Curry and Spice, Singapore (2026)

12/06/2026

It’s kidney rotting humidity here, I went for famous sweet yogurt at this shop but I don’t like “kheer doi “, few shops do my kind of lightly sweet n sour yogurt, I instead had “kheerer shingara”, “dorbesh”! I have the plan to make the former at home, at least one of my blogger friends have the recipe in blog, the latter at “Sen Mahashoy” is more famous!

This particular lane starts from the sweet shop and ends at the toy shops, my brother played with cars bought from there, our son played with cars from these, Leo to Hot Wheels! Every toy I bought for gifting, I bought from these!

A walk on those streets, buying the digestive chutneys wrapped in cellophane paper sold mainly in buses & trains, is nostalgia! But I like this nostalgia for few weeks in a year! I prefer life in upscaled, high-tech Kolkata or any metropolitan city in India, called Singapore!

I indeed hate division on basis of religion, social & economic disparity would be there! But as an Indian, I can’t go and support its neighbours abusing my country! You are wise if you be friendly with India, your powerful neighbour ☺️! I don’t have hatred for you but it’s time you say no to your religion controlling your lives, radicalise you, don’t let yourself educate! I would keep trying to make your young boys & girls to protest!

Listen Kolkata, the “dada-bhai” steel utensils shop near Shyambazaar tram depot is on sale @ 100Rs! Singapore, you know I continuously give business to your small traders but I must avail these offers, my kitchen need or not😀! This freedom I enjoy in Kolkata and Singapore! America, you mean you don’t have any such small shops? Singapore has both Orchard area and Serangoon Central shops!

I have no fascination to buy from Orchard malls! Yesterday, I took 211B to Hathibagan! That shop “Valentine” was my first stop! I told you “Modern Variety” is no more! This store gave me lipstick & lip liner at a lower price than Jyoti Stores at Little India and Lazada, Spencer and Shoppers Stop!

You know I dislike showing off unless it’s your caliber! Your wealth doesn’t add to my savings account! I have no airs because whatever I am today is gift of partner, I haven’t achieved anything! So the sales persons at this shop didn’t believe when I was converting from SGD to INR, I was sweating, wearing 500Rs. kurti, Bata’s lowest range chappal 👻!

Just opposite of “Valentine” is a shop that sells frying pan, wok, steel kitchenware at 25% discount, 35% if you exchange old utensils! Go, grab! Hathibagan Bazaar is magic pot but in most of the shops, you need to bargain!

I am East & North Kolkata, Gariahaat is not my thing, that place has more variety & beautiful things in offer, you must have bargaining skills, else you get duped!

I love to cook any day, trying my little bit! You know the reason of visit this time, I am frequenting to our Kaikhali flat! I don’t know if I can visit our Barrackpore home this time, I prefer them to come and stay with me! I must spend half day at Hindmotor, visit four homes besides few of my neighbours!

10/06/2026

My first talk today would be about being responsible social media user! Please read sincerely! In public or in private, we can’t spread wrong information! Jam / Jamun / Java or Malabar Plum is selling at anywhere between 250INR-400INR per kilogram in suburbs of Kolkata, you can understand where the price would go in upscale neighbourhoods in Kolkata and in happening Indian cities!

I saw a post in a professional social media community stating Java Plum is 80INR comparing it with another similar coloured berry variety! Why should we make such irresponsible, fake statements, this is not nationalism, this is dishonesty! To talk good about something or someone, we need not malign the other, a principle I follow! May be so I ain’t famous, I have no intention of taking wrong routes to fame, want it though!

How are my lovely readers doing? I am well, just struggling with my stomach health a bit! Well, you curse me, scold me, whatever but my statement is clear, “I am a proud Indian, but in Singapore” or anywhere outside of it!

West Bengal is my state, love too but I can’t hide the fact the upscaled Indian states are way hi-tech! “Waise Mumbai ko pata hai hamein unse mohabbat hai”, not more than Singapore but! Only when in City Centre2, I get the feel of Singapore! It’s amazing to see how dates grow in a mall, they are real dates, total of 8 trees!

All this while, I saw Tamal Boutique online, liked the collection, didn’t respond thinking of the man’s non-Bengali speaking, non-saree loving girlfriends! You know I have no issues with his girls, they can meet, chat, even go to Swiss Alps, not without my knowledge, his cards should be mine (actually son’s); he should not lose himself that much where his finances are at risk! This is a msg for you working men & women, keep control of your cards! BTW, they have huge, great collection, from my range of soft cottons (1500-3500Rs) to 20000-250000Rs. Muslin! I would recommend you to visit; take first steps upwards on entering CC2, it’s beside Khadim’s; itech! I would talk about my tailors later!

That’s an eggless red velvet pastry, I love cookie jar but allow myself Mio-Amore! I made my own chilled lemon-ginger tea! I won’t be visiting New Market area this time, it would take time to accept Nahoum’s isn’t there anymore, the identity of the city is changing, that wasn’t a cake shop alone but historic landmark of city!

Goodricke Tea starts my day in Kolkata, my Gods’ corner protecting this home is that you already know! Kolkata buys flower! Rajanigandha sticks are one of defining factors of West Bengal summers!

I suspect the “shingara” seller duped me, my family would never buy from such unclean shops, I was trying to help a small establishment! I believe they got upset because I ordered one, won’t go to them, I dislike dishonesty!

My Phuchka Man in Kolkata has to be this gentleman! I would visit him regularly until my last day of stay! You would find him just behind Traffic Police Kiosk at Chinar Park crossing! The traffic police at this point are doing great job! We can’t expect Government to do everything for us, every citizen has to have civic sense like the first world countries! I don’t require to spit at all, why do you? Down with severe cough & cold, sore throat, I am needing to take showers more times for these, and that heat & humidity!

08/06/2026

Hello People! The books you see in the first three pictures, I got them today by inheritance; priceless inheritance! The family was instructed to hand over these books to me! But I believe books by Marx are actually meant for Mr. T.S.Ray!

However, Manifesto & Lenin’s were my textbooks, you can see my maiden name! I have more such at Barrackpore home!

Okay, with the books, what definitely has to come is my cooking! My passion for cooking has reached heights, my reading habits slowed down, cooking & clicking food reached newer heights! Not feeling sorry but I must get back to regular reading!

I wouldn’t visit College Street this time! The list of unread books piled up! Moreover, I would be carrying some “Sharodiya Desh” to my present home; yes, temporary but thats my home as of now! The island doesn’t give me stomach upsets!

What I cooked are moong dal with raw papaya, pointed gourd fry, jute leaves fritters, jute leaves curry, raw papaya-potato-raw banana curry!

I don’t think about blood sugar count when having my beloved fruits, can’t sacrifice everything!

06/06/2026

The lady @ CURRY AND SPICE is kind of savage, can’t hold her knife & fork well! From the treasure trove of memory, she found her son’s exam schedule from 2009, thought of keeping it further; his blocking Mumma mania cannot dampen my spirit! Parents are born to hold kids tight, yet having the courage to say what is right or wrong! I don’t know why he does what he does to me, I can say publicly it’s wrong, may be one day he would realise that! That’s not a “jum gach / jamun tree” but I like gazing at the green through the window, earlier there was a “kodom gach”! It’s raining hard, that too can’t dampen my spirit, My new pair of “balti- mog” / bucket & mug bought from Baguiati bazaar braving rain says I love my “shongshar”! I so much wished to buy one set for son’s toilet, thats a land I fail to see any “dokan” in neighbourhoods!

03/06/2026

I would indeed wish to take pride in this vegan, gluten-free, no-cook, dairy-free ice-cream! I am gifting something to you all who suffer from indigestion like I do! Carom seeds too help recover from indigestion, neither can I claim this ice-cream @ https://spiceupwithsoma.blogspot.com/2026/06/tender-coconut-dry-fruits-ice-cream.html would cure our stomach ailments. What I mean is this is a better frozen dessert option, just a little healthier take on ice-cream.

Like I am an ice-cream lover, with age, I get acidity, wind, heavy feeling in stomach after having an ice-cream, sundae. The recipe of it is in blog with stepwise pictures. Be it dates or sugar, both are poison for a diabetic, we can have it at times, the rest of you try it once a month. The dried mango, apricot / khubani were gifted by a younger, friendly family!

I love having young coconut juice and the tender pulp, somedays call for an ice-cream with them.

Why are we getting such violent with each passing day? The solution is not having chilled & frozen desserts, we have to practice tolerance. I was an obese since childhood, people called me names, in Hathibagan, I was called Hathi, in neighbourhood, I was called a "ghot". You have an entire life to correct yourself, be worthy of yourself, to the right people; bad mouthing, retaliation do not take us anywhere, incur losses!

I would continue to insist, believe religion has nothing to do with governance! When it comes to good governance, policy makers have to strictly implement rules rising above self interest, the first thing is barring anyone to carry killer objects with them. The logic is simple, if we don't have it, we can't use it! Amount of violence would be less, third parties around would approach to stop!

What religious gurus told thousands of years back cannot be followed ditto on the present day. Government has to set strict rules for us before a sad incident occurs!

I try to avoid talking about all these, my blog visit gets affected! Then we can't give blind eye throughout life, that's being selfish.

Time and again, my words are proven golden. When I say I prefer staying in Singapore, it feels too safe, that I totally agree to countries conforming to stricter rules, I mean it.

I have no self interest in this, we are not even PR, any day we may need to leave, yet I wouldn't change my statement! The feeling of safety & security even at unearthly hours of night is priceless!

Not Autocracy I speak for, that gentleman who is horror figure for his countrymen isn't my friend, he has to lose weight also. A controlled Democracy is a good thing.

Humans do not fear of each other, they fear weapons and government made rules; the latter is required; law has to be uniform for everyone in every country! Special privileges be only for differentially abled! No religious body should have any right in decision making outside of their organisation, a believer is saying this!

I really don't get the reason of unrest among us, where are we heading to? Where's the point of growth at the cost of our security, safety? The aim of youth is to learn, grow, build, contribute to society!

No one would read this, social media has no impact on real world I know, yet I had to put forth my opinion!

01/06/2026

The ice-cream I savoured just now is tasting great to my tastebud, given my weakening digestive system, dairy is becoming more of foe, even the Filipino is thinking of quitting regular intake of milk coffee, have our sugar & milk-free ones!

Let me get the recipe on Wednesday? I need to travel to India on an emergency this weekend! Whilst others go there and share pictures of biryani, kebabs, cutlets, golbarir mangsho, fuchka; I would share with you plates of “jol bhaat”, charaponar patla jhol bhaat, deshi tyangra, kajoli mach! I have to have fuchka, bhelpuri, ghoti gorom although last year I got severe stomach pain once back in Singapore!

So this is your way of mourning? You may ask me! We ain’t, celebrating a big span of life! If you look around and see what pain of early loss is, you would understand what I mean! My eyes would catch what I don’t want to!

Anyway, three of my earlier blogposts got updated recently, may you please trust & try them;

BANANA CRANBERRY COCONUT CAKE @ https://spiceupwithsoma.blogspot.com/2024/11/banana-coconut-cranberry-cake.html?m=0

ANAROSHER HALWA @ https://spiceupwithsoma.blogspot.com/2019/09/anarosher-halwa.html?m=1

ALOO STUFFED OATS BOMB @ https://spiceupwithsoma.blogspot.com/2019/12/aloo-stuffed-oats-bomb.html?m=1

These days, I like oats in cakes, ladoo, bars with sesame, peanuts, even in mixed flour chapatis, I don’t allow myself much! Fear has taken over me, back from USA, there’s lack of energy! Let me get back from India, I would sit with my GP, “please get my system clicked, I suspect unwanted ‘gutulis’! I won’t go for elongated treatments! My uterus is gone; just take off my liver, kidney, bladder at one go! Heart is dangerous, take it out, ‘kobey attack hobey bhebe ghum hoyna’, lungs too! I never had a brain! I want freedom!” I would sell them, buy jewellery & clothes! I am serious! Else fear would take over me, it has!

That tapioca-moong dal hotchpotch isn’t a family recipe, in the 90’s had at friend’s place, this morning made it but it’s not something to go with tea/coffee!

I wasn’t willing to share non-veg plates this week, then thought the people closer do not believe in all these! Also yesterday I saw the bread packet wrote “may have egg”, every bakery in Serangoon told me all cakes & buns contain egg! Even dosa guys told they add garlic to coconut chutney”! I didn’t counter, “why do you have to?” Once back I would bake a bread without egg! Love egg? Eat it as an egg!

The luchi was made by Labayne, makes me teary eyed; the poorly made pooris were such dearly eaten by son! No mumma isn’t doing public drama! He barred me from contacting him, I put messages in public! They don’t understand my impulses! If any of you make him understand me, please do!

Not a dosa fan unless it’s neer or rawa variety! Well, thats not “Kash Phool”, neither its Autumn, it gave me that vive! Let me prepare for a blogpost and continue with fear, does jet lag stay over a week, why do I lack energy, has blood sugar level crossed 500? Better to do away with organs and live happily ever after!

31/05/2026

Yesterday, I cooked all vegetarian food; in fact I told you time & again that Bengali Vegetarian Food is mostly Vegan & Gluten-free; unless we garnish our “Dalnas” with ghee / clarified butter! Indian Bengalis / Indians had been cooking vegan food long before the west made it a fashion! Because all sides of my family hail from “Opar Bangla”, we tend to add smaller prawns or fish head to our vegetables! I don’t much wanting to catch the vegan market! Our son had gluten-allergy as toddler, I try gluten-free food often!

Coming Thursday I wish to blog about a vegan, gluten-free tender coconut ice-cream; okay? In my family, a grandfather placed 1/2 tsp of ice-cream on his three months old grandson’s tongue; I was about to faint! One grandpa fed “roshogolla”, other fed “bonde”, Piya gifted “kaju barfi” always, Nono & B fed Bonde to Pizza to Burger, Dimma homemade chicken curry, chicken sandwich, Thamma got chips, chocolate, fish fry, cakes! I have many such moments captured, can’t get to public without consent of other family members! Specially our son has issues about it! Why am I saying these? To notify our introverted son to keep the family closer to his heart, Mumma expects certain things from him besides building a meaningful career!

The family is having no onion, no garlic vegetarian food for a stipulated period! The reason is known to many!

What I cooked yesterday are okra, pumpkin, raw banana, eggplant boil & mashes, spinach-potato-eggplant, sour lentil curry with elephant apple / chalta, pumpkin-eggplant fry, matar dal fritters-potato-eggplant curry, ridge gourd-sesame-melon seeds paste curry! All recipes are without onion, garlic! Indian Bengalis consider both non-vegetarian, even red lentils! I totally forgot and cooked the sour dal with red-lentils! We haven’t imposed any restriction on son & Labayne!

I can have vegetarian food but not willing to turn onto vegetarian or vegan or gluten-free diet, mutton & fresh water fish, Oriental chicken are love 😀! That sauce is vegan, plant based, you may try! I enjoy banana prata at stalls, rarely have, request them to fry in minimal oil but the dough has lot of oil!

I try make potato fry in air fryer mode or microwave+grill mode, tastes good! It’s not economical option, but used only 1/2 tsp oil! I am trying to get wiser in kitchen, if not with my diet! Last month I ate lot of jaggery & sugar, carb intake might have increased, proper walking did not happen in the hilly area in suburbs of San Francisco, I wasn’t expecting son to take me for long walks every day, he has greater missions at this time, also he is weird! Last Friday, my blood sugar level jumped high after few years, a bit scared at this time! I admit I got overconfident, need to settle that!

My failed attempt to make ghee from all purpose cream has to stop, I don’t waste food unless it rots, I have spread it on bread! I know Bengalis who dislike mangoes, fish! I ain’t in that rare group! Mango-chia to jam, I would eat, I need to limit intake of my favourite mango, litchi, jackfruit, chiku, custard apple; yet culprits are sugar, jaggery for a diabetic! I love roshogolla, sandesh, gulab jamun, bonde, amriti, jilipi, had too much on Shibratri & Neel Shasti! I have learnt I can’t have liberty to eat regular my favourite sweets 😫!

Noodles without onion, garlic is possible! I liked yesterday’s saucy one too, tossed boiled noodles in a mix of chilli sauce, vinegar, chilli flakes, boiled corns, light & dark soy sauce! I prefer making breads, a frozen pack of 30 goes on for 6-7 months! Why not, I don’t go for work, love to cook, have help! Those frozen one’s dough uses gallons of oil, do not fry them in oil, just roast longer at low heat! What did Dr. D Shetty say? “All oils are bad if consumed in excess”! I think all of his brethren agree with him!

That mango tree is beside the Serangoon Garden petrol pump and just opposite, in front of a landed property I spotted saplings of “laal shaak, green chilli, pui shaak”, I find here everything I grew up having, it’s Asia; when I travel to West, the scene changes! If Singapore could source “kalo jam” and sell at low price👻, I don’t buy, not for boxed, less fresh stuffs, I must be able to choose my fruits & vegetables!

26/05/2026

Well, I wouldn’t compare the two lands; they are conceptually different from each other, in the first place!

After traveling there few times, I feel it’s good for spending few weeks, even months but this land we had been staying for over a decade, is my comfort zone!

I shop, I cook in my free will, sit anytime at Don Don Donki for a breaded potato patty & Yuzu lime juice without bothering any family member!

There I thoroughly enjoyed the weather, open gardens in front of every home, my walks! I didn’t expect an “akondo phool er gach” in one home, I guess it grew just like that!

The pain was thinking that in such a big neighbourhood, there was not a single Walmart or Costco! Insiders say even company CEO’s don’t have full time help at home! That’s good enough to scare my kinds!

I am not comparing, I believe people who love that quiet environment away from hustle & bustle of city life, ultimately can sustain there!

I must have liberty to walk to “bazaar” with “tholey” any time! Okay, I still have few more nature clicks from that land!

We choose life, there’s nothing right & wrong about it, given we are more or less happy with our choice!

25/05/2026

Who of you remember this nostalgia? Although we used Vicks, Iodex, Amrutanjan at times; this jingle I remember; Vicks’ too: “gale mein khich khich, gale mein hrrm, kya karoon? Vicks ki goli lo, khich khich dur karo!” I do trust the “tel, moloms” Singapore uses, I use them too, I spotted Zandu, got it! I have food pictures, greens to share; let’s see, sooner may be!

22/05/2026

Back to square, homecoming is pleasure, given I have freedom to travel alone anywhere taking bus & mrt. I can’t wait for anyone to take me for shopping household stuffs, that’s my area and I prefer non-interference in my area!

Leaving your child thousands of miles away isn’t pain, but kind of uncanny feeling! Because I am a fear monger, I would have constant fear about his well being, safety, security! Even if mine is male child, worries don’t leave me; what if he gets fever, did he switch off gas stove, did he wipe the wet toilet floor, did he argue with anyone, and many more! My hairs grew grey, all, in eye brows, eyelashes!

I wished to thank UNITED AIRLINES, service was good, food too! The ACs were super cool (needed for my kind who throws otherwise)! I would want to say me losing weight may be directly proportional with feeling better physically on buses, airplanes! Being slim is for good; fat, obesity is BAD!

The aircraft’s were great both ways, the leg space was good! While going, it was a new one, one officer announced “it’s new aircraft, we ain’t acquainted with all functions”, I felt like snatching the mic, asking if any cardiologist was on board, I was to get panic attack!

Only one request, please provide proper blankets, specifically for such long flights! Also, I missed having dessert, felt happy when the last meal today was mini pancakes on a bed of butter-sugar-raisin cream, super soft, tasted heavenly!

Wish you all the best, great network of connections you have at great offer; a Singapore Airlines fan says this from bottom of heart! Super-liked San Francisco airport, kind of like this island’s!

Curry and Spice

12/06/2026

10/06/2026

08/06/2026

06/06/2026

03/06/2026

01/06/2026

31/05/2026

26/05/2026

25/05/2026

22/05/2026

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