Blog & Recipes
“I participated in two of Mukti’s zoom classes on vegetarian Indian cooking. They were wonderful,so helpful to me during this pandemic.”
– Judith B. Google reviewer
“Mukti’s class is the real deal! It has brought me so much joy this past week cooking with and for my family and friends…”
– Marcus S., Yelp reviewer
“My wife and I weren’t sure exactly what to expect during our first-ever video cooking class via Zoom, but it far surpassed expectations…”
– Mike Berg, Google reviewer
An Indian Summer, in India
Summer is fascinating in India. Yes, it is hot. It could be very hot. In some places, like Rajasthan or Punjab, it is extremely hot. In Bengal or Tamil Nadu, it is more humid than hot. It could be very uncomfortable. And not too many people have air conditioner. The...
A Very Happy Bengali-Indian New Year
Be ready. Our New Year’s Day is coming up. We say, Shubho Naba Barsho. The First Day or Pahela of a Bengali New Year happens in the middle of April. Indian calendars are lunar calendar, and the first month is called Vaisakh. The Bengali New Year therefore is called...
Childhood Memories: Our Winter Recess
Memories come back during this festive season. I grew up in an extended family in Calcutta, with fifteen or twenty people sharing three rooms and a common kitchen. We didn’t complain. We were all very happy. That was our life: not affluent, but very happy. However,...
A New Year Resolution You Can Keep
We make resolutions every year on January 1. But often, we fail to keep them, and follow up with them. It is because in many cases, the resolutions are not pragmatic. They are often too ambitious, or too unrealistic. Health resolutions are harder, because of the...
Happy Breakfast on a Diwali Morning (and a special recipe)
Diwali is here! Indian households will light up with clay lamps, candles and electric decorations. Fireworks will fill up the streets, and the sky. And we will eat sumptuous Indian food to celebrate the Festival of Lights. Diwali, or Deepavali. _____ Indian...
Authentic Diwali & Dusserah Festival Recipe
October and November are two of the most festive months in the Hindu calendar. Dusserah is observed on the tenth day of the autumn lunar calendar when after a four-day celebration (or puja) of Goddess Durga, devotees bid her adieu. Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and...
A Kind, Benevolent Mother
Dear Friends, Mother's day is this Sunday May 10th. I wanted to share a little about my mother and what she meant to me and my family. My mother seemed like a normal Indian mother, but if you knew her heart you would know she was beyond compare. Her name was Renuka,...
3 Spices To Help You Through Allergy Season
There's nothing like the beginning of Spring. After this past Winter the warmer air and sunshine is as welcomed as a childhood friend visiting after many years apart. While most of us enjoy the nicer weather there are some who dread what else it brings, seasonal...
Wonderful India, As I See It Now 🙂
Dear Friends: I am in India now, and enjoying every minute of it. Next week, I'm returning to New York, with new cooking recipes, new ideas, and new energy. 🙂 It is hard to describe India in one or two short articles. India is a very beautiful, but complex country....
A Dream Dinner Abroad
If you could have dinner in another country, where would it be? My dream dinner abroad -- it would have to be Rome, Italy or maybe even Paris, France since I don't believe Indian food is as popular in those regions. I would consider England, but the Brits, they know...
