Gastronomical unions

As winter gradually settles in and you hear the church bells toll,the shehnai playing and the band baja out on the road,you know the wedding season has arrived.

As winter gradually settles in and you hear the church bells toll,the shehnai playing and the band baja out on the road,you know the wedding season has arrived. A time when the everyday jeans and t-shirts give way to the gowns and lehengas and the resplendent banquet halls shimmer in the night. A time when ghar ka khana is forgotten and shaadi ka khaana lies at the top of every person’s mind.

Maharashtrian cuisine is known for its spicy dishes and the weddings would be incomplete without the same. “Masala bhat is definitely a must for Maharashtrian weddings. Its so spicy and every grain of rice is coated with it. It is delicious,” says Saraswati Ingale,homemaker. The use of spices like cinnamon,coriander,red chilli powder and jeera imparts a very aromatic,beautiful flavour to the rice. Matha,a digestive drink made from buttermilk,ginger,garlic and other spices,is served with the food. “There is also the alu ki sabji made from taro leaves. These heart shaped leaves are ground into a rough paste,mixed with green chillies and besan. It is served with puri,” she adds.

The Bengali community in the city is expansive and so is the richness in their food. A typical Bengali wedding starts with the moong dal and the radhabollobi,a type of puri. At times alu bhaja,thinly sliced potato fries,is often an accompaniment. Fish cutlets are must-have snacks,and make their regular rounds during the wedding. Served with the pungent mustard sauce and salad,it makes every one reach out for it. “Any wedding is incomplete without the maach bhaja,which is why it had to be on my wedding menu too,” says Kalpita Mridha,psychologist,who recently tied the knot. The rohu fish is marinated in cayenne pepper and tumeric powder and then dipped into hot oil. ‘Crunchy and heavenly’ is what the Bengalis will tell you this dish is.

Amongst the Southerners in the city,Malayalis love their payasam. Made with rice drowned in coconut milk and garnished with cardamoms,raisins,saffron and almonds,this sweet is a lip-smaker! “The payasam just has to be there. Not to mention the avial and the toran which feature in the feast,” says Madhu Nair,a businessman. Avial is a thick vegetable dish suffused with desiccated coconut and topped with curry leaves. The toran is generally made of cabbage. A simple dish,the mustard seeds,turmeric and chilli powder add a wonderful tinge to the cabbage.

Punjabi weddings may be famous for their splendour and extravagance,but their food is what hogs all attention. The chana masala is a classic dish in every shaadi. Depending on taste,it may be spicy or even tangy. Accompanied with the soft bhature,it leaves many smacking their lips in delight. “Punjabis love their oil and ghee rich food and they do not generally consume a lot of vegetables. Which is why,the mutton masala can be spotted in every wedding,” says Ritu Malhotra,a store owner.

The Kshatriya Rajputs have their wedding in the night. “The Rajputs who are Vaishnavis,that is,those who worship Lord Krishna,are strictly vegetarian and they have traditional dishes like daal bati,” says Amiet Naik,a businessman. The bati is made of flour,rava,ghee with salt to taste. Toor dal is generally used to make the dal. It has a spicy essence with the addition of green chillies,red chili powder and garam masala. On the other hand,the Kshatriya clan have non-vegetarian cuisine. “The food is again diverse,inclusive of the seafood and vegetarian dishes,” he adds.

Pune may be home to numerous communities,but they like to retain their traditional food,without which their weddings are incomplete.

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