First a disclaimer - this post is
not a recipe, but a trip on the memory lane about recipe.
And why not? For most of the
times food reminds me of something, it awakens memories from long past. It
could be someone from whom I have learned a recipe; it could be about a day
when I cooked a dish for someone special!
For example, cabbage rice! I learnt the recipe from a friend with whom—sadly—I
have lost contacts. But for sure this rice dish reminds me of those days when
it was just the two of us. This is one of those recipes which I used to love because
they are easy and quick. So after a long day’s work, coming home and realizing
that I have nothing in the fridge for dinner, I would not have the gumption to
do up an elaborate dish – this dish came to the rescue. This humble dish got me
started and interested in South Indian rice dishes (there are many). Born and raised
in the eastern part of India, rice, to me, only meant "Sada Bhaat" (plain
rice) or “Polau” (Pilaf). So doing something different with rice was novel,
even exciting! Now whenever I cook Cabbage Rice, those golden days in Bangalore
come crowding in my mind: how I slowly became a "Bangolrian", how I became
a die-hearted fan of "Pongol," "Masala-dosa," and "Filter-Coffee"and
much more!
Once we were returning from
Kolkata and the moment we landed in Bangalore I strangely felt I was "back
home." I am sure I did not love Kolkata any less, but Bangalore grew on me
– familiarity breeds love and attachment, I guess. The city that gave me an opportunity
of earning my own bread curry, the city where I experienced for the first time how it feels to work in the “corporate”
world, the city where I found a handful of dear friends who, I am sure, will reside
in my heart for ever... the city that is
Bangalore!
Sometimes some dishes, like one very
well-known Bengali dish "begun-tomato" (eggplant in tomato Gravy)
reminds me of Maa's cooking not just the taste! But also, her process of
cooking, her kitchen, her "Kadais" (skillet), her spice jars, the
sound of ladle on the skillet, the aroma of the steam off the skillet! The other
day as I was preparing Begun-Tomato—her way, I remembered her. She used to have
two different Kadais, one of those was "Niraamish" ( for vegetarian cooking
only) and the other was for "Aamish" (non-vegetarian). In the "Niramish"
one she would never cook dishes that had any animal product—of course, even the
stuff that are associated with Aamish cooking such as onion or garlic... and "Begun-Tomato"
falls under the "Niraamish" category.
The other day, I did not have
much time to cook and I was tired after a long day. When I opened my fridge and
saw a "begun" (eggplant) and a couple of tomatoes, my mind travelled
way back to my middle school days. I always wanted her to teach me cooking and
she would to tell me "Sekhanor kichu nei, somoi hole nijei sikhe jabi, pawre
toh kartei hobe" (nothing to teach,
when the time comes, you will learn automatically; one day cooking will become
part of your routine). I was sometimes persistent in my “bainaa” (demand) to
learn. One day as she was cooking "begun-tomato," she told me
"eta bheeshon shoja" (this is very easy), you can start your training
with this one! So she described to me how she did it.... Well I don’t remember all
her instructions today (or, maybe I do and the memory is now in deep psyche and
I forgot where it came from).. Now I do it my way (perhaps my way is also her
way). All that it means is that I understood now the basics of cooking and a few
steps and thought and improvisations have become natural and, perhaps,
instincts.
When I think of Maa’s separate "kadai"
for "Niramish", I also remember "Bapon" (my grandma --
dad's mom) because she insisted on Maa to keep a “Niramish” Kadai. In Bengal
(and many parts of India) widows are forbidden to eat (read "touch") anything
non-vegetarian that includes - Onion, Garlic, Moshur daal (red lentils)!
I have so much of Bapon's memory,
as I was the "Bapon's girl" all the way! One bit of memory I am sure
to stay with me all my life is making "noodles" for her. Well, I am
not sure if I can say "for her,", as I have prepared noodles
"for her" after she passed away. This is a ritual: after a loved one
passes away, the family members prepare some of his or her favorite dishes place
them outside the house for him or her. Bapon was very fond of noodles. Now every
time I cook noodles, my eyes start watering. I miss you "Bapon!" Hmmm…no,
I am not going to end this with a sad note. I always want to remember Bapon with
a smile for she taught me to smile, she also taught me how to pray, how to keep
faith on Almighty when in crisis and many other life-lessons that we all learn
one way or the other. For me it was easy: I had my Bapon.
Sometimes I feel that the Bengali
festivals have lost all its charm for me. This is probably because all festivities
in my memory have many parts. I remember the maid who cleaned the house, the boy
who delivered the newspaper every morning and how they all shared the same mood
of festivity along with us. It was as though the whole atmosphere around me—the
flowers, the birds, the sky and the air around me knew it was the festival time!
It was so special. Of course, being from Bengal, if I talk about festivals I
must mention “Durga Pujo” Many Indians may know that Durga Pujo is a 5-day
festival, but few know that a whole month was full of so many other smaller festivals
and rituals—from Laxmi Pujo, Kali Pujo to Bhaiphonta! One of my favorites was "Bhai-Phonta"
(Bhai-Duj) – a festival celebrating sister-brother bond.
Whenever I reminisce about very
special occasions at home, I remember "Bhai-Phonta" and I remember “Lotta
maach er jhal” (Bombay-duck fish curry) and shutki (dry fish) made especially
for that day by Pimani (aunt - dad's sister). That day Maa, Sonama (another paternal
side aunt – kaakima in Bengali, chaachi in Hindi), Mishtima (another kaakima)
used to get time off from Kitchen. Pimani took over and did all the cooking of all
special dishes for her brothers. We don’t get lotta fish here; but we do get
shutki and whenever I make shutki I remember Bhai-Phonta day lunch. I can close
my eyes and see all of us having lunch together at the big dining table…If I
could I might trade all my tomorrows for one single yesterday like this one……
This list is never ending, I remember
Sonama’s special seddho-bhat ( plain rice
& vegetables boiled together), which she would cook on Fridays after her
Sontoshima Pujo (one Goddess of many), I remember Didua’s (grand-mom; mom’s
mom) mawtor daal seddho (yellow split lentil boiled).,I say “plain” and
“boiled,” but strangely no one (including my mom) can make exactly like the way
Sonama made her special seddho bhaat and Didua made her mawtor daal.
Well, someone said it right: “you can go to other
places, you can live on the other side of the world but you can never leave home!”
