Patriots for a day

 

Food is a 4-letter F-word

And I love using it all the time!

Covid or no Covid, isolation or not, the old-fashioned pleasure of sitting relaxed, talking over coffee and cakes, pakoras and samosas with cups of masala chai or enjoying a meal with family or friends seems to have taken a beating. The simple pleasure of eating has become the fulcrum of the tug of war between our lifestyles and the weighing machine.

Do you ever stop to reflect that only humans have this wide variety of food items available to them? We are the only species on this terra-firma who can see, make, relish and digest an infinite number of foods and dishes. Not only that, sitting at one spot on this planet, you can enjoy the food from places within the country or around the world. Who stops you from eating Kashmiri roganjosh, Punjabi sarson ka saag, Bihari litti chokha, Tamilian chicken chettinad, Karnataka’s bisi bele bhaath, Maharashtrian srikhand, Odiya  chaatu rai, Bengali machher jhol, Goan pork vindaloo or Kerala’s idiyyappam. No other living being has the choice of enjoying from among Asian-Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Sri Lankan, Thai, European- Greek, French, Spanish, Italian, American- New Mexican, Texan, Cajun, or Middle-eastern and African cuisines. So why interfere with God’s will? Do not withdraw your hand from the platter of canapés, prawn tempura or a pile of tacos, a bowl of guacamole or an injera with the typical spread of meat, lentils and veggies.

                                                    Ethiopian injera

Take a breath, look around, savour the sights and indulge yourself. Food is that rare item essential for life which catches the attention of all our sensory organs- eyes, nose, ears, skin and tongue. The sight of a colourful salad, the aroma of a cake baking in the oven, the sizzling of bacon, the heat of the steaming curry and the taste of anything prepared and seasoned well, lift our mood and make the heart sing.

I am not even counting the drinks available to us humans.

There is only one lifetime, so eat and eat well. No, not the decaf, sugar free, fat-free, low carb/cholesterol/sodium, tasteless, artificial food, I mean the invitingly delectable, wholesome foods. Try, taste and eat everything, even if in a small amount.

Me? I have simple tastes. I try every kind of food. I eat everything if it tastes reasonably good, is not hot on the chilly scale, does not talk back and is not mobile i.e. does not walk or fly off my plate.

It is immaterial whether it has been cooked by an amateur, a home cook or a professional. Indian or not, home-made or not, if it is tasty, it is welcome: clam chowder or mushroom soup, Russian salad or tabbouleh (Middle-Eastern parsley salad), bhindi masala (spiced okra) or stir fried broccoli with garlic, pierogi (east European stuffed dumplings) or farra (steamed lentil dumpling), Punjabi mutton curry or honey mustard chicken wings, palak-paneer (spinach-cottage cheese) or Thai vegetable curry, makki ki roti (cornmeal chapatti) or pumpernickel, rasgulla or churros are all partaken with gratitude and aane do (let it come) attitude.

      Chipotle & apricot glazed ribs                        Palak paneer

I often wonder who in his right mind says no to any of these: baked potatoes with sour cream, grilled lemon and oregano chicken, buttered garlic naan just out from the tandoor (clay oven) or roasted corn, boiled sweet potatoes, broiled mutton, steamed dim sum, pan-fried baigun bhaja or deep-dried wada?

Homemade stuffed karela (bitter gourd), rajma (red bean curry), poori chhole (chickpeas), matar-aloo (peas and potato curry), pulihora (tamarind rice) - are favoured for their reliable ingredients and standard of hygiene.

But remember the lockdown days when all of us missed home-delivery and restaurant food - the toppings-laden pizza, chhole bhature, boti kebab, triple sundaes, death by chocolate cake? However, with weekend lockdowns still continuing at some places, one thing is certain that the food served on Mondays is fresh.

                               Luscious chocolate cake 

Salty foods like noodles or French fries, mildly spiced curries and chaat, rows and rows of deathly sweet mithai (Indian sweets), not to forget chocolates, cakes and pies, Szechuan chicken, tangy chutneys and pickles and beckon me - come hither, milady.

The vegetarians may prefer some among the choice available of the scores of seasonal vegetables and fruits, grains, lentils, beans, nuts and berries or those with a taste for flesh- eggs, fish, bird or beast meat or seafood- lobsters, squids, shrimp and crab etc. Do you want me to remind you also of the innumerable tempting types of cheese, ice creams, chhena (cottage cheese) or souffles made of milk and cream available to us?

  

                          Spanish seafood paella

It is your decision whether your menu for the day has healthy boiled veggies, grilled fish, fresh baked bread or tempting double buttered popcorn, mouthwatering fried chicken drumsticks, pastrami and hamburgers with fries, ketchup and banana split.

                                                      Banana split

There are snacks and munchies, starters and main course, desserts and palate cleansers, to name just a few courses in a regular meal. Homo sapiens can choose to eat bread omelet or lip-smacking pav bhaji for dinner and rice and curry or meatloaf for breakfast. 

You can decide to masticate on medium rare steak or even when your teeth are making life difficult, let the humble khichdi (rice and dal dish) with ghee, soft Lakhnawi galautii kabab  or creamy macaroni and cheese dissolve slowly on your tongue as you close your eyes to savour the taste.

                            Steak                                                    Khichdi

Except human beings no other living organism can opt to eat a simple gratifying meal of dal, subzi (dry or curried vegetables), roti (Indian flat bread), fish and chips, soup and salad, roasted potatoes and sausages or turn an 180 degrees and dine on gourmet escargots à la bourguignonne (escargots broiled in garlic herb butter), butternut squash ravioli with sautéed apple and sage beurre blanc (French for white butter), caviar, pate, truffles, Salmon Dijonnaise (fresh salmon filet baked with mustard, citrus, and tarragon). You may end your meal with a ball of jaggery, kheer (rice pudding) and luscious kulfi (flavoured frozen milk dessert) or Crème Brulée, Nutella crepes or strawberry mousse.

                           Salmon baked with mustard and tarragon

You can have the traditional heavenly combinations kulcha nahri, kebab parathe, stuffed paratha and yogurt, idli-sambar or you can shamelessly customize the recipes to suit your distinctive palate, thus create your own appetizing halwa-yogurt, pasta with lentils, dosa-saag (curried greens).

                                                   Idli sambar

I have not even mentioned a fraction of the types of dishes available. So while on this earth, why not forget the fear and anxiety about calories, nutrition charts, ingredients and mode of cooking and focus on the food you eat.

You would agree with me that one thing this pandemic has taught us is that Eat, Pray and Love is always the best mantra for healthy body and mind.

           

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