Krishnagar and Nutangram - love it!

Rachelle

We returned from our India trip about two weeks ago. It was fabulous!

Our trip was 1/2 family trip and 1/2 tourist trip. I will place the other part in forum related to Rajasthan.

We started in Kolkata where my sister-in-laws live. Personally, I am not a fan of Kolkata and count the days until we move on to Krishnaghar 2 hours north to my mother & father-in-laws home. I like the pace and the ease of moving around. The best though is the fresher air! It is a town of about 28,000 people. Not many cars - mostly bicycles and rickshaws. The Jalangi River is especially beautiful during sunset. I will try to find some time to post some pictures.

This year we visited the village, Nutangram, where my in-laws settled immediately after the exodus from E.Pakistan. Though I have visited other villages in India, this one was particually special because it shed a new light to the life my in-laws lived prior to moving to Krishnagar. My father-in-law was a school teacher there. After moving to the "city" he continued to work there and commuted via bicycle on roads only accessible by bicycle or bullock cart. It took him 2 hours each way by bike to get to work! I am sure that has contributed to his vitality now - he is well at almost 90 (we think!) It was really cool to speak the the elders who were my in-laws neighbors, etc. Of course, the excitement on the children's faces is hard to describe with words.

I enjoy this part of the country so much that I think I could live there (part time!) If anyone else has visited these areas, I would love to hear your impressions!

Thanks for reading!
Rachelle

navinkurian2002

lovely!! Just the place I would love to spend my time.And yeah cycling really does wonders.

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somnath

Hi Rachelle,
Please do not forget to share some pix. I was just curious, is it Krishnanagar?

- Somnath

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Rachelle

Hi Somnath,

Thanks for your response. I just posted some pictures (first time uploading pics on this site so I hope I did it correctly). I realized that I have mostly "people & faces" pics - family and strangers alike. Here are a few that I hope gives you an idea of the area.

Hmm, Krishnanagar - I will have to check with my husband. I do remember that he said it can be spelled a few different ways & that there are other cities with similar and/or same names. It is located about 2 hours north of Kolkata (beautiful car ride!). It is also about 20-30 minutes from Maipur,ISKON temple where we always make a field trip to! Have you been there before?

I miss eating Bengali food! Can't wait to return (hopefully) next year!

Rachelle

Rachelle

Hi Somnath,

Yes, just checked with my husband and he said both the spellings are correct. In Bengali (as I assume you know!) it is pronounced as you spelled it. Same place! Thanks for pointing that out!

Shuvaratri.

Rachelle

somnath

Hi Rachelle,
You are right – same place. It is indeed a good car ride and you need to cross my home on the way. Hey Rachelle, hope you didn’t miss those special sweets (Sar bhaja, Sar Puriya) of Krishnanagar?

Mayapur, ISKON temple – yes I’ve been there and I love that peaceful atmosphere (though I am not a religious person….). Rachelle, boat ride at Nabadweep is another attraction.

We have some food experts here in IM, ha ha ha…. you can get some Bengali recopies so don’t worry, Jyotida (Jyotirmoy) may help you.
Jyoti daaaaaa….. we need your help here.

jyotirmoy

Ok Rachelle which recipe do you want?

Rachelle

Hi Jyoti!

Thank you for coming to my rescue! One of my favorite dal recipes is the one that uses coconut and I don't have a recipe! Also, my mustard gravy is never consistent...sometimes it is good other times it comes out bitter. I use the blender to grind the seeds with chilis and water. Any tips and/or shortcuts you might have will be very appreciated....especially by my husband! Here is another fundamental cooking question...when frying fish, does one use the same oil to make the masala?

Okay, I hope you are not sorry you asked!


Somnath, yes...love the misti!! I like the classical favorites but really go to heaven with roll creams! My big accomplishment this trip was to take a rickshaw by myself to the sweetshop and bring back goodies for the family!



Rachelle

jyotirmoy

Ok Rachelle here we go.....

100 g split arhar dal
½ cup unswetened yogurt
1 tsp chilli paste
4 bay leaves
1½ cup coconut milk
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp cumin
Sugar to taste
Salt to taste

Pressure cook dal till soft.
Heat ghee in a wok. Add cumin, bay leaf and dry red chilli, let it sputter and then add ginger paste, yogurt, salt and sugar. Sauté for sometime.
Add the dal and coconut milk. Boil for 2 minutes on low heat.
Serve hot.

Don't grind mustard seeds too much... they become bitter.
yes you can use the oil used for frying fish to make the masala. Soak your haldi & chilly powders in a little water for some time before adding to the oil & do not fry the masala too much.
Good luck and enjoy.