Tag: Jharkhand

Jharkhand Food Series – 01

Jharkhand Food Series – 01

Photo courtesy: Balakrishnan K | www.utopianhere.com It was a blazing hot summer afternoon. I was fumblingly wrapping up the clothes put outside for drying in the morning while tiny sweat drops lazily rolled down my forehead. I turned my head and saw the happily dancing newly 

Jharkhand Food Series

Jharkhand Food Series

Photo courtesy: Balakrishnan K | www.utopianhere.com Jharkhand I never thought that one day I will be sitting and writing down my journey of nostalgic, rustic and might be forgotten food/ recipes of my state. The state which has given me a lot. It has given me 

Durga Puja Tales

Durga Puja Tales

Like every year, Maa Durga arrived on her special ride, stayed with us for those auspicious ten days and then departed, leaving us craving for yet another year of her homecoming again. Before leaving, she blessed us with health, happiness, food and loads of memories. For me, Durga Puja has always been a reminder that happiness find its way home. The rejuvenating and scintillating feeling of loved ones reuniting and celebrating the festival together has a charm of its’ own. Durga Puja means we are still alive, still together and still bonded.

The blazing LED lights, thousands of people dressed so elegantly in new stiff clothes hovering over the pandals and the different food vendors outside, chit-chatting excitedly and happily like the sparrows; makes me believe that if happiness is somewhere, it is right here, right here in this moment, the moment I am living right now!

Durga Puja is nostalgic. The essence of the festival, the holy atmosphere and all around happy faces brings solace, peace and the calmness to the tired souls. The feeling of being alive and not just breathing is divine. Every happy soul looks beautiful. It makes me believe that beauty still exists in people’s smile, a hearty laughter and in the glistening of tired eyes.

Being raised in a joint family, the arrival of Durga Puja meant new clothes, loads and loads of delicious festive foods, guests swarming over, hot discussions on which block’s (colony’s) pandal is the best, places (vendors) who are serving the best puchkas, chowmins, ghugni-chaats and other street delicacies. Loads of different shape and size balloons made a way in our home. The sheer excitement of holidays, friends, food, pandal visits and Maa Durga! Touching the feet of elders and getting a ten rupees new note along with their blessings. We often wondered seeing that note what all can be bought with that. Might be a whole dreamy world?

One of the other things which I remember and use to get really pepped up seeing was married woman wearing loads of bright red color sindoor on their neatly parted just washed hair, the sankha-pola and dozens of matching glass bangles, the bright colored neatly plated sarees and the alta painted feet. There is something really special about seeing ladies all dressed up like this. This is the only form I can fathom of my Maa whenever I think of her. The serenity, the poise, the calmness and the charming characters which she possesses, I wonder if I can ever be like her?

Every day of the puja is marked with a special food. Like Saptami having ghugni-chaat with lots of aalu chop and beguni. Astmi has to have poori, aalu dum, kheer, tomato-imli chutney, matar pulao and papad. Navmi can’t be complete without plain rice or tehri, mutton curry, thick homemade curd, salads and loads of mithai. Oh! The heavenly food!

Durga Puja, Durga Puja Special, Aalu Chop, Chop, Matar Chaat, Ghugni Chaat, Besan ke Laddoo, Laddoo, Fesyivals of India, Indian Festivals, Love for Festival and Food, Photography, Mom's Food, Mother's Love, Mother's Cooking, Delicacies of Jharkhand, Jharkhand State, Food of Jharkhand, Lost Recipes, Savoring Delicacies, A Super Food, Street food, Indian Food, Foodie, Forgotten Love, Love for food, Morning Rituals, Life, Happiness, Art, Thoughts, Doodles, Love, Inspiration, Quotes, Happiness, Recipes, Sowing Happiness, Spreading Love, Positive Thoughts, Gulmohar Doodles, Puneeta Prakash Blog, Puneeta Prakash, Personal Blog, BloggerPhoto courtesy: Balakrishnan K | www.utopianhere.com

This year, while talking to Maa over phone, she did mention making these at home. She even subtly told me that she can not feel the same old charm, the excitement and the happiness of Puja anymore. I know the rapid downfall of joint families and kids migrating to different cities for different reasons leaving back their old aging parents, play a major role in them feeling lonely. I know that the four old eyes wanted me to be there, badly. I just hope that I will be able to fulfill their wish next year and make their souls blossom like old times again 🙂

Durga Puja, Durga Puja Special, Aalu Chop, Chop, Matar Chaat, Ghugni Chaat, Besan ke Laddoo, Laddoo, Fesyivals of India, Indian Festivals, Love for Festival and Food, Photography, Mom's Food, Mother's Love, Mother's Cooking, Delicacies of Jharkhand, Jharkhand State, Food of Jharkhand, Lost Recipes, Savoring Delicacies, A Super Food, Street food, Indian Food, Foodie, Forgotten Love, Love for food, Morning Rituals, Life, Happiness, Art, Thoughts, Doodles, Love, Inspiration, Quotes, Happiness, Recipes, Sowing Happiness, Spreading Love, Positive Thoughts, Gulmohar Doodles, Puneeta Prakash Blog, Puneeta Prakash, Personal Blog, BloggerPhoto courtesy: Balakrishnan K | www.utopianhere.com

Over the years, things have changed drastically. But I guess, the bottom line is the same. Be happy, celebrate happiness, eat, pray and love. Waiting for the next Durga Puja already. I hope everyone feels as blessed and happy or more as I feel today.

HAPPY DUSSHERA READERS!

Simply JharkhanDish ♥

Simply JharkhanDish ♥

I grew up in a typical Jharkhand household, eating the rustic homecooked authentic dishes. Cooking was solely constrained to Maa, grandma and aunts. I remember the kitchen hustling and bustling from dawn till late night. We had a typical mud stove (of course apart from 

To Time, Togetherness And Beyond

To Time, Togetherness And Beyond

It is a warm, cosy, bright, sunny afternoon today. Here I am, sitting with my legs crossed on my bed and wondering about the time spent with my family a few weeks back. Time flies… Yes! it does. And it does really fast. The jokes, laughter, 

Food, Love, Rain And Happiness…

Food, Love, Rain And Happiness…

“Beta kya khaogi? Kya bana dein? Jo v khane ka man hai bata do, sab ban jaayega…” These are the usual dialogues of my maa on my visit to my hometown. Her constant requests of letting her know about all those eatables/ delicacies which according to her I would be craving for months/ years leaving me feeling like a queen. I always stammer in those weak moments and all I can say is “khichdi”, “baingan bhaja” or a humble “aalu bhujia”. Of course it doesn’t stop there after a day or two and things keep on getting added in the “Foods to be eaten” list. As soon as the food words drop out of my mouth, maa would give instructions and my papa would get ready happily with the “plastic jhola” and head towards the market straight where he could buy the fresh supply of vegetables and meat or fish!

I always wonder from where Maa gets all the strengths and the stamina to work hours in the kitchen, grinding, pounding, cutting, stirring and preparing all those mouth-watering food alone. And she can do this in a jiffy without any tension lingering over her head or batting an eyelid! I don’t think I can feel the same ever. Even when some guests are coming over or we have some festival at home and by any chance I ask my husband or friends what they would like to eat, I stand in constant fear that they shouldn’t ask for anything which would either require lots of time or work! I even get nightmares before the scheduled day! I get jittery with all those requests and wonder will ever ask the same questions to my kids!

Maa loves cooking like all the Indian mothers. She says that she finds solace, happiness and great pleasure in cooking for her near and dear ones. And what else is there to do at home? She might get bored sitting idle. Huh!! She has got loads of patience too and her own vegetables and flower garden where she tries to grow different varieties and love them as her own kids! My dad’s philosophy is that small town people are laid back. They don’t run behind monetary things and value their kids and family above everything. Spending time with them, looking for their likes and dislikes and being content with whatever they have is what their life is all about. In this so much laid back and peaceful life, they have plenty of time. And the best way to pass it is by cooking, eating and celebrating it with food, fresh home cooked food made with tons of love and care!

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Photo courtesy: Balakrishnan K | www.utopianhere.com

It is the monsoon (Saavan) season now. As a kid, I remember it raining all the time there and our constant efforts to dry our clothes, specially school uniforms from one place to another. Making paper boats, listening to the frogs croaking and calling their lovers, tiny snails crawling in all the places leaving their slimy trail behind and once in a while a green viper crossing our way left our tiny souls thrilled and imbibe with happiness. The lust greenery everywhere, the washed and cleaned leaves, puddles, mud, fallen trees as our playground and a huge supply of guavas from our garden.

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Photo courtesy: Balakrishnan K | www.utopianhere.com

Amongst the rain, chaos and fun, we were supplied with lots of delicacies. Even now, whenever I go home, Maa doesn’t fail me with her amazing sense of remembrance. She always comes up with those foods which were once my favorite and would always make a bad face sharing it with anyone. She would also make those delicacies which I would have forgotten or wouldn’t have asked her thinking that it would require numerous amount of work. Somehow she just gets to know I guess. At times I wonder that will I have the same sense of remembrance for my kids and will do the same amount of work for them… I doubt!

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Photo courtesy: Balakrishnan K | www.utopianhere.com

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Photo courtesy: Balakrishnan K | www.utopianhere.com

For now, I am just enjoying the pictures of those mouthwatering food and living in the past. I hope everyone is enjoying the rainy season with their loved ones croaking together in joy 🙂

Stay healthy and happy folks. See you all soon.

Mango Mania…

Mango Mania…

Where I grew up, there was a massive, enormously fertile mango garden right in front of our house. Every summer the trees would get laden with lots and lots of mangoes and children would start hovering over to steal and fill their stomach with its 

Savouring Delicacies :)

Savouring Delicacies :)

I called my mom today and it started with the same opening questions. “How are you? What had you been doing? What did you cook today?” Mom’s replies are automatic regarding food. It always starts with – “Nothing much…” even when she would have prepared enough 

Forgotten Love ♥

Forgotten Love ♥

Life suddenly becomes so blissful, bright and happy when you get to see your forgotten love infront of you again! Specially, when it is something you have craved for long enough, something for which you have thought in countless nights, something which you thought would never be able to savour your eyes and heart again and then… there it is… infront of you… right infront of you, calling you with lots and lots of love, asking you to come and embrace it and recall the good old days… to immerse yourself once again in the sweet love of “MAHUA”!!

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Photo courtesy: Gulmohar Doodles

Mahua, or Madhuca longifolia, is considered sacred among the tribal people in Jharkhand because of the tree’s medicinal values. Mahua is also the source of sustenance for many in this part of the country. It grows in abundance in the state and bears flowers from the month of January till mid April. The flowers are rich in sugar, vitamins, and calcium and the tribal people mix the flowers in their daily food preparations.

Mahua sabji is one of my favourite since I was a kid. I remember my grandmother spending hours cleaning it while sitting on a charpoy outside in the verandah. It was a savoury we use to look forward to during the spring season… Luckily, on my trip to home this time, my dad could manage to get some of these beautiful flowers… just for me 😀 … Oh! I can’t explain the burst of happiness which rushed inside me!! I have craved for this for too long. Staying here in Bangalore, I miss lots of things which are so difficult to find. I miss the forest, the greenery, the fresh wind, the chirping birds and the different forest delicacies. When my mom made these sweet mahua with loads of love I could just think of diving in the velvety taste of this masterpiece. And there I was a content soul, happy to be the daughter of the forest once again!!

Hope to meet you again my love soon… Have a wonderful and blessed week ahead lovers!

A Trip To Home…

A Trip To Home…

Yes, it finally happened! I went to the place I belong to, the place I love for its simplicity, carefree life and the endless unconditional love. Where you shower in blessings, get poured with buckets and buckets of benevolent love, eat whatever, whenever, however and