An ode to fried food

I have the deepest respect for scientists and other smart folks who analyse which food does what to our bodies, which keeps us fighting fit and which could give us a heart attack

What is it about the monsoon that puts one in such a mood for food? Not any kind of food, you understand. I’m not talking oats and quinoa here, nor the everyday dal-sabzi. Nor, if you happen to be a Bengali like me, the quotidian maachher jhol. Oh no, I’m talking about the way the lowering skies and the drum roll of thunder and the whoosh of the pouring rain set off a mysterious reaction in your brain and make you crave all things crispy and spicy. I’m talking fritters and fries, eaten hot off the fire, with a spicy,