Freddy Kerawalla is a 74-yearold Parsi gentleman, who lives in Mumbai, and happens to by my wife’s mama (maternal uncle). Among other things, she credits him with having inculcated the love of reading in her. He was born in Surat and spent a considerable part of his childhood at his maternal grandparent’s house. One of Freddy mama’s most cherished memories was that of his grandfather waking up at 4 in the morning to chant his prayers in front of the chulha (oven), considered to be sacred.
His grandfather would first clear the remains of the wood used the previous day, add fresh logs, start the fire and begin his prayers. Little Freddy would look on with awe while his grandfather would shave off pieces of sandalwood, considered holy by the Parsis, and add it to the fire with a prayer on his lips. Grandma would then wake up and use the chulha to cook, once the hour- long prayer session was over. Freddy mama said he remembered this incident while reading the Times Kitchen Tales story on grandmother’s kitchen and then took out the penknife, which he had inherited from his grandfather, and which is so precious to him. As are the memories of the sweet potatoes that they would leave to bake under the logs of the oven in winter, and whose taste he has never been able to replicate since then.
This story of a Parsi family from Gujarat reminded me of a story from my native Bengal that my fellow Presidency College alumnus, neighbour and friend, Shaswati Saradar once told me. The tale of the ranna puja that she has seen at her maternal grandparent’s house. This ceremony was performed at the end of the month of Bhadra (according to the Bengali calendar). In a practice that draws its roots to life in rural Bengal, the women of the house would pray to Goddess Manasa, the Goddess of snakes, during ranna (cooking) puja. It signified the fact that monsoons were over and protection was sought from the snakes and other creatures that would make an appearance again in the kitchen and elsewhere in villages. The kitchen would be cleaned in preparation of the puja, a new earthen oven would be made, the ladies of the house would put on new clothes, offer prayers, and then cook using fresh utensils after the prayers; thereby cleansing the kitchen and making a fresh start for the year.
What I took out of these Kitchen Tales from the two ends of the country is the reverence with which the kitchen, as symbolised by the oven, was treated by householders. What a wonderful way of showing gratitude.
That’s the determination with which I plan to enter the kitchen every day in the New Year... to keep it sparkling clean and take that spirit into the rest of my life too. Here’s wishing you all a great New Year. Please go to www.kitchentales.com and tell us how you plan to things better in your kitchen this year. We are looking to be inspired.
READER CONTRIBUTION (RECIPE) PUMPKIN ICE CREAM!
INGREDIENTS
Whole milk: 1 litre
Condensed milk: 1 can
Saffron: A few strands
Cardamom: A few green pods
Pumpkin: 400 gm approximately. The bright orange one, skinned, de-seeded, chopped, boiled and pureed finely after cooling.
METHOD
Boil the milk in a heavy bottom pan and let it simmer for around 30 minutes. Add all the condensed milk, along with the saffron and cardamom and keep stirring. When the quantity reduces to three fourths of the original, add the pumpkin mix and keep stirring. Let it simmer for at least 30 40 minutes more – until you actually see it becoming thicker and creamier.
Remove from flame and allow it to cool completely. Pour it into the vessel or the box you want to freeze it in. After a few hours, take it out from the freezer, scoop it up and let the rich, smooth, creamy goodness trickle down your throat!
There will be no ice crystals if you have done it right.
DIY TIPS FOR A CLEAN KITCHEN
1. Keep a bag/portable bin when you chop vegetables and fruits and put the peels and waste into it immediately while cooking
2. Keep a kitchen cloth handy to wipe the kitchen platform clean of spills and crumbs as you cook
3. Rinse and wash your dishes immediately after eating so that they don’t overwhelm you the next morning
4. Wipe clean electronic kitchen tools such as mixergrinders, air fryers, ovens, grills, which are convenient to use and aid healthy cooking too, immediately after use as using soap and water later might spoil the equipment
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