Tag: Coffee

Kolkata – Durga Puja Festival!

Four Years ago… The First time we visited Kolkata for a Bengali wedding….In the heart of kolkata Park Street. We spent two days doing the most obvious kolkata things… Having the Kolkata Paan, Puchka and visiting the tourist attraction like Victoria museum besides attending the Punjabi- Bengali wedding… we visited Flurys one of the oldest Cafes in Kolkata almost 100 years old today.
To visiting a Chinese restaurant and having Indian Chinese since … Hakka Noodles we’re first discovered here in Kolkata. We also had the Rolls from Kusum .. Kolkata is popularly known for their Rolls!
While we had meals! How could we miss out on the desserts… Misthi Doi from Balaram Mullick one of the oldest sweet shop now has multiple outlets across kolkata. To having the Nolen Gur Ice cream & Paan ice cream from Pabrai to enjoying an Bengali-French meal at 6th Ballygunge restaurant.
Four years later…
We tried most of these things again … But visited places that we had missed Peter Cat & Mocambo known for their Chelo Kebab & Crab meat In Mustard Sauce & Pork Nuggets Both of these places are owned by the same owners, have same interiors but both offer a different menu… Besides the regular meal break we took.. we visited the Roastery House Cafe in Hindustan Park… A cafe done in an old bungalow with mustard colour walls and simple interiors.. Any place we visited Kolkata without booking we had a waiting for about forty minutes… but, Wait!
We did not just Eat & Sleep.
We also attended grand Bengali ceremony Durga Puja! One day we toured across the city visiting Durga Puja Pandal, that were beautifully designed keeping a theme & idea behind and with such creativity and deadlines…From Library, to the lockdown life to Football & Bollywood were some of the pandal we visited.
You keep wondering why isn’t Kolkata visited by Tourist or why don’t people from other states come here!! And why don’t travel magazines promote Kolkata as a destination… why just Rajasthan, Goa, Mumbai and Bangalore?
The visit couldn’t be more kolkata, when we met the Superstar of Bengali Cinema Parambrata Chatterjee who is a very popular face in Bengali Cinema and someone who acted in a Bollywood movie Kahaani! The film made me first want to visit Kolkata….

So Yes! I believe I have been lucky to have seen Kolkata like a local both times!!

Durga puja Pandal

What Does a Television mean today?

What does television mean today?
When was the last time, you watched television?
Has a television just becomes another screen today?
You have started watching a new series, that everybody has been talking about.
But you don’t want to miss out!
Do you start watching it on your phone first, then continue watching on the tablet and if it’s something binge-worthy do you continue watching it on your television screen to make the most of( The Sound, The effects and the distraction to a minimum) considering the notification from social media have been distracting you now and then to the work emails.
With the Television becoming our new “Big Screen” for movies and series!
Where do the cinema theatres go?
Is going for the movies to the theatres dead? How will the cinemas survive? Will a subscription model be applied to the cinemas as well?
A subscription that allows you to watch an X number of movies in a month with some F&B to go with it.
Since we haven’t had any good films make it on the Over The OTT platform.
All the interesting looking ones are waiting for cinemas to reopen to launch it
But compared to ₹900 a Year, ₹1500 Year and ₹400 a month for mobile devices on a certain platform for family viewing.
Where do the cinemas go?
Will one be spending on the movies.
Mind you even the television seems like a dull experience with the Advertisement coming up frequently.
Where does that leave advertising? Only on News broadcasting channels? Since most of the channels have been playing older episodes today, And more new content coming up on OTT platforms with a wider range of genres and stories available.
Are we all just streaming on different screens?

Coffee Capsules /Pods Available in India

The Pandemic Struck and we were forced into home quarantine,Isolation and with everything under lockdown. Being Home was the option. While I was a regular Nespresso drinker, I was running out of coffee capsules. But, then Indian coffee brands were my only options and thank God! Because they were amazing and well priced. But, My only hitch! If I did not google enough, I would hardly know about them. So, To make others life easy, I am sharing a list of coffee pods/Capsules that are from India or are easily available in India. 

Capsules/Pod Coffee:


Vero: An Italian word for real, True perfect. Is a Mumbai based brand that specialises in coffee Pods/Capsules and machines too. They have flavours like Irish Cream and green Coffee apart from Arabica, Vanilla, Chocolate, Decaf and Coorg. Apart from coffee capsules they also offer Green tea capsules.

Fresh Brew: Another Coffee capsules brand that offers pods. But the interesting part of this brand is they also offer Iced Coffee capsules like the original Nespresso has to offer and apart from this they have Javas, Sumatra, Colombia and many other flavours to offer.

Bonhomia : One of the first brands that I knew of that offers coffee capsules & Machine that’s compatible with Nespresso machines and we’re the first ones to offer flavoured coffees like Hazelnut, Vanilla and Tea capsules too.

Lavazza: The Italian coffee that was once so popular in India. Now offers its capsules for the Nespresso machine.

Davidoff: If You love your instant Davidoff coffee and want to have it from the Nespresso machine they have a couple of options like Rich, Espresso, Fine, Elegance, Prestige and style to choose from.

Coffeeza: A Coffee Brand that not just specialises in Capsules but also has Drip Coffee Bag. They have Ethiopian and a few more options for coffee capsules. They also have machines too.

Some More Of My Writing #5

Looking to Brew Coffee at Home?

Which Coffee Equipment should you invest in? 

Pour Over /V60: Looking to brew a cup of coffee that’s clean & light? 

Brew Time: 2-4 Minutes 

Type of Coffee: Medium Dark Roast 

Grind Size: Medium 

Method: 

Step 1. Heat the water for a minute or two. 

While the water is boiling/Heating 

Step 2 Place the V60 on a Carafare and place the filter it should be wet first so that any paper taste will be diluted or removed. 

Now Add about 15 gm’s of coffee 

Step 3: Slowly swirl the water (Water should be around 200-300 Ml)  from the kettle over the coffee and around the filter, Let it bloom and repeat this process in between 30 seconds of interval.

Step4:  The coffee would be now brewed and flow into the carafe. For Iced Coffee just add the Ice in the carafe and follow the same process as earlier. 

Equipment Required: Kettle, Water, V60, Coffee, Stirrer and Cups. 

Difficulty level: Expert or a lot of practice to perfect the pour-over. 

French Press: Looking to brew an Americano? 

Brew Time : 3- 4 Minutes 

Type of Coffee: Medium Dark Roast 

Grind size: Medium/Coarse 

Method: 

Step 1. Heat the water for a minute or two. 

While the water is boiling/Heating 

First, remove the plunger and add coffee to the French press base. 

Step 2: Add hot water   ( Water should be about 200-400 Ml) into the French press and stir the coffee from the top, insert the plunger until the brim.

After about 3-4 minutes plunge the plunger and serve the coffee 

Equipment Required: Kettle, Water, French Press, Coffee, Stirrer and Cups. 

Difficulty level: Easy, a perfect way to start learning and brewing coffee. 

Moka Pot:Looking to Brew an Espresso Style coffee? 

Brew Time : 3- 4 Minutes 

Type of Coffee: Medium-light/Dark Roast 

Grind size: Medium/Coarse 

Method: 

Step 1. : Add water  ( Water should be around 100 to 200 Ml) at the bottom base and insert the middle base and add coffee now tighten the Pot.

Step 2: keep the coffee on the gas stove for a couple of minutes, until the hissing sound starts coming and as and when the coffee starts flowing up reduce the speed and switch off the gas. 

Equipment Required: Water, Coffee,  and Cups. 

Difficulty level: Medium 

AeroPress: Looking for a coffee that would be brewed in less than 2 minutes? 

Brew Time: 1-2 Minutes 

Type of Coffee: Medium Dark Roast 

Grind Size: Medium Fine 

Method: 

Step 1. Heat the water for a minute or two. 

While the water is boiling/Heating set up the Aeropress maker. The coffee cup measure should be upside down. The rubber plunger should be pressed inverted from the bottom. 

Step 2: Add about 15 gm’s of coffee by placing the funnel on top first so that the coffee doesn’t spill out. 

Step 3: Now add the heated water ( About 150-200 Ml) and stir the coffee for about  30 seconds to 60 seconds. Now place the filter on the cap and lock the Aeropress ( Note the filter should be rinsed, wet before inserting it, for a better brew experience ) 

Step 4: Now slowly invert the Aeropress on to the mug and press the Aeropress. (Note if the coffee flows without the plunge, you need a finer grind) 

Equipment Required: Kettle, Water, Aeropress, Coffee, Stirrer, Funnel and Cups. 

Difficulty level: Medium to slightly difficult 

Verdict: choose the coffee equipment, By knowing how much time! You are willing to spend to make a cup of coffee each day

To watch videos on how to make the coffee using the equipment and to know more about coffee follow my Instagram account -Link is mentioned below.

https://www.instagram.com/akhilnanda/?hl=en