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Food and Streets by Sadaf

Food history and my recipes

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From the Fridge

From the Fridge

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A few things in the world sends you back in time and helps you relive some of your best moments. This plate of tiny cookies (coconut biscuit) was a time machine for me sending me back and making me meet my younger self again. Growing up in Sasaram, Nani would give me Rs 10 to buy eggs from the grocery store next door, with eggs, I also used to get a handful of these cookies. I make my way home, happy and jolly, chomp chomping on these tiny delights. It is interesting to learn that India is the world’s third-largest biscuit manufacturing country after the US and China. The story of the Indian biscuit industry is over a century old, but it was only in the later part of the 20th century that confectioners democratized biscuits through mass production and found a way to market it to the nation’s non-elite households at affordable costs. In the 1990s the biscuit production rose to 18.95 lakh from just over 5 lakhs in 1975s. Today, various kinds of biscuits contribute 33% of the baked products. What are your most favourite biscuit and biscuit story? . #foodandstreets #biscuits #cookies #tiny #history ##baked #bakery #india #photography #food #foodstagram #foodphotography #foodphotography #foodtravel #historyfacts #memories #cookiesofinstagram #cookiemonster #cookies🍪 #milk #flour #sugar #sweet #confectionery

Drive a little outside main road of Pune to go back in time and explore "Poona" which exists near the camp area. Take your head out of the window of your car or the ever so classic and noisy autorickshaw, you will witness all the old buildings, a beautiful book shop, restaurants, and a vibe which you won’t find in the main streets. Once you cross all this, you will hit an age-old bakery where you will find people standing in a queue just the way you see devotees standing outside a temple. You are seeing, Kayani Bakery, standing tall and unmoved since 1955. A family business run and managed by the men of the family. I am told the bakery runs 24x7 to meet the demand of food lovers. They open at 7.30 in the morning and you can see the fans of Kayani bakery lined up in the quest to get the whiff of freshly baked goods, and the popular mawa cake which comes and goes at the blink of an eye. . The shop gives you a very old school charm with marble floors, brass ceiling, old switches, a handwritten menu on a blackboard. Back in days, this place housed the dance section of an old Italian restaurant that was housed next door and was the only eatery on that road that catered to all the aristocrats. . Kayani Bakery is popular for Shrewsbury biscuits which are now being copied by other bakers of Pune and yet not able to achieve a similar flavor or fame. Once you are there, you must not only buy the biscuits but also the popular milk bread, mawa cake, ginger biscuits, and khari biscuit. . #foodandstreets #Pune #Kayani #cake #kayanibakery #bake #bakery #biscuits #cookies #Old #history #punekar #punefood #restaurant #baked #shrewsbury #butter #crispy #khari #mawa #delicious #travel #foodtravel #foodporn #foodhistory #story

Betel leaves have always been in India and a part of tradition, culture and religion. It used to be a custom to chew paan especially after meals as it acts as a digestive. You can still find many people going for an evening walk post dinner and grabbing their favourite paan from their favourite Paanwari. . However in religion and especially Hindu tradition, Betel leaves are also used to embellish the Kalash (pot) and to perform various religious rituals. . According to many traditions in marriages across the South-East Asian countries, a combination of Betel leaf and Areca nuts (supari) is inseparable as they symbolize loyalty in love and a strong bond. Areca nuts is also a symbol of God having no shape "nirankar". I am also told that the chewing paan is also a tradition in Hindu families when the bride and groom’s parents talk about their wedding plans for the first time to impart good luck. . A famous saying in Malayan says "bagaikan pinang dibelah dua" which means that the newly wedded couple is now compatible to each other just like the betel leaf when divided in half. It is also considered to be a symbol of fertility and is used in many traditions of Indian weddings. . What are some other interesting tradition and rituals during marriages? . #Foodandstreets #marriage #paan #betelleaf #leaf #nuts #supari #ceremony #traditional #culture #Hindu #hinduism #shadi #marriageequality #story #History #tradition #India #southeastasia #festival #festivaloflights #ceremony #culturetrip #kahani #rituals

Sharbat-E-Gulab (Rose cordial) was also served to the diners during the Bihar Food Festival in Patna (I mixed Bihar and Dilli to give both the flavours to my diners). This sharbat was served as a refreshing mufarrah to make them happy and, welcome them and to bring farhat (happiness) to their mind and soul. . The recipe I followed comes from the 12th century during the Delhi Sultanate era (because Roohafza did not exist in that era😅) . Ibn-e-Batuta notes 'during the feasts, the Sultan appointed an air (noble) to assign places to the guests and preside over the distribution of the food. It was important that each man is seated according to his rank as it was this that determined the quantity of food received and the quality of his tableware.' The meal always began with Sharbat-E-Gulab serve in gold, silver, brass and glass vessels (according to rank). . I cooked the fresh rose petals with sugar for the latest 60 minutes to make a strong concoction and later served with chilled water or soda (however I liked it with soda). . #Foodandstreets #foodphotography #Foodhistory #History #Sharbat #Drink #beverage #beverages #rose #roses🌹 #ice #cold #festival #foodfestival #cordial #delicious #water #soda #fresh #Sweet #sugar #yummy #Bihar #delhi #dilli #patna

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