Meetings are always about people and our association with them. People who say that they have got used to sitting at home and don’t really miss going out, don’t believe them. Even if we have grown roots beneath the sands during this lockdown, we are still anxiously waiting to uproot our stance once this pandemic ends. Everybody wants to go out for different reasons, some for music and dance, some for food, some for ambience of the restaurants, the service, the view and some for just sitting by the seaside, watching the waves roar while they munch on eight varieties of olives.
We also miss those street hawkers selling that ‘Cutting Chai’, those Batawadas sandwiched between Pav and spicy, fried green chilies, those kabab grills at roadside food trucks and the aroma of roasted meat down the Khao Galli. We also miss those regular potlucks and pop-ups where we met our friends. And we miss our friends who organised such meetings, specially those who love food like we do.
Ananya Banerjee is one such friend, the most glamorous home chef, she is also food stylist, cooking consultant and an expert food advisor.
She is into many things but few things that she loves doing are curating menus for restaurants and exploring unexplored cuisines from all across the country and around the world. During this pandemic, she has been hosting Instalive talk show for FBAI, where there is lots of knowledge sharing and food stories of chefs and home chefs around the globe. You can catch her live on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11am, or watch IGTV at leisure.
She specialises in Bengali Cuisine. As a Bengali born and brought up in West Bengal, she considers herself as an ambassador of the Bengali cuisine and the many unexplored cuisines from the Eastern part of India. She has created many recipe videos of the east India cuisines for her Youtube channel Chef Ananya Banerjee so you can always check and try it out at home.
“I am pretty sure that the first taste of good food I had was at home and made by my grandmother however I think I was too small to remember exactly when. Traditional food has always played an important role in my life and it still continues to define who I am. I think as a passionate chef I have many memorable moments whenever I step in the kitchen to cook something because I love exploring with food all the time.” She admits when asked about her food memories.
She is happy to share her favourite, flavoursome vegetarian Bhapa Alu
1. Par boil 250 gms baby potatoes and skin them
2. Heat oil in a pan, add the ½ tsp Panch Phoron powder(blended 5spice powder).
3. Add 2 dry Red chilies and stir the till they splutter
4. Add boiled baby Potatoes and mix well. Keep aside.
5. Take ½ tsp Mustard paste, 1 tbsp Curd, 1tbsp grated Coconut, finely chopped Green Chillies and ½ tsp Turmeric powder in a bowl,
6. Mix it well.
7. Gently mix the potatoes in the prepared paste.
8. Add the salt to taste and lime juice, mix well.
9. Heat the banana leaves to make it pliable. Add the potato mixture in the middle close from all sides, secure it with a wooden toothpick.
10. Place it in a steamer and steam for 6-7 minutes or Microwave it for 3-4 minute
She has many favourite recipes/dishes. Both local and global. She has even started doing a special menu service on one of the week days every month where she makes selected authentic dishes in her kitchen and delivers it with utmost care and precautionary measures. This month (September 2020) is all about ‘Local and Global’ dishes.
To order popular Bengali and global dishes cooked in the most authentic way in her well sanitised kitchen, you can choose your pick from the menus she shares on her social channel, call the number and pre-book it and it will delivered to your doorstep safely following all the precautionary guidelines.
You can follow her on her Instahandle at thesareechef
