The Unlikely Biriyani

Indian homes are very particular about the Indian food recipes during a hosting event. Every Indian woman was supposed to know how to cater to the extended family’s food habits – which explained the dialogue every Indian woman has grown up listening to: “Whatever will you do when you have to cook for your family?”

Yes, it is depressingly patriarchal, and definitely unfair to the daughters of this land. But what this did successfully for many decades was to percolate the culinary knowledge, with very little loss in transmission, through multiple generations of Indians. Today it is heartening to see menfolk in enlightened households pay as much attention, if not more, as the ladies of the house, in the culinary extravaganza that Indian cuisine lends itself out to.

The Kayastha community in Northern India, is one such community. This community developed as scribes to powerful Mughal rulers in India. Ofcourse, the fact that they were good with numbers and were mostly educated, helped in establishing their position as trusted accountants and record keepers of the royal books. Needless to say, their position and proximity to royalty impacted the most important facet of their lives – their food!

The Kayastha community is known for their love of food.  They consumed meat just like other Hindu Kshatriyas, but they also developed the sophistication of the Mughal kitchens in their cuisine. This explains the similarity of ingredients used between Muslim and Kayastha foods. Thus, all over North, Central and Eastern Indian states like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, spread the unique Kayastha cuisine.    

A successful Kayastha hostess can baffle you with her ability to match vegetarian options that are no less elaborate than its mutton counterparts (always mutton – chicken is not even remotely as popular). Infact, the lady of the house beams with joy when an aromatic Jackfruit biriyani baffles her guests into wondering how meat could be so tender!  Or how a Bengal Gram  (kala chana) cutlet passes off as a mutton cutlet with some tricks to create texture.

Made during those feasts where vegetarian guests are expected, this Kathal (Unripe jackfruit) Biriyani is sometimes much more talked about than its illustrious mutton counterpart.

The recipe, perfected by many generations of fabulous cooks, now uses modern cookware – that is the only margin allowed to be changed! The trick is to fry the Jackfruit pieces till golden brown, and treat them as tender pieces of delicate meat while preparing a biriyani. Layering the half cooked Jackfruit chunks with aromatic rice and herbs is an art.

Only whole spices are used to flavor the biriyani, and a compulsory addition is potatoes. The test of the biriyani, learned cooks say, is for the Potato to carry in it, the same flavor as the aromatic rice and jackfruit (or meat, if a mutton biriyani). What is amazing to know, is that many of the womenfolk who cooked wonderful non vegetarian delicacies in the Kayastha communities, were confirmed vegetarians!

(Published first at www.morethanjustcurry.com - The Foodwalk Experts)

Memories and Flavors

Here’s something to tickle your foodie brains - see if you can identify the very familiar food that finds itself into every Indian home for any special meal. The clues:

• It stems from the Hindi word “to lick”
• Found in almost every color and consistency
• Can be made of anything -  from shrimps to dates, from sesame to fenugreek
• Your Grandmother probably made the best variant, and you still haven’t found how to get it just right (this is from my various failed experiments to recreate the magic of my Ammamma’s kitchen)
• Never mind the theme – this little addition peps up any party; whether you want a coastal seafood journey, or a vegetarian snack party – some avatar of our superhero dish brings out the best in every dish on the table

Still guessing? 

The humble Chutney that is a part of every Indian household across the length and breadth of the vast Indian subcontinent is the hero of our discussion today, folks!

Picture courtesy www.morethanjustcurry.com

From the coconut chutneys that grace the South Indian breakfast tables, to the fiery chutney that uses fermented fish and “bhoot jholakia” (the hottest chilly in the world!) in a Nagaland household; from the sweet and spicy mango chutney of the Gujarati feast, to the pungent radish Chutney with typical Kashmiri flavors, Chutneys instantly perk up any ordinary meal with its burst of flavors.

Chutneys originated as a quick fix to dress up a humble meal. But it also had to do with elongating the shelf life of perishable seasonal fruits and vegetables. In geographical conditions that sometimes became hostile, the Indian homemakers found ingenious ways to make seasonal produce last for weeks, sometimes months together by pickling, or curing them. These ingredients were then freshly ground, pounded and mixed together to form chutneys.

Chutneys also allowed clever cooks to bribe the palate a little – take for example the dried shrimp chutney in Kerala homes. In many Kerala homes that are non-vegetarian, a fish dish is the only way to coax family members into a satisfying lunch. But In the event the fish monger was a little late, or greedy, or the lady of the house was just feeling a little under the weather, she would just grind together a little dried shrimp with tangy raw mango and coconut, throw in a few curry leaves and ginger for flavor, spice it all up with a few whole red chillies – and voila! The shrimp chutney would bring a smile to the fussiest little eater.

And who can forget the spicy, flavorful garlic chutney that Vada Pav lovers swear by? I remember walking miles with a friend to find THAT particular street vendor whose chutney brought tears to the first time taster (some may claim they are tears of joy, but trust me, it’s the chilly), but once you got the hang of it, you couldn’t imagine a vada pav without it!

Sometimes, we are awed by the little flavor bombs that get placed, quite unceremoniously and without aplomb, next to its more illustrious main dishes. And when describing it to the less knowledgeable, we explain, with much pride and association, how our humble Chutneys fill our senses with flavors and tastes that stay in the mind for a long time.

And that, dear friends, is my New Year wish for you – may your year be filled with various flavors – sometimes intense, sometimes sweet, sometimes strange – but at all times enjoyable. Happy New Year !!

P.S. I have started the new year with a promise to myself that I would do stuff that makes me happy - so please say hi to my new venture with some like minded friends - More Than Just Curry - we are gourmet food tour curators... read more about us at www.morethanjustcurry.com or visit out FB page for a little more insight.

How to throw a Surprise Party

Yes, I did it! Me, the most cynical, no-nonsense and absolutely non-fuss types, threw me ol' husband his big 40th (haven't stopped rubbing in the age since!). What's so special, you ask? Let me lay out the challenges here:

• Am married to a hotelier, whose entire social circle comprises of hoteliers - both family and friends!
• Been married to G for 12 years, out of which I can barely remember any significant flurry of activity for any event - birthday or anniversary! (to put that in simple words - large parties were never our thing. Kids parties we have, but the other events are much more private)
• G is somewhat a difficult guy to get hold of - erratic work days, and hectic schedules. Not to mention my own work and travel schedules!
• Am terrified of cooking large numbers. Let me explain : I can make a mean biryani for four. But tell me to double the quantity, and I swear I can ruin it. It is plain simple math, right? Its jinxed, I tell you!
• Then why cook you ask? Oh! The pains of having a gourmet living in your house!! Eating out is a scary thing for me - more on that in a later post. But it would suffice to say that home cooked party food for G is the equivalent of a super excited boy opening presents for Christmas.

So I get all 'wifey' this year, and decide that for once, I would don the 'romantic' hat, and cook up a storm for not only my soon-to-be-forty (yup! rubbing it in again) husband, but also for the extended family and his good friends. Not an easy task, considering that the whole family is like the desi version of Masterchef Australia (minus the accent and the drama) when it comes to critical analysis of food! But with a deep breath and a lot of prodding from my sister who is some kind of a wizard in churning out awesome (not to mention delicious) parties, I decided to give it a shot.

The first thing ofcourse was to get the guest list right. I wanted all the closest guys in, and the ones who would ring in the party. Getting the telephome numbers out of G's blackberry was not an easy task, since he is usually with it all the time. This is where a wily nine-year-old daughter can do wonders. Got the numbers of the school time buddies (who we haven't met since our wedding). Called up everyone, invited them for a secret party, and made them swear to secrecy.

Next was the menu. Knowing the way we love to eat in Delhi, snacks are as important as the meal itself. Sometimes more than the meal - because in cocktail events, by the time we actually get to the meal, taste buds would have been sleeping away in intoxication. Snacks are also a way to ensure that the guests are in a happy, sing-along mood in time for cake - cutting.

A few quick tips for surprise parties:

• Paper napkins and toothpicks are a better alternative to plates and forks, but leave prominent dustbins for disposal too (else you'll be fishing them out of their well hidden crevices days after the party is over)
• Easy to assemble, but colorful snacks are a treat to the eyes and the palate. I had a 'papdi canape platter' and cheese pineapple cherry sticks.
• The ready to fry variety offered by McCain is fantastic for the kids - the smileys ofcourse being the best one
• Vegetable sticks (I had carrots, radish and cucumbers) and toasted pita bread triangles with dips are a superb snack option (also keeps finicky eaters happy) I had a curd and mint dip, a coriander and pomegranate chutney and some cocktail sauce (equal quantities of bottled mayo and tomato ketchup - a hit with kids)
• Sheekh kebabs are an easy, yet satiating option for non vegetarians. Get your supply from a trusted source though. I prefer the half done variety which I then shallow fry at home.
• Ofcourse the usual bowls of masala peanuts and potato wafers did many rounds
• While the drinkers were pretty much at home thanks to G's bar, the non drinkers had Appy fizz (which in a champagne glass, looks exquisite) and a fruit punch in addition to the fizzy drink options. Setting the bar counter with the right number of glasses and ice is also important.
• A good way to ensure you have enough ice cubes for the party is to start freezing ice cubes a day before. Empty out the ice cubes from the trays into a cleat plastic bag, and refreeze. Keep filling out the trays and removing the cubes into the plastic bag till you have the required quantity.
• If your fridge is not large enough to hold bottles of cold water for all the guests (believe me, in summers, you end up needing quite a bit), have one of those picnic water coolers - the one with the tap. This keeps cold water cold, and all you need to do is to put in water and ice and you're done! Also saves the million times someone will open the fridge for water!
• I use the microwave to heat up the food before laying it out for the guests - this ensures that the food is warm for a considerable amount of time - including refills
• For desserts, I usually have one cold and one hot - this time it was kulfi and hot malpua.
• I had a floor seating for the kids, separate unbreakable glasses and snack plates, and an unobtrusive corner for them, so that they stay out of trouble, and they too enjoy the party without too many 'rules'.

The result : By 3 am, G was ready to crash, after thoughtfully helping me clear up the table and put away all the perishables into the fridge. But he was grinning like a child, and clearly, it was a birthday he would remember for a long time. Happy birthday G!!

'Thinner Dinner' - a Cookbook with a difference

Most "how-to" books have a very difficult job - they have to establish credibility BEFORE the person actually buys the book to try out the mentioned tips. You have to hand it to the author of Thinner Dinner - Shubhra Krishan does that wonderfully.

The first point of grabbing the eyeballs come by way of the declaration that the author IS NOT a nutritionist. OK, you ask then, what's in the book that will interest me? The answer to that comes pat with another gasp-worthy declaration - that she lost close to 20 kilos with the help of these tips. Oh yes! We have your attention now, don't we?

Unlike most cookbooks, this one does not have a boring list of ingredients and another boring set of instructions. This one comes with nice, glossy pages, colorful illustrations - not only of the food, but also some smile-worthy cartoons (and let me warn you, some of them are humorous enough to make you laugh even a few hours later, just thinking about them.). If I were to give this book a personality, it would look like a cross between a humorous, suave Will Smith (MIB types) and a Penelope Cruz ( the 'Woman on Top' type) - sensuous passion for food stirred in with a generous helping of humour and style.

There is a lot happening in the book, with the author giving snippets of insight into life in Delhi, the colorful joints from various cities of the world. (here I can't help but compare the writing to that of Vir Sanghvi - the way he mentions in a single breath the dhaba and the London Square with equal ease)

The other stuff that works well for the book is that the tips and tricks mentioned in the book are written with such sincerity that one thinks "Hey! What do you know - this thing just might work for me too!". The author manages, by quoting examples and other self-realizations, to create a sense of deja-vu with almost every woman battling the girth. Then there are references to staple Dal-chawal, a few tweaks to even packaged soup, a few substitutions for food that we love - like cream and potatoes, that make reading this book really worthwhile.

But what doesn't work for me, is that this seems to be targeted at a single woman. Sigh! Not that I wouldn't give an arm and a leg to come back home, kick my shoes in the air, and whip up a delicious salad and soup mentioned here....... But wait-a-minute! What happens to the hungry 4 year old and the famished 8 year old in my household? Not to mention the 'will-turn-grouchy-if-not-fed' man of the house? See what I mean? I would have loved to see some 'for-the-big-fat-Indian-family' recipes too!

I was tortured into studying foreign food names for three years in the classrooms of a Hotel management institute, which explains how I can understand some of the ingredients mentioned in the book. This may prove to be quite a deterrent to many other readers, who do not fancy googling for the 'brie and cammembert' or the 'rocket leaves'..... would have been excellent if there were some desi options for such ingredients as well.

And can there be something called 'too simple'? Well, there are times while flipping through the recipes that you wonder - 'I knew that one, and whats so special about this one?' But even the 'too simple recipes' come with the signature flourish that the author has - so it can be ignored.

In a nutshell, 'Thinner Dinner' is more than just cooking healthy. It sells a concept. It works on the wholesomeness of eating - feasting with the eyes, and flirting with textures. It is clearly written for people who have always had romantic interludes with food (like me). And for sure, it is written with a passion - both for food, and for style. And in the process of all the feasting and flirting, lose a few kilos - like twenty maybe? Heck - who wouldn't like that?

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!

Troubleshooting

What do we usually do when we want to run away and shove our heads into a hole in the ground, much like an ostrich? We find ourselves a sanctum sanctorum we call our conscience, the place where we can be honest with ourselves, introspect the details of our lives, or dissect the micro-expressions of our reactions (got that word from a highly impressive serial called "Lie to me" - more on that later).....

......OR we dig into that sinful bowl of gooey chocolate ice cream with whipped cream!!

Well, that works well too, if you are a kill-me-by-putting-me-on-a-diet person. But there are other options too....

- Talk to girlfriends : This is strictly for the womenfolk, for where men are concerned, this option becomes highly dangerous, leading to misunderstandings, fights, break ups or sex - all of which have consequences (!!??). But for women, girlfriends are exactly that - girly women friends, who can talk till eternity and help you feel as though you are just one of a kind; so grin and bear it, baby. A true girlfriend will listen, shake her head in empathy, tell you how SHE has the SAME problem, and bind you in sisterhood. You may not have a solution to the problem at hand - but who cares? You come out feeling like a brand new penny.

- Take a walk : I mean, literally. Take a walk, at the same speed you would, if you had to beat up that slimy @#!%X#$%! responsible for your agony (note here: if you don't have anyone but yourself to blame, this methodology will give you serious, and I mean SERIOUS depression - so stay clear, and hit the Ice cream bucket immediately). After a few minutes (or seconds, depending on your definition of exercise and physical fitness) you will be so out of breath, you will feel good just thinking about the number of calories you burnt in that rage-walk......

- Talk yo your dog : No - a cat will not do. It HAS to be a dog. A cat will give you the same look your the shrink gave you when you told him you were having serious ice cream binges. A dog, on the other hand, will give you some tail wagging welcome, and lick your hands like you were made of liquorice.... and you feel wanted all at once! Also, the dog will give you a serious ear when you discuss the problem with the new b****h in the neighbourhood (so what if he doesn't know we are talking about a real person, and not his love interest)....

- Watch a video : Let me clarify - watch a movie that will make you sob like a toddler in playschool... and then take a good look at yourself in the mirror. One of two things guaranteed - you will either faint in fear at the image in the mirror, or you will ROFL looking at your image - again, depending on your misconceptions about yourself. This, is a twisted way, takes your attention off the problem.

- Eat like a pig : Scientists say when in a nervous situation, people ate much faster than otherwise. That proves the connection between the brain and the tongue... so go fill up the fridge with the stuff heaven is made of. For all you know, once you are done with all the eating you just might get the entry to heaven much faster than you imagined.....

- Find someone to blame : Let me be more specific.... find someone to blame AND spend a good amount of your waking time for the next couple of days bitching about that person. Of course, here you would need the dog or the friend mentioned earlier.

LAST, but with unexplainable side effects

- Down a couple : A couple of smalls, or larges, or patialas - or what the heck a few bottles if you please.... results varying from stupidity to amnesia have all been witnessed. The after-effects, (lovingly called hangovers by the ones who have attained black belt in this feat) however, depend entirely on your destiny.

Now.... please go ahead and choose your poison.

The 'Eating' Fast

I am a hopeless foodie. Hopeless because I can't cook for nuts, and foodie, well.... because I can gleefully tuck in anything that does not spring up and eat me first! I think that explains why 5 year old me (raised in a city without crows) ran after a very large, well-fed crow in my hometown so that we could cook up the 'chicken' in my strictly vegetarian ancestral home - much to my grandmother's horror.

I also believe in leaving the healthy eating to others! I am content with eating anything that looks and smells like its been cooked (actually, in some cases even uncooked will do!). My stint at the Hotel management institute I studied at, did wonders to my already confused definition of food. We passed off burnt, yet undercooked (we were talented at magically pulling off antonyms together!!) chunks of bone.. err...meat as food, unwashed pulse bits floating on water as dal, and rock hard, bounce-worthy blobs of gluten as bread. I learnt new levels of tolerance here, understanding that cooked food also included the exotic names with weird combinations of tastes we invented.

The circuitous routes in life took me through courtship where I made omelets with oodles of love and loads of turmeric, causing my amour's face to take on the same shade of yellow as the omelet while eating them; then through a period when I'm sure I was slow poisoning myself through all the experiments in my little, under stocked kitchen - they did say necessity was the mother of invention! Infact, come to think of it, I am SURE the cooking was what caused strange behavior in me - from thinking I could sing like, nay - better than, Lata Mangeshkar (much to the dismay of my neighbours), to kicking the stupid cat which used to pee on my foot mat, to deciding to get married...

If there is a food heaven, Delhi it is, Delhi it is, Delhi it is! You'll find find not one, but atleast two versions of the same cuisine - the original, authentic version; and a Pujnabi-Delhi version of the same, which would send the native owners of these cuisines into depression. (In fact, I know from reliable sources, that our tampering with the sacred Chinese recipes was what caused the Indo-China War!)

Thus, you will find Chinese food generously garnished with coriander leaves, and Italian food with garam masala. (But I must admit the darn thing smells and tastes heavenly!) Other wonders you can treat yourself to are Paneer masala dosas, and chikken tikka pizzas and many such "nouvelle cuisines" (this is a word that would bring a smirk on the faces of my acquaintances from Hotels !!)

But today, what prompted me to write this post is an incident that happened at work. I just HAVE to explain it verbatim, to be able to do justice to the incident. Any resemblence, to persons living or dead are purely hilarious err..... unintentional

Me : Its 10 in the morning! Why are you opening up your lunch?
She : Well..... I am on a fast today.
Me (with a really dumb look on my face):  So?
She (Exasperated at the dumb look) : I am fasting. So I cannot eat lunch...
Me (Still unable to fathom the connection): But .......you can eat at any OTHER time?
She (snapping shut her lunch box to give me full attention AND to make sure I don't ask for my share) : Look, I can eat anything anytime as long as it does not contain grain... like rice, or wheat or pulses... get it?
Me : So you can eat fish? (hmmm..... I already like this fast... only fish and meat... wow!!)
She (gasping as though someone stole her priced lunchbox!) : NO!! No non veg too!! and no onion, no garlic, no salt....
Me : Why? Onion is not a grain, or a non veg .... neither is garlic!! And salt?? Oh come on... that's not even an organic thing - its mineral!
She : (looking like she could do with a long vacation) : Oh.... its like this - we can eat anything that reminds us we are fasting. Fruits, juices, potatoes, chips (yeah! can u beat it??), tea .... got it?
Me (kinda getting there) : errrr..... and you have to like, ummm..... KEEP eating the whole day, EXCEPT at mealtimes?
She (smiling) : Yeah... now you get it. Except, (she now pauses for dramatic effect)... I can eat at lunchtime too.... See, since I am on a fast, I will need to keep replenishing my energy no?
Me (now I could do with a long vacation) : Then how are you on a fast ?
She : See, I am not eating LUNCH, I am eating vrat ka khana ('food for fasting' ... as if THAT made any sense!!) ... so I am fasting. Also, my husband orders out dinner, or does the cooking himself today.....
Me: Because you suck at cooking??
She (with a coy smile) : All this fasting makes me weak na?

Well, whaddaya know!! Delhi is not all that bad.... I am kinda liking this fast game!