sashi Kapoor and Mohan Agashe had a good time munching dalmoot here, while shooting for Kissa Kathmandu Ka. Ajay Keshri, who has inherited the shop from his grandfather, feels that it is the exclusive taste of their Agra Dalmoot and Meetha Chanachur, which had made them so popular with the clients. "All thanks to the legend, Satyajit Ray, for making this place immortal. But then, other people too have been appreciating our chanachur for the last 125 years. Whoever tasted our Palhari/Meetha Chanachur (Rs180 per kg), has always come back for more," claimed the proud owner. 

The Sanjay Savourites Golpark The Sanjay Savourites Pvt Ltd opened shop in 1981. There was no looking back ever since. According to RN Chaurasia, the owner, people's taste for chanachur has undergone a considerable change over the years. "Earlier our customers liked it hot. Now, the customers have become more health conscious. So, I make it less spicy," he informed. The mixture, which is their specialty, comprises bhujia, badam, dalmoot and some special masalas that make the item different from the rest. 

Ujjala Chanachur Rashbehari Avenue They've been selling chanachur for the last 80 years and have since then retained the No.1 spot. The shop, situated on a lane beside the Kalighat Temple, has no fancy showroom. But their product speaks louder than words. The Prasads happen to be the third generation of owners, catering to their loyal customers. The youngest of the Prasads, Ankit, who's currently managing the shop, said, "We never felt the need to expand our business or come up with more varieties. For people love what we've been serving for ages now. It costs `240 per kg and our customers don't mind that." 

Bom Bhole Chanachurer Dokan Haatibagan If you are walking down the Haatibagan area, all you need to do is ask a local. And all hands will point to one direction — Bom Bhole Chanachurer Dokan. This small savoury store is perhaps the only one that opens at 8.30 pm and remains open till 1 am. Also, the mixture has all the ingredients to suit the Bengali palate. It's spiced up with chopped ginger and chilli. Then a dash of lemon juice is added for flavour. "I inherited the place from my father. But when I got a job, I left it to my brother who looked after it. The arrangement suited us well. But after he decided to pursue a career of his choice, I took over the responsibilities once again. Now, every day, I start shop after returning from office. It's my only passion," Subir, the owner, shared. The man, who doesn't even own a cell phone, is a devotee of Lord Shiva (hence, the name). And it has almost become a ritual of sorts that whoever passes by the shop, greets him with 'Bom bhole'. Subir greets them back with a smile. How about that! 

— Compiled by Madhusree.Ghosh@timesgroup.com

South indian temples in Kolkata

Vanakam! Ungal kovil (Welcome to your own temple).

A priest in a dhoti greets you at the entrance of Sri Ganesh and Sri Murugan Temple on Prince Anwar Shah Road, near Dhaka Kalibari — a reflection of the hospitality one enjoys at a South Indian home.

As a visitor steps into the kovil (temple), he is overwhelmed by the fragrance of camphor, coconut oil and flowers. For a moment, it seems the visitor has been transported to a remote village in South India.

The four-lakh-odd South Indians in the city have over the years not only enriched the country’s cultural capital, but have themselves inculcated certain qualities that make them bona fide Bengalis.

Calcutta now has six South Indian temples — Sri Ganesh and Sri Murugan Temple, Sree Guruvayurappan Samajam, Rama Mandir, Veda Bhavan, Shastha Samooham and Shankara Institute of Philosophy — which have emerged as social hubs and centres forsarva dharma samanwaya (confluence of all communities).

According to T.S. Srinivasan, art critic and member of the Ganesha and Murugan Temple trust, South Indians are proud to be associated with the city.

“We are more Bengali than South Indian. But, at the same time, we’ve maintained our identity. Local residents, be it Bengalis, Marwaris or Jains, have recognised our efforts and are helping us run the temples,” he said.

T. Ranganathan, honorary general secretary of Gurvayurappan Samajam, echoed Srinivasan: “Devotees from all communities visit our temple every day and help us maintain the sanctity. We have built the temple on the lines of the main Guruvayurappan temple in Kerala, which we draw our inspiration from.”

The temples mainly belong to two cults — Shakta (devotees of Shiva) and the Vaishnav (devotees of Narayana). Abhishekham is performed regularly before the deities — Shiva, Ganesh, Murugan, Vishnu, Krishna, Lakshmi, Durga, Amba and Parvati — following the procedures practised in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Priests — Shantis from Kerala and Gurukal from Tamil Nadu — perform the pujas.

“We record a footfall of nearly 300 a day. During festivals, the devotees number more than a thousand. Apart from running the temples, members of the trusts contribute to social causes, too,” said Srinivasan of the Ganesha and Murugan Temple.

Priest Meenakshi Sundaram Gurukkal said: “The deities respond to prayers. I have met all kinds of people over the past year and have fallen in love with the city and its people. Though I cannot communicate with all of them, as I do not know any language apart from Tamil, I feel at home and have realised that Bengalis and Tamils share similar values and are rich in culture.”

Sriram Mandir 58/25, Prince Anwar Shah Rd, Lords More, Lake Gardens, Kolkata 700045
Sri Ganesh & Sri Murugan Temples, 58/14/3 & 6, Prince Anwar Shah Road, Lake Gardens Kolkata - 700045 +(91)-33-24175058 (adjacent to each other) 

Sree Guruvayurappan Samajam Calcutta (Regd), Narayan Mandir 3/1/1A, Nakuleswar Bhattacharjee Ln, Manoharpukur, Kalighat Kolkata, West Bengal 033 24633859 & 65365140

SAASTHA SAMOOHAM, 42, Flt. Tapan Chowdhury Avenue (Lake Avenue)
Kolkata - 700026 http://saasthasamoohamkolkata.in/contact.html
Veda Bhavan Bhajan Samaj, Veda Bhavan, 50 Lake Avenue, Kolkata follows kanchi mutt these two are also close to each other) 

Sankara Hall And Sankara Institute Of Philosophy And Culture, Dr Meghnad Saha Sarani, Rash Behari Avenue, Kolkata -700029 belongs to sirungeri mutt