Travel in the Lockdown, Tour India on Your Plate. #lockdowndiaries #lockdownkitchen #culinarytimeline2020
Leaving aside the COVID-19 plus-minus polls, if
anything is reaching for the heights in this lockdown, it is our potential
energies. Confined to indoors, a rather demanding job that we could ever have thought
of. More likely so, if we have itchy
feet. Having stored so much potential already, releasing it is now a
necessity. Our Kitchen is quite a decent place to set it free. No matter what,
the states are in a lockdown. Lest we cannot visit the places, let the places
visit us. Take a tour around India, right in the Kitchen. Thanks to the
innumerable place-specific flavours and sweet-treats, self-made food trailing
is a handy alternative to carve out your travel desires. And release your
zings, at the same time.
In synergy with the lockdown strategy, the core
belief that good food and cooking is rooted in getting the right ingredients has to find a middle ground. Rushing to the market to fulfill your food trail is
too erratic a decision for these times. Keep your calm and extract the different
flavours improvising with the regular stock.
***
That being said, I would like to acknowledge the daily-wagers here. They are making things easy-going for us by conveying the root vegetables and fishes right at our doorsteps.
***
Phuchka - Street, West Bengal
Come evening, we craved for a tangy round of phuchka
at our local stalls. Gone are those good times, but not the cravings. Cast your
thoughts back to the memories of those long queues, waiting eagerly for your
turn. Spicy, crispy crunch balls,
downright delicious. Filled with mashed potatoes and chickpeas, perhaps the
best dabble to kickstart the foodgasm you always looked for. The ‘tetul jol’ or
the tamarind water is somehow the sneaky ingredient that takes it to an
unparalleled level on the flavour front. Water infused with tamarind, cumin
powder, coriander powder, chaat masala, and lemon, gives it a clarity of flavour
that absolutely sets it apart.
Parse Sorse – Seaside, West Bengal
If there’s fish, that is synonymous with both family
time and travel, then Parse (mullet fish) is surely it. Thanks to the Dada, who
cycled out our neighbourhood vending Parse. As with any sea-borne fish, this
does not need much fostering. Or else, the flesh would come off. With Parse, an
array of option jump in as to how to cook it. But nothing could compete with
the Parse-sorse. Mullet fish in the
mustard gravy. Unexpectedly, I got them with roes. To ensure you get the
best, marinate it with the turmeric powder, mustard oil and salt. And allow it
to get pickled in to get the optimum flavour.
I whipped the
sorse (mustard) mix from mustard powder adding green chilies and mustard oil
and water.
Momo - Staple, Sikkim
Sikkim holds a special place in my heart and so does
its food. Be it the momos or the shyaphaleys or a soupy thukpa, the boiled savour
provides a lovely counterbalance to the nip in the air. Although momos are best
tasted against the backdrop of the mountain, devouring the same in a laid-back
homely environment is equally scrumptious. So get into your pajamas and pamper
yourself with a plate of ‘rose’ momos.
Khaja – Sweet, Odisha
Time for a sweet tooth. Struck with a pesky
mid-afternoon craving for sweets? Opening the freeze lands you nowhere? No
slice of cake or chocolates to ease down your cravings? Then make yourself one.
Or better, a few. Time to fancy a succulent trail through the streets of
Swargadwar of Puri. Layers of flattened
rolls dipped in the richness of sticky syrup takes the khaja from so-so to
sublime. Crispy and sticky with golden amber skin, creamy fleshy layers inside,
a caramel fineness altogether.
Masor Petu Aru Bhaji Bhat – Fishy Delights, Assam
Directly translated, Masor Petu means fish guts, are the exact ingredients of the fried
rice. A variant of fried rice cooked in fish oil, this is one of a kind. It
would not be an exaggeration to state that these are robust and lip-smacking
dish, if be prepared with the right vegetables. Its plainest form is
accompanied with tomatoes, ginger, garlic, onions, and curry powders. A little
improvising could be passionately contested. More often than not, carrots,
cauliflowers, spring onions, and beans are open options for adding up the bulk. There
is certainly no harm in experimenting with varying the spuds. Fish oil can be bitter, if not separated out carefully. This again
depends on the fish vendor. Drop out the green thingy as soon as you spot it.
That’s the gall. To be on the safer side, it is better to have extra plain
rice. If be needed, that the fish oil turns out bitter, add the extra rice to
balance off the bitterness.
Dahi Bhalla – Street, Punjab
As the name indicates, it is a lot of Dahi. Yogurt
or Dahi is no new thing in India. They have been enjoyed and equally employed
in dishes for centuries. Fancy mixing up? Then this is the mixology of yogurt and
the masalas. As for the bhallas, a Vada in the south Indian counterpart, these
are the dollops of fried urad dal batter. The secret of the tasty platter lies
in getting the sweet-sour balance exactly sight. Once the Bhalla/Vada fritter
is done, soak it in water and top it with the yogurt mix. There, there! You are
rewarded with the taste of Punjab.
Gajar Ka Halwa – Punjab
Be it a lazy brunch or a dinner dessert, cook up
this light, sweet bites from Mr. Rabbit’s favourite vegetable. Befittingly, the
pure indulgence of sweet with the vegetable adds a wow factor to this
favourite. Grated carrots, slowly cooked and seasoned with raisins and cashews,
with the milk powder flaked on top, is soft enough to melt in your mouth.
Upma – Many Places, Many Variants
This is a dish that breaks the mold of boundaries.
Upma can be prepared with many as base ingredients, be it rice, Rava, Dalia (broken
wheat), or millet. Should you be looking for a healthy course from your culinary
repertoire, this is surely worth a try. No wonder, the ubiquity. Not only the
upma is a real treat, but it also brings along a whole host of nutritional
benefits. Rich in vitamins and minerals and an excellent source of fiber.
Dhokla – Street and Staple, Gujarat
Soft, smooth, fluffy, quick to prepare – dhokla
really sells itself. A staple of Gujarati cuisine and an absolute mention when
it comes to sampling out the Gujarat street foods. Essentially made with besan
(ground chickpeas powder or gram flour) battered with soda, is an at-the-ready recipe to try
for. With its simplicity and not-so-fussy cooking, it is the best revitalizer in
the morning. In case you do not have a
supply of soda, try adding a teaspoon of Eno, it will suffice for the soda.
Handvo – Staple, Gujarat
Another slice from the Gujarati platter- the desi
pizza, yogurt along with Rava handsomely accompanied by the vegetables does the
necessary magic. Adding Eno to the batter is indeed food alchemy at the best
to bring out the final semi-soft texture and the characteristic taste.
Mughlai Paratha – Street, West Bengal
Back to the streets of West Bengal. It is not often
that you encounter a street food lining down the history and cultural
significance associated with it. Wrapped in an envelope of whole wheat flour,
it is the stuffing that makes one go yum-yum. This is the culinary experience
that simply cannot be missed if you are in Kolkata.
***
History has it that Jehangir ordered his cook Adil Usman to cook him
something new. Usman winged it up with Mughal Paratha. Usman was originally
from Burdwan, West Bengal. His successors carried forward the recipe. And
finally landed as a gourmet meal of Shiraz. Since then it is a signature food
of Bengal cuisine.
***
Lockdown sorted. With these recipes at hand, it
might just provide you the name for your post-lockdown trip. No doubt, recreating
travel destinations or seeking inspiration for the same, our Kitchen is the
perfect departure point. After all, what could be as appealing as a food-tour
for a Bedouin?
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30 comments
Wow! This is a great post! How fun to try out all these different foods!
ReplyDeleteI love fuchka and momo. trust me, you did a big favour on me by sharing the recipes...
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of any of these foods, but would love to try the khaja especially. I would actually love to try all of them!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeletelovin' this idea! I'm gonna go ahead and do this with my family.
Oh yummy, I love Indian food. This is such a great way to travel!
ReplyDeleteTHIS is exactly how I have been traveling over the last 4 months! haha! Through CUISINE!!
ReplyDeletelike how you have paired foods with locations. I have only heard of some of these dishes. Thanks for the recipes. I will go through your list and try making some of them.
ReplyDeleteI would like to try making these sometime! Glad you shared this with us, thank you!
ReplyDeleteI’ve never had either of these. I love how you paired the food with the locations. They look delicious!
ReplyDeleteOMG! I'm so bored with my recipes that I'm excited to try some of these!
ReplyDeleteI really like such interesting blogs. These are some amazing and famous dishes in India. One of my favourite is Gajar ka halwa and thats why I really missing winters
ReplyDeleteUmm all of these meals sound fabulous! What a wonderful idea to cook through lockdown!
ReplyDeleteI'm not yet familiar with the foods but they look yummy. Trying out your ideas soon
ReplyDeleteI always love Indian food that sounds very delicious especially of Dahi bhala..Thanks for sharing this indeed it is really amazing...
ReplyDeleteI copied down a few of the recipes to try. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of most of these recipes, but I'd sure love to try them. They sound so unique, but they look like they would be absolutely delicious!
ReplyDeleteThese foods look so good!! I love a good yummy recipe, I can't wait to try these!
ReplyDeleteWow..what a great list! I do love momos :)
ReplyDeleteYou have listed all the great Indian food at one place. i have tried most of them as i travel a lot. thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMmm want to eat puchkas so desperately. Good article
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, the relationship of the lockdown and the kitchen diaries couldn't have been explained any better. This lockdown has brought out probably the best in our culinary skills. Be it the infamous Dalgona Coffee or the simple Chicken MoMo.
ReplyDeleteYes, I totally agree that the perfect ingredients to make that perfect dish has to come to a middle ground during lockdown. Anyways, this is an absolute delightful post. As much as I love to eat them, I often do not want to do the cooking! However, during the lockdown, I also tried to make a few dishes. May be I will try a few from your list! :-)
ReplyDeleteThis whole post is so mouthwatering and relishing
ReplyDeleteWhat an incredibly interesting post to read. The way you described every food details with places and recipes are really wonderful. Absolutely loved the post and bookmark this one as this time I can try the recipes mentioned by you.
ReplyDeleteThis post made me incredibly hungry! What an absolute drool fest this was. I'm craving me some momos and puchkas so bad now!!
ReplyDeleteYou really know the pulse o a foodie. such mouth watering dishes with recipes and amazing photographs. Kitchen calling!
ReplyDeleteWow I love this post. I am so tempted to prepare some of these now. I am missing the street food and I am so happy that you have also posted the recipe. Thanks for this.
ReplyDeleteAll these dishes made me virtually drool sitting in office .. Now that I am seriously craving for mughlai paratha and some rastar dhaare egg roll ..
ReplyDeleteThese are some mouth watering dish. Can't wait to try all. Thanks for sharing with us
ReplyDeleteI'm here in Mumbai and you gave me a tour of different foods. It reminded me of my travel to most of these places! Phuchka was an epic experience for me. As vendor didn't give sukha puri. That's not allowed there!
ReplyDeleteHi there! Leave your valuable suggestions here.