Its the universal question on every big and small shop owners lips as Diwali rounds the corner,particularly if you happen to be in a Maharashtrian-dominated locality. Diwali is synonymous with faraal ,that smorgasbord of sweets and savouries that vary in consistency but unite in calorific sin. With the average hostess preoccupied with negotiating an extra day off from work or drawing up holiday gifting lists,preparation of faraal at home is often neglected. The pre-order market steps in to the rescue. Grateful housewives and working women all over the city are seen rushing to their favourite confectioners while assuring some sulking family members that they will make one or two delicacies themselves. But you have to be a nimble customer if you want the best. Although the larger and more renowned mithai shops are able to handle the overwhelming numbers,a lot of people prefer to take their trade to tiny family-run enterprises that promise a more homemade flavour. The knowledge of these sources itself is esoteric and can only be gleaned from participating in idle chitchat with a wide spectrum of gastronomes. And even once you have a name theres no guarantee you will be entertained. One has to survey,select and swoop in with lightning speed. Our first offbeat target this year was a lady with a fearsome reputation for making exquisite chaklis in the heart of Kothrud. Brisk and businesslike,the otherwise simple housewife informed us that we were too late. We received this news with shock in early September. Diwali orders,she said,were taken three months in advance for she did not wish to compromise the quality of her fare by hiring help. We were offered the dampening alternative of picking up our chaklis in mid-October and keeping them tightly sealed in the fridge until Diwali. Since it was uncertain whether such pre-emptive measures are normal,the order was reduced to 2 kg and sent into hibernation beside the breadbox after being duly collected last month. As days passed,we agreed that it was ridiculous to go through the trouble of buying homemade faraal if it wasnt going to be fresh during the festival why not just buy over the counter then? and so another faraal ladys name was passed around over a barbeque before being rung. This time we made the bus. Of course the downside of our timely success was that we were now free to devour the refrigerated savouries. This we did with alacrity,thereby jeopardizing the fit of our precisely measured new garments lying at the tailors (which also have to be ordered when people make their Diwali train reservations that is to say,anything between 3-8 weeks in advance). For pre-Diwali,weight shedding is naturally at the top of many minds. Not only do you want to look good in your fancy new clothes,you also want to indulge in festive cuisine without guilt. Its a merry race all the way to the festival; in the gym,in the shops and on your to-do list. Chakli,sev,laddoo,karanji,puran-poli the roster stretches on,followed closely by the waistlines. (The author is a chess grandmaster and former national champion)
