JOIN USPeople from across the country have found a wonderful home in this melting pot of cultures and each brings along with them a set of rich cultural traditions.
Sweet and savoury shops may hold their own charm, but it is in the households of these residents, belonging to different communities, that one gets to taste the traditional festive fare in all its authenticity. Passionate about upholding their culinary legacy, a few women in the City share the flavours from their kitchens, ahead of ‘Deepavali’.
Thriveni Ramesh, a Kannadiga, says that her kitchen is host to a variety of eatables like ‘rava’ and ‘besan’ ‘laddoos’, ‘coconut holige’, ‘pumpkin barfi’, ‘chow chow mixture’, ‘chakli’ and ‘khara boondi’ ahead of the festival “‘Payasam’ and ‘chana dal holige’ are a must on ‘Deepavali’ day. The lunch and dinner are usually an elaborate family affair with dishes like ‘vangi bath’, ‘bisi bele bath’, ‘aloo bonda’, ‘veg bhajjis’, ‘ambode’, ‘curd rice’, ‘dahi vada’ and mango or lemon ‘chitranna’,” she says.
Ragini Rao, a Tamilian, highlights that an important part of their tradition is the preparation of fresh sweets and snacks at home for all festivals. She prepares items like ‘Mysore pak’, ‘gulab jamun’, ‘badam halwa’, ‘jangiri’, ‘badusha’, ‘ribbon pakoda’, ‘thengoil’ and ‘namkeen mixture’ beforehand and also distributes them to neighbours.
“All these items are placed in a large silver plate. On ‘Deepavali’ day, we consume a spoonful of ‘Deepavali marande’, a herbal concoction brewed with different kinds of herbs, jaggery, honey and pepper to aid digestion, following which some of these things are eaten. It’s been a ritual for years,” she says.
The lunch has favourites like ‘payasam’, ‘masala vadas’, rice and special ‘sambhar’, beans or potato ‘poriyal’ and fried ‘papad’. “If the ‘Deepavali’ signifies something special (first after marriage), then a sweet roti called ‘poli’, made with ghee and a chana dal and jaggery filling, is prepared.”
At Arundhathi Harikrishna’s place, a typical Andhra dish called ‘peni’ is prepared much in advance. “It’s like a ‘puri’ made with ‘maida’ and fried in ghee on low flame till crisp. It is then sprinkled with brown sugar and cardamom while still hot,” she details.
The lunch is a traditional spread with items like ‘tamarind rice’, ‘garelu’ (urad dal vadas), potato or mixed vegetable ‘kurma’ and payasam. “Sometimes, we make ‘burelu’, an Andhra sweet dish which looks like a ‘bonda’. The filling is made with pressure cooked chana dal, cardamom, jaggery and grated coconut. It is then shaped into balls, dipped in rice and urad dal batter and deep fried. My sisters and I have picked up the age-old recipes from the pro, our mother,” she adds.
For Maitreyee Kshirsagar, a Maharashtrian settled in the City, the festival is all about revisiting traditional delicacies. “On Deepavali day, we pray to Goddess Lakshmi and offer a sweet preparation called ‘karanji’. I also prepare some items like ‘besan’ and ‘suji coconut’ ‘laddoos’, ‘ana rase’ and ‘shankar pale’ (fried sweets made with ‘maida’ and sugar) earlier,” she says adding, “The Maharashtrian ‘chiwda’ we make is distinct for it has ‘poha’, cashewnuts, peanuts and dry coconut pieces tossed in a tasty
seasoning.”
Sarita Bhutran who is from Rajasthan, says that ‘Deepavali’ is normally a lavish five-day affair in her family. “On ‘Dhanteras’, we do ‘puja’ of the ‘matki’ in the kitchen and prepare ‘lapsi’ (a sweet preparation made with broken wheat, ghee and jaggery) along with ‘kadhi chaawal’ for lunch. For ‘Chhoti Diwali’, I make ‘malpuas’ and ‘dahi vadas’. The lunch is a feast comprising ‘dal bati churma’ and ‘gatte ki sabzi’ while the dinner has ‘puri sabzi’, ‘mung dal halwa’ and ‘kabuli’ (a traditional Rajasthani biryani with nine ingredients),” she explains.
She says she makes sweetmeats like ‘gunjiya’, ‘balushahi’, ‘maava kachori’, ‘muri laddoo’ and ‘khajali’ (made with atta and jaggery) as well as savouries including ‘mung dal kachori’, assorted ‘mathris’ and ‘namkeen sev’ well in advance.
“The sweets are prepared in pure ghee with extensive use of dry fruits and the namkeens are deep fried. It’s calorie-rich food but that’s what adds to the richness of this festival!” she smiles.
Meanwhile, Rakhee Jain, from the North, states that they prepare prasaad comprising ‘churma laddoos’ wherein mathris are ground, mixed with sugar and shaped into ‘laddoos’.
“We enjoy a special lunch of ‘chhola bhatura’ or ‘aloo puri’, ‘dahi bhalla’ and ‘rice kheer’ or ‘suji halwa’. My mother-in-law also makes ‘gujhias’ that everyone savours while I prepare ‘besan laddoos’.”
With such an eclectic platter, the festival of lights surely seems to be a foodie’s delight then!