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Zafran and Art Chocolat

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Zafran and Art Chocolat Several leading NGOs  showcasing their merchandise in a fundraising event organised by Art Chocolat at Hafele Design Centre, Okhla. Zafran wondered if cacao beans can have such an interesting history as she held the piece of delicately crafted chocolate in her hand and popped it in her mouth. "Mhm, the flavour of rose petals in the chocolate ganache tastes so heavenly. The aroma of rose with the dark chocolate is a divine treat to my senses. No wonder people used cacao pods as a currency in the ancient times." She thought to herself.  "Where did you store your chocolates earlier? I always stored it in the refrigerator. I never knew that chocolates were supposed to be kept in a cool and dry place." said Krishna as both of them twirled around the chocolate counter together. "And did you know that the milk chocolates that we Indians relish so much were an accidental invention by the owner of Nestle? I thank god for that mista
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Did you meet your Mr. Batata Puri yet?

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Visit Maurya Lok, Patna to meet Mr. Batata Puri at every other Batatapuri stall cart scattered around the place.  "Have you ever fallen in love? Those butterflies in your stomach. The fear and rush of the unknown that tickles you. I wonder." sighs Peehu sitting at the edge of the deewan in the living room. She sat with  a plate full of half cut fruits out of which a few she sliced patiently. One at a time. Apples were glad to be cut in graceful halves and quarters. Muskmelons so tender and soft, she runs the sharp stainless knife through the fruit, carving perfect arches.  "Not really." Zafran raised her eyebrows and pinched her, making the kiwi drop from her hands.   "Mr. Batata Puri!" screams Peehu. "It's him! The love of my life." "Mr. Batata Puri?" asks Zafran. "Yes. I saw him at different places. Once when I went shopping with my mother when I was around 9. It was love at  the very first sight. My first ever crush.
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Bhagalpuri silk beauties and a stranger

"Do you know, I had almost missed it. Thank god I made it here on time. Phew." said Zafran, slightly carressing the bhagalpuri silk sarees that Peehu showed her one after another, overflooding the bed with silk. "What? Your flight? I thought you were only late for your classes in College." said Peehu.  "No doubt I wonder you were only punctual till school." "Not like that! I was sort of ready to leave Delhi. Packed everything on time. Krishna helped too. But, T3 urghh. So many people, such long queues. I knew I was late. But you won't believe what just happened in the utter madness!" Zafran seemed mysteriously excited and funny. "What could it possibly be. You fell at the aisle and embarrassed yourself. Oh uhm or wait! You again got your bag seized and realised it when you reached here that you're doomed." Peehu never missed a chance to tease her. "Arre baba I know that noone can overrule me in being clumsy, but tha
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Brass & Buddha!

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Episode 3 " Sattu Parantha, tamatar ki meethi waali chutney, kaddu ki sabzi & chokha....Here you go my beautiful Zafran, enjoy the feast! " Peehu giggled. What joy it gave her, to cook for her. Maybe she realised that Zafran has lost something which she couldn't mention in front of her, but this journey which she has started to live will for sure compensate some part of it. " What is sattu? And why is the chutney so pulpy? Chokha? What is that? " Zafran flooded Peehu with a lot of questions. " Sattu is a kind of a flour made from roasted gram. It is our staple for protein. Chutney here is pulpy & tangy because it is made with love by slowly crushing it on the silwatta ( a flat stone bed over which the masala is rubbed by a pestle.)  Chokha being the way the boiled potatoes were prepared. It is mashed with love, flavoured with the temper of mustard oil, cumin seeds, garlic, dried red chilli. Then chopped raw onions and green chilli were ad
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Location: Patna, Bihar, India
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House no. 30

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Episode 2 ( House no. 30 ) "The queue is....urghh very long! What should I order?" Zafran was waiting in the queue in front of the Subway counter. "Shammi Kebab with all veggies, all sauces. Honey & oats bread toasted with cheese. As you have always liked it. Accha do my Vocab revision with me." Said Krishna.  Zafran was thinking all this as she was sitting in the auto moving through the streets of the IAS colony. A lot of unorganised traffic, with people honking for no reason. India was the same everywhere. Just the streets got narrow and the roads shrinked. Yes there was poverty, still people helped. "Lijiye Madam, aa gya Patliputra. Ghar ka no. Btaiye. Aapko beech road me nhi utaarenge" said the auto waala. "Bhaiya house no. 30..........peehu!" Zafran saw peehu standing in the same lane. She jumped out of the auto, hit her head hard on the roof of the auto and fell. "Zafran you can never stop being clumsy! Humko laga kuch to
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When is the flight?

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Episode no. 2/2 ( Patliputra ) "Hey Zafran. When is your flight landing at Patna today? The food is waiting." said Peehu. Peehu was Zafran's old school friend who lived with her parents there. "Peehu! I am just packing for the Bihari food trail trip. What has aunty made though? Litti Chokha?" asked Zafran curiously. "Haha. More than that. We are not just about the Litti Chokha. This Food trail is going to change your perception and stereotype about the place for sure. I am glad you're coming." said Peehu. "When is the flight? Do you really want to do this?" said Krishna. A place, so much of news about it, people were really taken aback by the name of Bihar. Pretty understood. "Yes. I want to." Zafran zipped the other chains of the bag and sat in the cab waiting outside. " Bhaiya, Patli... put.. ye padh k bataana. Idhar chaloge?" Said Zafran firmly holding her luggage outside the Patna Airport. "Mad
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Zafran's Bihari Food Trail

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Episode no. 1/2  ( Litti Chokha?) "I can only recall corruption, cows and litti chokha whenever someone asks me about Bihar.", said one of the girls passing by the M block in Connaught Place. "Litti chokha? Is that all you guys eat in Bihar?" asked a young man, who was ironically filming a vlog on the streets of CP on 'Who are Biharis' to a girl. Zafran overheard the conversation. She was naive about the place itself & the culture they attached with their food. She thought the girl must have meant something of existence when she narrowed down the place just to a person and a dish. Her being skeptical about the whole incident led to the inception of an idea. An incident at times is enough to make you realise. So, in order to find out, she decided to go around, observe & learn about the stereotype. And what way could be better than food? She plans to leave on a food quest to find out what's cooking in every bihari household of different
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