It was something we read about in Dennis the Menace comic strips and Archies comic digests while growing up but Halloween has became pretty big in India in the past few years. Well urban middle to upper class India specifically. ‘Marketing gimmick’ say some while the others go happily trick and treating to parties.
Made me put the following wry post on my social media today. All in jest of course.
Today was a rare relaxed Sunday morning which started with Baby Loaf running out when K opened the door for let someone in. His big sis Gia woke up later, saw our message and went down and got him up. I’d woken up by then too and he looked rather sheepish when back. Maybe Loaf had gone trick and treating!
For breakfast I mildly toasted a Baker’s Dozen croissant in the oven and put in a couple of slices of the delicious smoked Turkey ham that Meatigo had sent along with a range of other meats in a PR hamper. Cranked out an espresso to go with it. Heaven.
Oh and did I tell you that this lovely plate was gifted to us by Gia and her mum Erika?
We had a lunch invite today. For a late Bijoya than Halloween to be honest.
Things would be scary for my fellow Bengali friends and me if we were at a pure veg Sunday lunch, Halloween or otherwise. No such tricks at our friends Rahul and Irin’s house though, with Irin dishing out treats such as super moist chicken mince kebabs, full bodied bacon and cheese pies, tantalising Goan sausage sev puri, poetic mutton rezala (with alu for their red velvet cupcake, kaali dal and Ling’s Pavilion loving son Akira), a majestic mutton biryani and a delectable chocolate flan. The last of our Bijoya lunches. Last of my Halloween PJs.
While most of the gang are from Kolkata and my contemporaries, it’s in Mumbai that I first met them. Most of them through the blog and we’ve remained friends over the years. It was only in the past month or so that we have begun to meet again after the pandemic hit us last year and the adda was lovely. As were the hosts.
Let me tell you about funny incident before signing off as I am still too full from lunch to have dinner and am killing time. Sitting beside me at lunch was my diabetologist friend Manisha and Baudhayan (Buddy), who is a film director. I introduced them and on spotting the doctor at the table the conversation took a very Bengali turn with Buddy discussing various health issues and while my doctor was distracted I quickly relished some of the chorbi (soft fat) of the mutton.
Happy Halloween Jayanti folks.
