Tryst with food-o-logy -1

Food defines the people's psyche. It keeps the fire burning and rekindles the desires over and again. Food is actually the pivot along which we move. It keeps us moving. Sometimes we live for food, some other times food keeps us alive!

Living in Jharkhand since my birth, I have tasted a variety of cuisines, some belonging particularly to the region, and some otherwise.

Since whole area is surrounded by plateaus and forests, culture has developed accordingly. On one hand Tribal-aborigines have left a deep mark, on the other, the undivided Bihar has rendered the Ganga river impact.

Resultant is an interesting combination of the old and the primitive, the untamed and the civilized,rivers and forests....the understated war to establish one's supremacy over another keeps on superseding each other, over time.

Broadly speaking, following are the noticeable foods...

Rice : 1. Arwa- polished and thin , special purpose

2. Usna -boiled and thick, good for digestion.

Roti: 1. Chilka Roti-made of grounded corn 2. Madua Roti- Poor person's bread because the coarse leaf that is mixed with flour can actually grow in any type of land and very little water. During a festival called 'jiutiya' ,mothers break their fast with this. 3. Pudi - festival time delicacy. 4. Paratha - made by leavening at least 5 layers of dough.5. Aalu-Paratha-stuffed potatoes 6. Gobbi-Paratha- stuffed cauliflowers 7. Muli-Paratha- stuffed radish 8. Dhakan-Dubba

Curry or Sabji or Tarkari 1. Phutkal- Desi mushroom, rainy season specialty 2. Toti- adivasi specialty resembles French beans and arhar lentil 3. Satalu - can be boiled and cooked 4. Oal - considered auspicious during Navratri but if not washed and boiled properly before cooking it could be harmful too. 5. Aalu- Baingan- potatoes and brinjal 6. Aalu Tomato 7. Parwal- can also be stuffed and made a sweet 8. Lauki- juice is beneficial for Hypertension 9. Aalu Parwal 10. Aalu Gobhi Matar 11. Jhingni/Nenua & Chana - climbers 12.Konhra/Kaddu- pickles and chutney can also be made. 13. Karela- very good for purifying blood and balancing hemoglobin level 14. Matar Paneer- Special wedding function dish 15. Baingan Bharta- Brinjal crushed and mashed along with tomatoes and chillies 16. Paalak Paneer- Paneer mixed with crushed spinach and all garam masala added to increase flavor. 17. Kathal- big sized jack fruit whose flesh and seed can be cooked separately.18. Papeeta - basically papaya is a fruit but can be also made into curry and halwa.19. Gwar- modified lentils

Bhunjia : 1. Karil Bhunjia 2. Aalu Bhunjia 3. Parwal/Patal Bhunjia 4. Bhindi Bhunjia 5. Karela Bhunjia ; method is to chop the main seasonal vegetable into tiny slices and fry it simply.

Saag 1. Paalak Saag 2. Sarson Saag 3. Laal Saag 4. Chana Saag 5. Mehthi Saag 6. Kanda Saag

Daal 1. Chana Daal Makhaani- complements rice and curry 2. Chana Dal Masala- my personal favorite! ;) 3.Rahar Daal - every day pulses 4. Lauki-Chana Daal 5. Palak Daal- spinach mixed with pulses, highly proteinaceous

Salads 1. Tomato 2. Kudrum 3. Kanda 4. Mahua- aroma is intoxicating and can also be made a liqour! 5. Karil- pink colored flower- fruit 6. Kusum - muave-pink flowers can be cooked into chops 7. Toot- bamboo fruit 8.Koynaar 9. Mooli 10. Saljam

Pickles 1. Karil 2. Mango 3. Awanla 4. Chillies 5. Lemon 6. Amada 7. Imli 8. Kathal

Soup (Jhor) 1. Mushroom 2. Phutkal- desi mushroom 3. Khkudi- elongated -plant version of mushroom 4.Sanai phool- grows as climber 5. Kudrum 6. Sweet corn

Sweet Dish 1. Suji Halwa- made as a 'Prasad' during Pujas and Hawans 2. Besan Halwa 3. Aatta Halwa 4. Gajar Halwa- my personal favorite again ;) 5. Maal-Pua- if made with syrup, otherwise another version has no sugar syrup 6. Khajur- motifs are created upon the dried flour cookies 7. Thekua- made during the famous 'chatt puja' 8. Kheer 9. Pitha- sweet dish with no milk.

Snacks 1. Samosa or Singhada- stuffed shapes ate with dhaniya/pudina chutney 2. Chowmin- Recent adaptation 3. Pakoda- Rains complement it 4. Dhuska- ate with pickles 5. Barra 6. Kachri - big sized pyaaz pakoras 7. Aaloo-chop 8. Gup-chup- famous pani puri 9. Chat-pani-puri

Sweets 1. Gulab jamun 2. Jalebi- another version is imarti 3. Kulfi 4. Peda- Devghar is famous India-wide for this [my favourite again ;)] 5. Sone-papdi 6. Pheerni 7. Motichoor- ladoo 8. Ras malai 9. Balushahi 10.Kalakand- Tumbagara near Palamu is famous for this milk sweet 11. Chandra-Kala- lavanglatta- stuffed samosas with khoya andsugar syrup.

Drink

Non-alcoholic: Tea (Chai) and Coffee Sharbat (Summer) Sattu, Tropical fruit juice

Alcoholic: Handia (local rice beer) Darru (Wine made by Mahua)

Jharkhand- a land of forests and natural resources has a long echoed civilization that teaches us to sustain and face every harsh reality from the front. People are not only an industrious lot, but also the most intelligent ones. The food habit is as close to nature as can be. Every ailment has its remedy hidden into the bosom of the nature, which Jharkhandis have by far tried to un-riddle. Something that can be learnt!