When Kurkuri Bhindi is an Eid Delicacy

Rehan Fazal,an agnostic,and Ritu Rajput,a believer,on their unconventional celebrations

Rehan Fazal,an agnostic,and Ritu Rajput,a believer,on their unconventional celebrations

An air of serenity pervades the Greater Noida home of Rehan Fazals family,despite them having moved there recently. Their children,Russell and Tulip,have left for college and school,respectively. Their pets,a pug and a labrador,scuttle around on the floor. As every object,carefully wrapped in boxes,finds its place over the days,the house is just about ready for the Eid celebrations. But unlike many households,Eid is not the conventional affair here,and hasnt been so for 21 years.

Sitting in his drawing room,51-year-old Fazals eyes crinkle with a smile as his wife,Ritu Rajput,50,comes and sits next to him. Im an agnostic,and dont fast, says Fazal of Ramzan,adding,With festivals,there is more of a cultural than religious overtone when it comes to us. Fazal,hailing from a Muslim family in Allahabad,and Rajput,from a Rajput family in Bijnor,UP,got married three years after they met at All India Radio in Agra,where both started their careers in 1988. Two decades later,they have perfected the art of bringing together their respective cultural flavours to every festival they celebrate. The plus point is the food, laughs Fazal,who is a desk editor with BBC in Delhi now.

Rajput,who still works with All India Radio as a broadcaster,says,Since Im a vegetarian,I focus on paneer,chana and dahi vada,which Rehan loves. The non-vegetarian food is prepared by him and our children. A day before Eid,there are animated preparations,with Rajput making vegetarian fare such as dahi vada,hariyali kabab and kurkuri bhindi,while Fazal,Russell 19 and Tulip 16 prepare murg musallam,shaami kebab and mutton pasanda.

This Eid,as every year,also has Rajput mulling over several details,which,Fazal says,is entirely her initiative and forte. Lit lamps and flowers adorn the entire house,all done according to Rajputs whims. In fact,each nook and corner reflects their diverse interests. Rajputs puja space is a quiet part of the house,dotted with figurines of Hindu deities,even as a framed carpet with a verse from the Quran sits pretty on the wall.

Their children have their own festivities. Tulip and Russell insist on observing roza,which they do two-three days during Ramzan,and they dress up traditionally in kurta-pyjama, she says,adding,Both of them proudly say that we are a different family. Their names are deliberately devoid of any cultural or religious context. Russell was named after Bertand Russell and Tulip after the flower, quips Fazal.

As Rajput names each dish that is to be made this time,she lingers on sevaiyan,an Eid speciality,recalling her first attempt to prepare it. It was a disaster, she glares at Fazal as he laughs. When we were newly married,I used to phone ammi mother-in-law during Eid and jot down recipes. Fazal adds,And its not just during Eid. Its the same with Diwali,Karva Chauth or even birthdays.