Category: Festivities

Is there any other festival that brings together the essence of tradition and culinary delights together, better than Durga Puja? Perhaps not! From Kosha Mangsho and Basanti Pulao, to Bhoger Khichuri, the ‘Petuk Bangali (Foodie Bengali)’ definitely knows how to make his or her most awaited festival of the year, special!

As the days of the festival unfold, the kitchens of Bengali homes become bustling hubs of activity. The aroma of spices fills the air as the holiday season brings a reason for the quintessential ‘Bangali’ to take a break from his or her otherwise hectic daily life and cook up a storm to satisfy the stomach and the heart, alike. Khichuri, the one-pot meal made from a blend of rice and lentils, finds a special place among Durga Puja recipes. This humble yet flavourful dish, especially when made with fresh green peas, adds a deliciously warm touch to the festivities.

Not all get a chance to drop into their ‘para (neighbourhood)’ pandal to feast on the Bhoger Khichuri (dish offered to the deity). Sometimes, even if there is a chance, people would rather give it a miss due to the scorching heat of Bengali afternoons. However, the occasion is such that without the Khichuri, Durga Puja celebrations seem incomplete. This is simply one of those Bengali dishes you can’t miss during Durga Puja!

The Bangali indulges himself or herself by making this Durga Puja special dish at home. Besides, the ‘Koraishuti/Matarshuti diye Khichuri (Peas Khichuri)’ is so easy to make that even a child can cook it! Into a pot goes a little bit of ghee. Once it turns hot, cumin seeds, bay leaves and dry red chillis are thrown in. Some ginger paste and chopped tomatoes follow suit, along with basic spices, and sugar and salt to taste.

A little simmering later, cups of water are poured in and some moong dal, chopped potatoes and Gobindobhog rice are added to the pot. The mixture is then boiled and when the ingredients are partially cooked, the green peas are added. Once cooked, teaspoonfuls of garam masala and oodles of ghee are added to the pot for the final touch.

Your mouth’s already watering, isn’t it? So is ours!

The festive season has already set in so grab Keventer Green Peas from Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, or BigBasket right away! Get the pot ready to make the best Durga Puja food that comforts your soul, at home.

While Durga Puja evenings seem incomplete without the fish fries, the chicken pakodas and other popular Bengali snacks, too much of street food can be too taxing for your stomach. Besides, who can guarantee the quality of oil used for frying these Indian delicacies in street side stalls at Durga Puja pandals?

Of course, we don’t expect you to have boiled food during Durga Puja celebrations! But what if we could give you a better option that you can easily make at home within 5 minutes? Great snack ideas that are as tasty as the street food delicacies?

Sounds intriguing, isn’t it?

If you crave for those little chicken pakodas this festive season, know that we bring you better chicken treats for Durga Puja. Stock up on Keventer Chicken Nuggets, fry them in fresh oil, and have them as and when you please. At least you will know that the oil you used is uncompromised and the quality of our nuggets is unquestionable!

We know how much non veg snacks are a ‘must have’ for you during Durga Puja. So when you prepare your festive snack platter, don’t forget to add delicious chicken momos. This Tibetan delight is every Bengali’s hot favourite when it comes to Durga Puja food. If you are worried about going through the elaborate process of making Kolkata-style chicken momos at home, then let us come to your rescue! Keventer Chicken Momos are ready-to-cook and super easy to make! This makes them an absolute must-try Durga Puja special dish for you and a ‘must serve’ non-veg snack for guests.

Lastly, add something unconventional to your Puja-special chicken snack platter. Take some Keventer Chicken Sausages, cut them into small pieces, and fry them in hot oil until light brown. You can also toss these sausages with finely chopped onions, garlic and some capsicum for that added zing.

This festive season, try something ‘hatke’! Grab Keventer non-veg snacks from Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, Amazon Fresh and make these Durga Puja special non-veg snacks at home to enjoy a delicious celebration!

On Ashtami evenings, Navami nights or on Dashami’s Bijoya Sammilani, this Durga Puja, make sure you leave your guests licking their fingers with a scrumptious spread of homemade parathas and kebabs. “How”, you ask? Well, here’s how!

Make your Durga Puja celebrations delicious with our range of ready-to-cook parathas and Chicken Seekh Kebab from Keventer. While Keventer Parathas take only 3 minutes to make, our Chicken Seekh Kebab becomes ready in only 3.5! This means, it will take you less than 7 minutes to prepare a delectable spread of Durga Puja special dishes for your family, friends and guests!

Keventer Lachha Paratha and Keventer Malabar Paratha, perfectly matched with our Keventer Chicken Seekh Kebab, are a ‘must eat’ during Durga Puja. And if you want to make your spread extra meaty, do add the Keventer Chicken Keema Paratha to your list.

To perfectly cook any of these parathas, pre-heat a non-stick pan, remove a paratha from the freezer, place it on the pan and heat it on a medium flame, turning sides every 30 seconds. Add some butter, ghee or oil to the paratha, and keep press it gently till it turns light brown. That’s it!

If you now think our parathas are easy to make, you’ll be surprised to know that Keventer Chicken Seekh Kebabs are even easier! Take out the seekh kebabs from the deep freezer and place them in the fridge for 30 minutes to thaw. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a non-stick pan and toss the seekh kebabs for 3-4 minutes. Your delectable Durga Puja spread is ready!

Don’t let your vegetarian friends go through FOMO though! We have a delicious range of veggie parathas, too, to add to your Durga Puja food list! How about the traditional Keventer Aloo Paratha? Or perhaps, they’d love to gorge on Keventer Paneer Paratha? We bet our Keventer Methi Paratha and Keventer Achari Paratha will be too difficult for them to resist! Do keep a bowl of Keventer Metro Dahi alongside these veg delights for the perfect dinner!

Enjoy the Pujas to the fullest and make it enjoyable for others too. Stack up on our delicious range now from Blinkit.

Pandal hopping is an inevitable part of Durga Puja, and for all those enthusiasts who spend the day walking from one pandal to another, we know how each moment counts for you. 15 extra minutes, and you probably can cover two extra pandal nestled cozily in adjacent lanes.

That’s why, here are three easy breakfast ideas you can try out before you leave home which will hardly take a few minutes to make, will keep you full for a longer period of time, and trust us, will give you enough energy to cover all the city lanes!

Banana Dahi Salad: Bananas and curd, when mixed together, provide a balanced mix of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. This means you have oodles of energy to begin your day with. curd,Grab a Keventer Metro Dahi pack, empty the contents in a container and add some sliced Keventer Bananas to make that perfect breakfast. You might also add some chaat masala, and salt and sugar to taste. What’s more? This recipe also works as a great snack idea to refreshen you once you return from your hectic pandal-hopping spree.

Dahi Banana Smoothie: Planned such a packed schedule that you might just skip breakfast? Oh, no! Don’t do that! Just throw a couple of Keventer Bananas along with half a cup of Keventer Metro Dahi, some sugar and salt to taste, and a quarter cup of water into the blender. Blend until smooth and slurp it up before you leave your home. That’s what we call a brilliant combo of healthy, filling, tasty, and easy breakfast!

Banana Dahi Oats: For those fitness enthusiasts who wouldn’t let go off their diets even on festive days, here’s a protein-rich delicious quick breakfast to try on a busy Durga Puja morning. Take half a cup of overnight oats and soak them in warm water the previous night. In the morning, add half a cup of Keventer Metro Dahi to the oats along with slices of carbide-free bananas from Keventer. Mix, serve in a bowl, add almonds and raisins on the top, and dig in. You’ll have enough energy to cover 20 pandals in one shot!

This festive season, stay full, stay fit, and have fun! Buy Keventer Metro Dahi from Blinkit while you grab Keventer Bananas from the nearest market.

Okay! Let’s just spend 5 minutes to think about how your Mom, Mum, Maa, Ayee, or Amma, spends every day juggling her daily chores and yet, always manages to find the time to take care of you. No matter how busy you are, she is always there for you when you need her, struggling to strike a balance between home and work. At the end, what she is left with is a gruelling daily routine with little or no time for herself.

Yet, on the day you decide to celebrate her, you’d rather settle for the usual gifts to thank her for all that she does for you 24×7. That usual flower bouquet, chocolates, jewellery, clothes, etc. etc.

This Mother’s Day, we’ve got a plan. Give her the gift of “time!”

By “time” we don’t mean you spend the day visiting a nice lounge, club, or restaurant. Or take her out for a movie that you want to watch more than she does! We mean, you gift her, a much deserved “ME TIME”. Give her the space to explore her passion, her hobbies, and even her whims and fancies. Begin by taking the load of cooking off her shoulders, and in this little endeavour let us, Team Keventer, be your partner in crime.

The question is, “How?” Let’s together arrange for an exclusive handmade gift hamper, specially curated for her, to meet her exquisite taste (and yours!). Rush to the nearest shop selling a nice wicker basket, gather up some ribbons, and a transparent gift wrap. Now, quickly visit shopkeventer.com or your nearest grocery store to shop for the most delightful ready-to-cook frozen foods and start filling up your basket. Definitely add the following, apart from your love, to your curated hamper.

Fill in some easy-to-serve breakfast delights…

Morning is the original rush hour. So instead of letting your mum stress over what to prepare for breakfast, just hand her a pack of Keventer Breakfast Sausages and Keventer Italian Sausages. These non-veg frozen foods can be simply thawed and served, or lightly sautéed in some oil. Hassle-free beginning to a day and some extra minutes to water her favourite pot of plant, or go for a morning swim, or even finish her prayers—now that’s what we call a perfect gift!

Add that 7-min main course…

Keventer Paneer Steak or Keventer Kolkata Street Style Momos in veg and chicken variants can be the easiest dinner for someone to cook. They are ready-to-eat and can be prepared in only 5-7 minutes saving your mum hours in the kitchen. However, we insist that since these are so easy to make, you help your mum out with your own DIY lunch and dinner spreads!

Finish off with the quickest snacks!

Mozzarella Cheese Sticks? Onion Rings & French Fries? Paneer Double Decker? Chilli Garlic Potato Shots? Or will it be juicy Chicken Nuggets? At Keventer, we make sure you can pamper your mum and yourself with a delightfully crunchy range of veg and non-veg frozen snacks.

So, when in the evenings, you pester your mom for some quick fingerfood, all she needs to do is spend as little as 3.5 minutes frying our veg and non-veg snack range to keep your growling tummy happy. And again (!), we insist that YOU spend 3.5 minutes in the kitchen instead and help yourself to these munchies without troubling your mum!

Now once you’ve got your basket filled with these frozen foods, simply cover the top with a transparent gift wrap, and hold it in place with those ribbons. When she unwraps this beautiful handmade gift hamper, rest assured, she’ll unwrap for herself new hobbies, passion and even dreams that her newly received free-time will let her explore. Don’t forget about the brownie points you’ll earn for taking out time and putting in the effort to curate a DIY gift hamper with love!

“Why are Bengalis so passionate about Poila Baisakh? Is it like Durga Puja? How is it celebrated?”

Valid questions. Durga Puja is grandiose but Poila Baisakh is more intimate—it’s the second-most awaited festival of the year after all! The excitement is on another level when Chaitra sets in. The warm days, fallen petals on pavements and sales posters appear across the metropolis, and you know it’s time. The vibe, or amej, of a fresh start, is right around the corner. And sometimes it smells fresh, delicious and sweet!

Since good food can’t be separated from any Bengali celebration, Poila Baisakh also has its fair share of deliciousness. Some savoury, some sweet, but each evokes nostalgia and excitement for a new calendar year. Let’s delve into those celebratory delights!

The First Payesh of The Year

Oh, the aroma of rice simmering away in thickened milk—so quintessential of all Bengali celebrations! However, this payesh is different. It’s made with the first rice harvest of the summer. The fresh rice, mixed with milk, creates a fragrance that is simply unbeatable and unforgettable! If only perfumers could fit this into a bottle, stocks would be sold out!

The aroma paints the picture of lush green fields in a rural pocket, ushering the ardency of newness. When made with high-quality ingredients—such as Keventer milk—nuts and raisins, this new rice turns into a warm hug in a bowl. This is just what we need before we venture into a new year!

New Beginnings With Patishapta

Patishapta is found near the end of the Bengali calendar year and the beginning of it. It’s too important! It’s soft, warm and filled with jaggery and grated coconut. No wonder most people go nuts over this humble homemade delight!

While most households can’t agree on a filling—whether khoya or kheer—they all agree on picking high-quality ingredients. Always choose Keventer Metro milk for these special occasions!

The Sweetest Ending

All these sweet things and there’s more? Of course, there is! If Bangla is the sweetest language, then why not keep the sweets coming?

Let’s end the new year with mishti doi—the fan favourite! While making it at home adds to the festivities, grabbing a readymade container is also welcome. As long as it’s sweet, chilled and delicious! When the merriment settles, there’s nothing better than kicking back with your family after dinner, enjoying a fresh pack of mishti doi. This year, we highly recommend you choose Keventer Metro misti doi!

So, how do Bengalis celebrate Poila Baisakh? We gave you three of the sweetest ways! Enjoy the Bengali New Year in the metropolis with us.

Are you planning meals for a whole month? That can feel like a full-time job! Committing to preparing meals while fasting for 30 days straight can get exhausting. But we’re here to let you know, you can still prepare delicious and easy iftar recipes without running out of energy!

Here are some great tips for preparing fast and easy iftar recipes for the whole family.

‘Mise en Place’ Is Your Best Friend

Mise en place is a French word for “putting in place”. It’s about preparing and laying out utensils, measurements and ingredients before cooking. This is a trick used in professional kitchens that makes cooking faster and enables you to move through the steps of the recipe quickly.

Speed Prep With Staples

Planning meals is more overwhelming than cooking them! Save yourself the headache by stocking up on pantry staples that speed up the cooking process.

Prioritise Your Health

Ensure your health and choose food that sustains and nourishes you throughout the fasting. Particularly, if you purchase carbide-free bananas from Keventer, you can enjoy them whenever you want. For suhoor or iftar, Keventer banana should become your staple! Bananas are healthy and filling, which provides you energy to go through your whole day—especially when consumed during suhoor. They also soothe your stomach after a whole day of fasting during iftar.

Frozen Foods Can Save The Day

A golden rule to meal prep is to stock frozen products. Keventer has a variety of sausages, veg and non-veg snacks that make throwing a feast an easier process. And the best news is that they are all halal!

Minimal Ingredients, Maximum Output

The best rule to follow for iftar should be this! When you stock up for meal prep, make sure you’re buying ingredients you can use for multiple easy iftar recipes. For instance, if you buy chicken mince, you can use it for pulao, curries, samosas, paratha and more. When you stock up on UHT milk from Keventer, you can also use it for savoury dishes, milkshakes, kheer and so on.

You’re more than ready to take on the world of meal prep with these tips! We’re making sure you’re ready to brace yourself for any iftar hosting surprises. Keventer has you covered with all your Ramadan essentials, from snacks to desserts!

Holi is the most colourful festival and like most Indian festivities, it’s incomplete without delicacies. Among all the delightful offerings, you can’t miss out on thandai!

Downing a glass of thandai during Holi is deeply embedded in traditions! Made of milk, sugar, various seeds, nuts and fascinating flavourings, revellers let their hair down with this cooling drink. But who says this traditional Holi beverage needs to be one flavour? Try these thandai recipes this year!

A Classic Never Goes Out Of Style

Thandai is a Holi classic. People can’t envision a Holi party without one! When you don’t need all the extra bits, always depend on the classic. Here’s how you make it:

– Blend UHT milk with almonds, cardamom powder, fennel, khus essence, sugar or condensed milk, muskmelon seeds and white peppercorns.
– Strain the thandai and serve chilled.

A Royal Twist

Like most Indian treats, everyone makes it differently. But everyone agrees adding a few special ingredients elevates the classic thandai to the next level. Here’s how:

– Follow the recipe for the classic thandai and add a pinch of saffron.
– Serve chilled. To make this thandai extra special, decorate with silver foil and chopped almonds.

Manic About Mangoes

We’re set to welcome summer, so this is the time to indulge in the season’s best—mangoes! Here’s how:

– Make mango pulp separately. Add it to the classic thandai recipe. If you sweeten the pulp, make sure to not any extra sugar to the thandai.
– Serve chilled. Garnish with chopped mangoes!

Gulabo In The Glass

Irresistibly flavourful, delicious and aromatic, rose thandai is among the best drinks to serve guests this Holi. Here’s how you make this:

– After you have added the thandai spices and Keventer UHT milk, add rosewater, rose essence and rose petals. You can leave one of the ingredients out if you want a less potent rose flavour.
– Serve chilled with rose petals as garnish.

Your Holi party needs these awesome beverages! How else can you cool down from all the fun? Make thandai at home with Keventer UHT milk!

The very air heralds spring and reminds you it’s time for the most colourful festival of the year! We know you’re a veteran and you’re ready with coconut oil and your chosen pichkari. But whenever you’re tired from all the enjoyment, take a break with the most delicious Holi recipes!

Let the party on your tastebuds begin! Try these Holi dishes.

Fruit Chaat

Make this refreshing Holi recipe to cool down. To prepare fruit chaat, follow the instructions:

1. Chop a variety of seasonal fruits and carbide-free bananas from Keventer. Toss them together. Chill in the refrigerator to make them more refreshing.
2. Prepare the tangy dressing by mixing salt, chaat masala and lime juice.
3. Before serving, drizzle the dressing over the fruits and mix well.

Dahi Bhalla

This is a savoury Holi dish that’s super popular during Holi! It’s delicious and satisfying—perfect for munching between rounds of playing with gulal. Here’s the method for making the perfect dahi bhalla:

1. Prepare a batter with lentils and spices. Deep-fry the fritters and soak them in water seasoned with lime and salt.
2. With the best sour yoghurt from Keventer, whip it till it’s smooth and season it with your favourite spices.
3. Arrange the fritters on a plate, top with yoghurt, spices and chutney.

Thandai Smoothie

Nothing is more classic than a tall, chilled glass of thandai. This Holi recipe is a modern take on the usual milk beverage. Here’s how you make it:

1. Blend the following ingredients:

– Keventer Metro Milk
– Honey
– Almonds
– Cashews
– Pistachios
– Saffron
– Fennel seeds
– Cardamom
– Poppy seeds
– Melon seeds

2. Serve chilled and garnish with chopped nuts.

Rose Lassi

If people don’t like thandai at your party, this is an excellent alternative. Make this Holi recipe easier with Keventer Metro Lassi. Just add spoonfuls of rose syrup to each glass of lassi and garnish with silver foil and chopped pistachios. A decadent Holi special is ready in seconds!

Masala Chai Chia Pudding

Your guests will remember this sweet Holi dish for years to come. Here’s how you make it:

1. Brew a cup of strong masala chai. Let this cool.
2. Mix chia seeds with Keventer Metro milk and add your preferred sweetener.
3. Combine the chia mixture and brewed tea. Refrigerate until it becomes thick like a pudding.

As you play with colours, don’t forget to take breaks, drink plenty of water and enjoy these awesome snacks! Get your Holi essentials from Keventer today.

WHY BANANAS ARE YOUR BEST FRUIT FOR SEHRI

Ramadan is the holy month of devotion, prayer, self-reflection and growth. However, it is also a month of extreme self-control with 30 days of fasting at a stretch. Thus, what we choose to eat during Iftar and Sehri can have major implications on our body and energy levels. The idea is to stick to a minimalistic healthy diet instead of giving in to temptation and indulging in excessive fried food or beverages with high-levels of sugar, before you begin your fast or break it.

Since Sehri or Suhur is the first meal consumed early in the morning before the main fasting begins, it is essential that the food consumed is nutritious and keeps you feeling full for a longer period of time. That’s why, we suggest Keventer Banana as a ‘must-add’ to your pre-dawn diet. Here are 4 reasons why:

#1: It’s Fibre-Rich: Soluble fibres turn into a gel-like form upon reaching the stomach, and slow down digestion. This helps in keeping cholesterol and blood sugar levels low, giving you ample of energy throughout the day. The banana lands up being a wonder-fruit in this case. Despite their sugar content, bananas are so rich in fibres such as pectin that they not only keep you energized but also keep your gut in good health during the entire fasting season.

#2: Has Good Carbs: Bananas are a great source of resistant starch. Now what is a resistant starch? Resistant starch is a great carbohydrate that can improve your body’s ability to react to insulin. The best part is, instead of getting digested in the small intestines, it collects in the large intestines, ferments and produces good gut bacteria. This means that you will be left feeling fuller despite consuming less food. Resistant starch can also aid in easing your digestive system after fasting.

#3: Comes with Anti-Bloating Properties: Fasting can cause severe bloating in some people. However, here again, our wonder-fruit comes to the rescue! There’s ample evidence that bananas can prevent the accumulation of gas in the stomach and the retention of water, thereby preventing bloating.

#4: It’s Pottasium-Rich: The potassium in bananas plays a vital role in reducing your thirst and keeping you hydrated for a much longer period of time. This potassium also helps your muscles work better keeping lethargy, caused due to fasting, at bay.

As the month of Ramadan sets in, do take care of yourself and your health without any compromises. Add Keventer Bananas to your Sehri meal and enjoy the goodness of this fruit to the fullest. Ramadan Mubarak!