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A chutney prepared in a mixer-grinder would taste somewhat different from one made on a stone grinder. Heritage style of cooking from diverse regions, though elaborative and with a more delightful effect on the saliva, were on display and their aroma was tempting. Tapati describes a culinary journey through an array of counters, bridging time, in her weekly column. A Different Truths exclusive.
“We are what we eat” – declared my friend before laying hands on his favourite sweet, the hot Jalebi and Rabri. I was pulled by him, forcing me to leave the area of secluded enlightening, standing as an onlooker. It was one of the celebrations of Diwali where people were buzzing in the vast lawn, exchanging pleasantries with familiar and new acquaintances with a fixed smile and folded hands, forgetting the “Hi’s and Hello’s” aside. The festive seasons bring us back to our roots and Diwali is always a great occasion to enjoy with all your family and friends.
Scripting an ode to the eternally popular and immensely rich form of gastronomy in India, a team of chefs
The spacious area was transformed into small eateries with an array of display of the methods and condiments. In an age of microwaves, ovens and electric tandoors, we have somehow forgotten the authentic taste of food which comes essentially only when cooking is done in a traditional way. For instance, a chutney prepares in a mixer-grinder will taste somewhat different from one made on a stone grinder. Heritage style of cooking from diverse regions, though elaborative and with a more delightful effect on the saliva, were on display and their aroma was tempting. We started a culinary journey through an array of counters:
Bamboo or leaf steaming: In the eastern region of India, we have a style called ‘fresh bamboo and
Woodfire: Cooking over a live wood fire is a popular style of cooking on north India. Here vegetables or meats are cooked at high temperature in a tandoor or sigri or chulha, imparting a smoky flavour to the food; here oil use is very limited and a healthy cooking system.
The tandoor was brought to India from Persia via the Afghanis, also was originally an oven in the ground. There is also evidence that tandoor was native to India as far back as 3000 BC, as there have been small mud plastered ovens, similar to tandoor, found in different sites of Harappan civilisations.
Tandoor was made transportable by Jahangir, who instructed his cooks to build and design a tandoor which could be easily taken along on his travels. The combination of the yogurt-based marinade, the charcoal, and the high heat gives tandoori food a unique quality flavour of its own.
Stone ground: In this process, a hand operated stone grinder is used to pulverise the ingredients. Chutney prepared by this method retains its natural colour and tastes great.
Dum cooking: This style originates from the northwestern region. Dum style or sealed cooking involves
Curing and smoking: Another style is followed by curing and smoking of meat and vegetables. The curing leaves a special taste and smoking adds an extra flavour.
Earthen pot cooking: Here utensils made of mud are used. The flavours get mixed with earthy and
Wooden mallets: Wooden mallets or hammers are used for pounding meat or other items in a wooden bowl to make it soft. It works like magic when added with spices before cooking.
Copper vessels: Here copper vessels are used to cook over slow fire for meats and copper adds a distinct taste to the dish.
Sun drying: Indians love their pickles and this is done in a unique sun drying method. Using vegetables, mustard oil and freshly ground spices, it is matured in direct sunlight. Papad is also a flattened roti made by sun drying. This creates a special texture and flavour and preserves the food with its essential nutrition.
Fermentation: Fermentation is used to make curd or yogurt, a regular food in India. Also, different types of drinks are made using this fermenting method.
Pit cooking: It is an ancient technique still alive today in many cultures and culinary circles. It is not to
In old times, a belief was established that the purity of the individual was synonymous with the purity of the things they consumed. The religious traditions eventually established rules, rituals, and regulations surrounding food. The belief in the connection between mental health and nutrition became a widely regarded.
It was a culinary extravaganza for all ages to enjoy this extensive fare and satiate one’s appetite for food
That was the time to depart with profusely thanking our host for this extraordinary evening of a walk down to heritage cooking lane and recollect fond memories from our grandma’s kitchen.
My host was standing at the rear with a child, their granddaughter, offering packets of sweets to the guests to depart in a sweet note. Before leaving, the guests were treated by the child not by any popular rhymes but with a recital of few lines in Sanskrit to our great amusement.
“In fact, she has been awarded in a recent competition of reciting short poetries in Sanskrit”: the grandparents declared gleaming with faces.
People were bursting with applause with of the child’s zeal and also the exuberance of her school imbibing traditional teachings to the students. But all were left speechless when she stunned everyone reciting few lines of great philosophy: “From food life springs forth, by food, it is sustained, and in food, it merges when life departs.”
Her timely recital set free every soul of the feeling of guilt of indulging. After all, it was part of a great celebration! And food is an essential part of any celebration all over.
©Tapati Sinha
Photos from the Internet
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