While new found normal is intimidating for all of us, those less privileged, homeless, the frontline warriors and those who cannot afford to sit at home have a bigger fight to put up.
While many of us, recognise and are thankful for the buffer that our privilege provides us with, anxiety in the face of uncertainty and the temporary pause in ‘normal’ life is sometimes daunting.
The only way we maintain our sanity is through humour and in grabbing comfort wherever and however we find it.
There are days when I don’t move an inch all day and then get up with the intention of throwing a few things into the cooker to make a khichadi but end up cooking one vegetable in two different ways. And then eventually feeling better. More often than not, I find my sanity and comfort in the kitchen.
While at work in the professional kitchen, we follow recipes to the T to ensure standards and consistency, but I have never followed any exact recipes at home. I cook with instinct, relying on the memories of my palate, inputs from my Amma and Bappama, and going with whatever catches my fancy at that moment.
And now my cooking style has become adaptive and improvisational. Improvising with less than ideal ingredients, every meal can be a revelation. I don’t remember eating kohlrabi before I cooked it myself the other day. Whipping up an entire meal with a few limited ingredients with minimum wastage is a task while processing the leftovers of four meals into a whole new meal is another.
A couple of evenings ago, when the day’s news had left us all exhausted and on edge, Bappama tasted the gojju that I had made and shared her memories of her Amma’s gojjus and the stories that followed warmed our hearts.
On another evening, we cooked vada pao, and ate them out of newspapers. Truth be told, it was not just the snack that we missed but the ‘freedom’ of going out, the pleasures of anticipation.
The hearth has always been a comforting, forgiving friend I have turned to whether in happiness or in times of trouble, and never have I been let down.
And I’m glad that so many people have turned to the kitchen now, simmering stocks, rolling out cookies, baking breads, and recreating ancestral recipes to fill the void in their lives and minds. People are bonding over cooking, swapping recipes, tricks and making new friends, virtually, of course. Celebrating a great looking banana bread or a new chicken curry they learned. And also seeking help and reaching out to each other when the dosas stick to the pan or when the kadhi curdles.
Also, so many chefs and home chefs are making good use of their time and rising to the occasion by taking to social media and teaching people to whip up delicacies using whatever frugal ingredients they have in hand, in the solitude of their kitchens , answering questions and brainstorming ideas for putting the leftovers to a good use. Need of the hour, isn’t it?
Instagram is full of people sharing pictures of their kitchen experiments that brighten their day, hoping to make your day a little brighter.
Food has always brought people together, and in times of social distancing, it is food that continues to bring us even closer. Virtually, of course.
On that note, here’s a Corriander Gojju (chutney) recipe that my Bappama learnt from her Amma.
Chopped coriander 2 cups
Grated coconut 1/2 cup
Garlic 4-5 cloves (optional)
Green chilli 2-3 nos.
Crushed jaggery 2 tbsp
Tamarind soaked in water A lemon sized ball
Salt To taste
Coconut oil 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Blend corriander, tamarind, green chilli, garlic, salt with very little water into a fine paste. Add a generous tempering of mustard and curry leaves in coconut oil.
Brown Eyed Girl 