Before the advent of savvy advertising, and before the
hospitality boom arrived, the original food festivals , were actually the
Indian festivals themselves.
The absolute disregard for all diets and health restrictions,
with a joyous uninhibited serving of delicious food and equally unabashed
gorging on delectable sweets and foods, is what makes Indian festivals some of
the happiest moments of our lives, and the best parts of our childhood.
Durga Puja for me is by far the most foodilicious festival
of all festivals.
Durga Puja, which
coincides with navrartri is celebrated in many parts of the country.
There are many stories which speak of the significance of
Durga Puja, but my favourite story is that Goddess “Durga” has come home to her
parents home along with her four children, ‘Saraswati, Lakshmi, Karthik, and
Ganesh’. She leaves her husband , Lord Shivas abode in mount Kailash and shall
return at the end of 10 days , also called ‘vijaya dashami’ as it coincides
with the day that Lord Ram killed Ravana.
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| Ma Durga in the centre, flanked by her two daughters Saraswati Goddess of knowledge ,and Lakshmi Goddess of wealth, and her two sons Lord Ganesh God of prosperity and auspicious beginnings and Lord karthik God of beauty. A picture of Lord Shiva looks down benignly from above the idols. |
This story made a lot
of sense to me as a child, first there were the idols of Durga with her 4
children, also homecoming is a moment of joy and so was Durga Puja for us,
Third and most important was the great food. It’s a common fact that whenever
we return home whether it be from boarding schools or hostels, or from in-laws
place, we are pampered and fed our most favourite food items. Thus, it made
complete sense to me that some of the most amazing food items would be featured
during Durga Puja or the coming home of the Gods.
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| which indian festival can you expect to be having crab claws with mustard sauce? |
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| chollar dal and luchi |
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| beguni- egg plant fritters |
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| reaching out for phuchka/pani puri |
It was a good thing that Goddess Durga’s parents live in West Bengal,
because the tastiest food items are Bengali foods, I used to think. I could
literally imagine, the aunts and uncles clucking around ‘Goddess Durga’ “ Poor
thing, look how thin you have become, don’t they have food in Mount Kailash? Do
you get fish up in the mountains? Poor dear, we must feed you well in the next
few days..”
Durga puja is all about happy moments, get togethers with
families, new clothes, street food,ice creams, and sweets and all the forbidden
pleasures much like a visit to grandparents place.
Even though navratri is for 9 days, Durga Puja essentially
starts on shoshti or the sixth day. A day when the pandals generally have home
made Bengali delicacies, cooked by the ladies of the community. As a probashi Bengali,
“non-resident Bengali” it is a treat to find a mini Bengal in different parts
of the city. Ladies from neighbouring homes proudly serve home-made fish curry
rice, or chicken chop, or some home made biryani. Yes non veg is served in the
pandals, unlike any other God fearing Hindu traditions.
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| mughlai paratha, with the pink onions, and crab claws with mustard sauce. |
I guess its because it’s a homecoming of Gods. If you are
coming home after many days, infact only once a year, it kind of makes sense
that the choicest foods be served, and non-vegetarian is no exception.
The variety of food is mind boggling. The stalls serve
everything from ‘chineeez chowmeen’ to ‘crab claws’.
If I had to name the top 5 dishes you must have at your next
rendexvouz with the Gods on Durga Puja it would be- “chicken roll (vegetarians
can have potato, paneer,or egg roll)” “mughlai paratha” “kosha mangsho with
luchi” “fish fry with mustard sauce” “beguni”.
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| chicken roll and fish fry |
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| on a roll spree |
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| chicken lolypop -drums of heaven |
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| ilish fish and rice. the best fish in all the waters. |
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| making of a chicken roll |
A roll, is a flat bread made of refined wheat ‘maida’which
is then coated on one side with beaten egg, and rolled with a stuffing of
choice, along with pink coloured onions, chilly sauce,and mustard sauce.It is
the Bengali version hot dog. Infact I am not sur if it is even Bengali, infact
as children we were pretty sure that chicken lollipops and momos were Bengali dishes,
just because they were ubiquitous at Puja pandals.
Mughlai paratha , is a stuffed bread,stuffed with egg and
minced chicken. Kosha mangsho is extremely tender mutton in a thick spicy
gravy, best had with puris made of ‘maida’. Thin slivers of fish marinated in
green paste and covered in bread crumbs are deep fried for our culinary delight.all these food
items are converted in true blue Bengali street food with a side serving of
pink coloured onions, an orange colouredchilly sauce and a yellow mustard
sauce.
Cholar dal with pieces of coconut and fritters of brinjal deep
fried in batter are perhaps a few of the vegetarian dishes. Pani puri or
phuchka is an all time favourite, especially the spicy water it is served with.
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| Bhog, with the quintessential khichdi, a tomato chatni,a mixed vegetable sabji and sweets.served with pickle, salt and papad.previously on plates made of dried leaves, now in disposable plates. |
No durga puja can be deemed complete without bhog. Bhog is
always completely vegetarian, and yet it satiates at all levels. Bhog is served
for lunch every day of Durga puja, and since Durga puja is generally
Sarvajanik, anyone can partake of the meal. People stand in serpentine queues
and are served by young and enthusiastic men of the Bengali community. They
pour khichudi, and urge an extra papad, and serve you laddles of mixed veg ‘labda’
and sweet tomato chatni. Khichdi made in the large communal kitchens of the
puja pandals is inimitable at home. Maybe it is the fact that large quantities
of food are cut and cooked and served and eaten in such a harmonious way that
it is not just oneness with God, but also oneness with our fellow human beings
that one feels.
Durga puja has an energy all its own, it can only be
experienced and not explained. Having pani puri at 12 at night, or watching a
rock show and having a chicken roll, or sitting in your brand new silks having
bhog with the masses and drinking your bottled water. This Puja I saw prawns
the size of lobsters being served, and crab claws which were better than any
restaurant that I have had. Food which derives its flavor from its
surrounding festivity, and festivity which derives it’s flavor from the food
being served
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Vijaya
dashami, the last day of Durga Puja is also the day when we bid adieu to Ma
Durga and her children as they return to their heavenly abode. I have often
wondered if they came down to earth just to sample our food. This is also the
day we wish each other ‘Bijoya’ and give sweets to people at work and our
neighbours. Kheer kadam, sandesh, rasagullas, and malai chamchams, remind us
that we must wait an entire year for the festivities to return. Aashche bochhor aabar hobe.
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| malai chamcham |
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| mishti doi in their own earthen pots |
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| the famous bengali sandesh |
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| the evergreen rasagullas |
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| the indian ferraro rochers, kheer kadam. |
