For the past few weeks, I have been
traveling to Mumbai every week for a work assignment. I fly to Mumbai on Monday
mornings, work out of our Mumbai office for the entire week and return back to Delhi
late on Friday evenings. This schedule is likely to continue for a few more
weeks. This time while coming back, I was flying via IndiGo Airlines, a
local low cost carrier that is amongst India’s most profitable airlines.
In-fact, their business model is very similar to Southwest Airlines in the
US. Looking at the inflight menu, I saw
“Ready Made Sindhi Kadhi Chawal” being served on board. It was a pre-mixed pack
to which one needs to add warm water and leave the container for 8-10 mins post
which Kadhi Chawal is ready to eat. The mention of Sindhi Kadhi Chawal brought
a smile to my face ; I never expected that one day it will be served as a “Readymade
Mix”. I guess the reason it is called Sindhi Kadhi is to differentiate it from
the “Kadhi” (Punjabi Kadhi) which is made up of Pakoras.
In my home (and I am sure in most other
Sindhi homes as well!), cooking Sindhi Kadhi Chawal is an event. It is usually
cooked on a holiday (generally Sundays). Kadhi is served hot with steamed Jeera rice
(white) and Laddoo/Boondi. I am given the responsibility to get Laddoo from
the market. A day before, my mother gets busy in ensuring that the various
vegetables that will be put in the Kadhi are available – after all she needs to
ensure that everybody gets to eat his favorite vegetable!. As she often
jokingly says “ Hik Maanu khe hiye khape,
byo khe hoo khape, taahinji farmaaeshoon poori kande kande maanu adh tho thee
vanjhe” ( One eats this, the other eats that (referring to her two kids) , I
get so tired just ensuring both of you get what you want! ) Typical mummy thing
isn’t it?
I love the smell of Gram Flour (a key
ingredient) being stirred. You can smell it from a distance. I remember that on
most occasions in the family, Sindhi Kadhi Chawal has been a staple.It’s a complete meal in itself. I am not
sure if “Readymade Mix” can ever taste the same.
I end with this wonderful documentary
film “Sindhi Kadhi” (under patronage of UNESCO) by Natasha Raheja, a fellow
Sindhi, who is currently a Post-Doctoral Associate in the Department of Anthropology
at Cornell University. This film is a part of a series titled “Grandmas Project”
- a collaborative web-series sharing the recipes and stories of grandmas around
the world, filmed by their grandchildren. I could almost smell the Kadhi when
it was being cooked. The entire narrative is so similar to the one I have grown
up with! I hope all of you like it too. Thanks Natasha for such a wonderful
effort.
Jiye Sindhiyat !
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