Churma Lajawab

Human beings are the only ones who grow and cook food. All other living species are not as fortunate as human beings. Thus the arguments related to more salt or more chilies in the preparations are limited only to humans, dogs will never fight like dogs over bad cooking. Never heard a dog complaining, this bitch can’t even cook properly. The history may take us back to 250,000 years (the recent scams in India has made it so easy to read large numbers, thanks politicians) to explain how cooking started, but that really doesn't matter. I know the history of cooking from the time I remember and it’s over six decades. That’s good enough.

I have a question. Do we really need to know this history? That was the era when technology was not developed. Modern gadgets were not available, firewood, coal, cow dung cakes was used as fuel. That’s not there today so why should I really bother to know how and what type of food was cooked in the past. Well I agree with all that. The present generation may not be interested in all those historical events. I was least interested know how Mahabharat described Bhim as a chef. Those events did not interest me, but cooking in 1950’s is of interest for me. I had lots of scolding and beating from my parents to mold my food habits. Thank God my parents were not in USA or else they would have been certainly arrested for child abuse. There were no radio programs, remember there was no TV in India in that era, that would bore you with stupid topics like how to make food interesting for your children. I know one thing for sure that if a child is hungry then child will eat. If child is not eating in spite of being hungry then it’s a medical problem and a doctor is needed not a radio or TV program to guide you.  Still if you force someone to eat that should be fine as humans and fish are two species that can eat even if they are not hungry. The difference is humans become obese and die later whereas fish generally die soon due to overeating.

Churma Lajawab

There were two aspects of cooking in decade of 1950; one was to cook the food for offering to the God and then consumption by family members, friends and invitees. This was painful as we won’t get to eat when we are hungry but only when all rituals are over.  Second aspect was cooking for consumption by everyone other than God. Of course God never ate food (except in some mythological stories) but offering on certain occasions was mandatory. And when God has to be offered the food there has to be no tasting done before serving the food. Just imagine how expert the cook has to be to prepare food without tasting, which has to be liked by the God and others. There was also a dress code and strict restrictions when food is being cooked and served. Food was always cooked at ground level, never on platforms or table tops. One had to squat near the chulha (चुल्हा), roll out and bake hundreds of rotis, just imagine how tough it must be. The cooking vessels, serving utensils, plates, bowls, ‘glasses’ were all of brass or copper occasionally of silver, more for serving and eating. The brass and copper utensils were to be periodically coated with a thin layer of tin (Kalhai कल्हाई ) so that the food that is being cooked doesn't react with copper. Such reactions could be poisonous. Periodic check to ensure the coating is in order was must. There were no utensils of glass, aluminium or stainless steel. Iron was used for knives, yokes, kadhai (कढाई), kalchhi (कलछि), and tawa (तवा)  . Beneficiaries would sit on the floor, on a carpet or wooden plank (pat) with folded legs for the meals. Food was usually served in brass plates, bowls coated with tin. If the number of guests was large then brass plates would be replaced by banana leafs or pattal (पत्तल), (patravli पत्रावळी in Marathi) and bowls by dron (द्रोण), a bowl shape container made from specific leaves that were used for making pattal (पत्तल). These were the ‘use n throw’ articles in that era of 1950’s.

There were no mixers, grinders, microwave or similar. So how would the mothers offer shakes and smoothies or warm the food specially mid-day snacks or evening snacks for their children? There were no chips like Lays or corn flour snacks like Kurkure or chocolate coated corn flakes like Kellogg available. There were no 2 minute noodles that generally takes 20 minutes to prepare.  There was no concept of soup being served as evening snack. With all these problems of non-availability of modern day junk, how would a mother provide nutrition to the child? Complex problem with a simple solution. And I am going to share one of this with you.

You return home in the evening, had a hectic day. Want to eat something before you get ready for the dinner. There are few packs of different variety of snacks from Haldiram are lying around, but you are in no mood to eat that. Try out a simple recipe. Take two rotis (रोटी), whole wheat Indian bread (similar to tortillas), from your fridge that you had kept aside to show to your rotiwalibai to question her ‘is this the way rotis are made’? You may take even three rotis depending upon your hunger and size of the roti. Put tawa over the gas on high flame. Place one roti at a time on tawa, roast from both sides till the rotis are crisp. Ensure they don’t get burnt. Keep turning frequently or reduce the flame. Once done crush them in your both the palms, as it is done for parhatas in a restaurant, but more vigourously and put them in mixer jar. If you don’t like crispy stuff then no need even to re-roast the rotis. They can straight go to the mixer. Add about three teaspoons of sugar or more if you like it sweet. I would prefer jaggery (gud), or brown sugar if available. Add teaspoon of Ghee, watch your cholesterol or add refined healthy oil of your choice. Run the mixer till the contents are turn into flex. If its powdered by mistake then also it’s fine. No need to worry. We call this as churma. Remove from the mixer in a bowl, if you like add a pinch of powdered cardamom. If possible make laddoos (round balls) of the powdered stuff. If not just let it remain in the bowl and enjoy a teaspoonful at a time.  You may sip tea or coffee but remember as the churma is sweet your tea or coffee may not taste the same as it would taste other times, still it’s worth sipping. You may get used to sugarless beverage.  Or you may have little pickle by the side to neutralize the taste of laddoo before you sip tea.

Roasted Rotis, crushed with jaggery and Ghee

I had these churma laddoos along with occasional thrashing from my mother as I would want something else to munch and not the laddos made from leftover roti. I was lucky that not many ready to eat snacks were available during my school days, else my mother’s hands would have been paining along with my back.

P.S. There is one more way to have churma laddoos. Find a Rajastani restaurant in the neighbourhood and order from there. You will like it but forget about fats and transfats and calories.