Memories are similar to long-lost treasures; in case we stumble upon one, we get the whole bunch of associated memories like interconnected branches of a tree. It's spectacular! Our day-to-day activities rarely spare us any time to take a walk down the memory lane and cherish those moments that we hold very dearly. I thought of sharing one such sweet memory from my childhood with you, that inspired me to try this wonderful dish.

I celebrate my birthday in the month of July, which according to Hindu calendar (Vikram Samvat) is श्रावण मास (Shravan maas). It is considered to be a sacred month, and Lord Shiva is worshiped during this period. My parents being a strict follower of all the ritual & traditions, observe strict vegetarian diet (satvik aahar) for this whole month. In order to make my birthday special, given the constraints, my mom would prepare an elaborate vegetarian Bengali meal that would consist of Mishti pulav (sweeter than the conventional pulav), Chholar daal (lentil preparation using chana dal or Bengal gram), Aalu potoler dalna (potato & pointed guard curry), Begun bhaja (spicy fried eggplant), Tomato chutney, Kheer (rice pudding) and Rosogulla (a milk based sweet). We three siblings would relish every bite of this elaborate and savory meal. I plan to share all of these mouth-watering recipes with you over the course of next few weeks.

The first amongst them that I bring to you is my mother's recipe for Mishti Pulav, which I do make quite often as it is loved by all the family members too. I hope this recipe will create lasting memories in your kitchen too!