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34 BOOKEND DELHI THE HINDU Magazine THE HINDU Magazine DELHI BOOKEND 35
Sunday, March 3, 2019
Sunday, March 3, 2019

Fresh as air A c recall that even in Kerala, it is advised PEACE IN A POD
floating vegetable Some of the world’s most that the red fish curry, meen CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
market in Srinagar’s reputed chefs have their own vevichathu, is cooked two to three days
Dal Lake. NISSAR AHMAD before so that the intense spices have
kitchen gardens or buy meat and
the time to mellow and mingle and NOTA, in soundbites
seafood fresh at the crack of infuse the fish. I don’t know how they
dawn every morning managed food safety in the days before
refrigeration, but possibly spices USHA RAMAN academics and citizens, commentary
themselves have some preservative and fact­bites. “Can you imagine the
food, so no flavours are going to qualities. ivics has always been the insane amount of human resources
permeate it, and I wonder why people In the West, some meat is dry aged colourless stepchild of the that would have been allocated [for the
bother, then, to ‘marinate’ it. or salted and dried, or hung; some social studies family, eclipsed first general election]?” she asks, and
vegetables are pickled. And some is Cby the natural wonders of then proceeds to tell us that over 6,500
Where are the veggies? braised or stewed. But by and large, Download Indian Library App geography and the narrative power of clerks were contracted to type and
Another observation is that lightly the main ingredient, usually meat, is history, and few of us were excited by collate the electoral rolls, which were
sautéed vegetables are rarely served on cooked — by grilling or frying or what appeared to be a jumble of printed on 3,80,000 reams of paper.
special occasions — they are considered whatever — and then sauced. Apart difficult­to­remember Acts and Bills “It’s not an easy topic to tackle in a
more quotidian, daily domestic fare. from fried fish or chicken, we cook our and rules and regulations. Add to this podcast format,” says Padma Priya,
Restaurants or catered banquets have main ingredient in the ‘sauce’. Eating the extreme cynicism displayed in noting that much of the information is
few greens to offer. Apart from zeera raw meat is uncommon: tartare and c most conversations about politics and available in the public domain from a
alu, for which potatoes are probably ceviche are anathema. Each episode governance in India. So many of us variety of sources. “But we wanted to
pre­boiled, so that they need merely to Sometimes the contrast is so stark deploys fact- remain ignorant, or poorly informed, do this on a platform that would allow
be fried on demand, there are almost that I think I might go hungry if faced about the close connections between us to think more and react less,” she
no simple, seasonal vegetables. The with this, something I read about: bites. For the everyday civic life and the exercise of says. Ergo, the podcast. Her own entry
standard dishes that restaurants offer: katsu ika odori­don or ‘dancing squid 1951-52 democratic duty — particularly the to this medium comes from producing
palak paneer and alu matar and paneer bowl’. A bowlful of noodles and roe is election, over general election. audio diaries for Doctors Without
in sundry other spice­rich gravies can topped with a headless squid onto 6,500 clerks “We want each one of you to know Borders, where she discovered how
all be precooked and just reheated which some soy­sauce like liquid is were hired to and understand the power of the vote,” one could be “moved by sound”.
when an order comes in. poured. Then the freshly decapitated type and says Rakesh Dubbudu in the trailer to
At home, green vegetables are squid dances; it jerks about supposedly Every Vote Matters (EVM), a podcast Reaching out
cooked at the last minute, just in time because its nerve centres are activated collate series produced by the young platform Padma Priya acknowledges that the
for the meal. Even though they’re not by the sodium in the sauce. ‘Dancing electoral rolls Suno India in collaboration with podcast relies heavily on the Election
fresh from a farm, I realise that this is a zombie squid’, as it is known, does not printed on Dubbudu’s public information and data Commission (EC), which has over the
privilege — one I didn’t have when I appeal to my Hindustani palate. 3,80,000 journalism portal, Factly. years intensified its mission of bringing
didn’t have help — food was cooked Though this ‘cooking’ style honours reams of It is estimated that around 100 more and more people into the the
when I had time or when the part­time the freshness of ingredients above all paper million first­time voters will participate democratic process. Another
help could fit in our household. And else, I prefer to give this treatment only in the 2019 general election, and about promising initiative from the EC seeks
now I appreciate my grandfather’s to the plant kingdom. But to cook a 23 million of these will be in 18 – 19 age the involvement of community radio to
bhindi. Fresh green vegetables have a curry of mutton or fish, I simmer it for group. These are young people who, create programming around similar
#70929
sweetness and fragrance that is best an hour or two on a stove top, adding most likely, have been through those themes, reaching marginalised groups.
left alone; they don’t benefit from aromatics and spices as I go along, then same boring civics classes, and may Professor Vinod Pavarala, who holds
prolonged cooking and unnecessary allow it to steep for a few hours. have little idea of the election’s the UNESCO Chair on Community
spicing, which just overwhelms them. ............................................................................. importance. Media (at the university where I work —
NOSHTALGIA then the long wait would begin. It was have their own kitchen gardens or buy From the once-forbidden joy of eggs to
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC torture for hungry children, so we’d meat and seafood fresh at the crack of full disclosure), has just concluded a
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC Curry two days old the ingratitude of guests, the writer
start on whatever was already served. dawn every morning. That’s one part of I like to cook meat, chicken and fish reflects on every association with food. Conversations brainstorming session involving 25
Like it fresh Eventually freshly harvested bhindis it. The other is how much time has curries a day before eating them, and I vasundharachauhan9@gmail.com Suno India and supported by Factly’s 11 regional languages. The meeting was
Working with her two colleagues in
community radio stations operating in
were washed, dried, chopped, sautéed
elapsed between the cooking and the
research, Padma Priya scripts and
in collaboration with the EC’s
and served. My grandfather meanwhile
serving.
hosts EVM, which goes into such basic
Systematic Voters’ Education and
would cross his legs on his dining chair
or steeped? and have pleasant, interested The art of keeping questions as “How do you register to Electoral Participation Programme.
vote?” as well as more complex matters
“The idea is to make contextualised
Here I have a theory. I think that
conversations with us visiting
like “What is the purpose of NOTA?”
programmes that are hyper­local,
restaurant or ‘party’ food in India
grandchildren, giving no sign of
impatience or thwarted hunger. When
work?” Padma Priya says the show
of mainstream media’s reach,” he
the bhindi arrived it looked pretty: depends on spices for its attraction; and “How does campaign funding reaching groups who tend to be left out
and on long, slow, simmering and
emerald green gleaming with a ‘keeping’. Since there are so many “hopes to break down the electoral explains.
generous coating of oil. And it tasted layers of flavour from onion, garlic, process” and open up conversations Both podcasting and community
My grandfather’s bhindi had to be plucked fresh alright. But then I wondered whether it ginger, tomatoes, coriander, cumin, with young people about democracy radio rely on the power of voice to
from the garden and sautéed just before lunch was worth such a wait. nigella, fenugreek, fennel, mustard, and voting. Each episode is around 20 make and share stories, and on the
possibility of reaching listeners in new
minutes long, and three of the nine
cloves, cardamom, pepper, chillies,
Now that I enjoy vegetables and
have rare access to such freshness, I do mace and nutmeg, the intrinsic taste of planned episodes have dropped so far. ways. In this instance, perhaps also
VASUNDHARA CHAUHAN rundown, always long, but his appreciate his particularness. And I see the main ingredient is masked and The first episode opens with a reaching those who were left out of, or
expression would not be joyous. Then how the world over, there’s a premium therefore unimportant. In fact, slow familiar voice: Jawaharlal Nehru’s failed to discover meaning in, school
y grandfather, fragrant and he’d say mildly that bhindi season had on the freshness of garden produce. cooking followed by keeping, freedom at midnight speech, instantly civics lessons.
(A fortnightly series on podcasts.)
freshly showered, in a crisp just started, wasn’t there any for lunch? Some of the world’s most reputed chefs sometimes overnight, improves the reinforcing a connection between our ...............................................................................
white kurta pyjama, would At which my nani would frown and flavour: the various components not history and our current democratic
Mappear at the dining table — shuffle off. only come together as they sleep duty. Padma Priya builds each episode The Hyderabad-based writer and
also draped in white damask — and ask A boy would be sent to call together, they also permeate the meat around a theme, using a combination academic is a neatnik fighting a losing
what was cooking. He’d be given the the mali, orders given, and or fish. I think paneer is not a porous Basket caseThere’s a premium on fresh garden produce globally. GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCK of interviews with bureaucrats, battle with the clutter in her head.
SUNDAY RECIPE
1 tsp salt (approximate: use while you do the other prepping. (Though I 3. Place the pan containing the minutes, check on the meat’s
your judgment or taste and sometimes mix it all and leave it covered marinated meat on high heat. When tenderness by poking with a
MUTTON KORMA 6 green cardamom adjust) overnight in the refrigerator.) the contents come to a boil, cover fork. Different qualities of
Serves 4 2 black cardamom 1/4 cup desi ghee (clarified 2. In a small wok, heat half a cup of oil and, on and cook for 10-15 minutes. Open mutton have different cooking
500 g mutton on the bone 6 cloves butter) medium heat, fry the onions till golden. The final and check to see if oil has risen to times. Simmering could take
2 one-inch cinnamon sticks 4 onions, sliced fine colour should be brown, but fried onions the top. When it has, the meat from 45 minutes to an hour and
FOR THE MARINADE: 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1/2 cup vegetable oil METHOD: contain a lot of residual heat and there is a risk colour will also have become lighter. a half. When meat is tender, stir
2-inch piece ginger 3 tbsp coriander powder 2 flakes mace 1. Wash mutton and wipe dry. Grind ginger, of their getting burnt, so they should be Add fried onion paste. Gravy will in mace, nutmeg, garam masala
15-20 cloves garlic, peeled 1 tsp hot chilli powder garlic and green chillies to a fine paste. In a removed from the heat before they look ready,
4 green chillies 2 tsp deep red or Kashmiri 1/4 nutmeg, grated heavy bottomed pan, mix together, and placed on a paper towel. The colour will thicken. Cook till meat is slightly powder and kewra essence.
1 cup firm dahi (yoghurt) chilli powder 1/2 tsp garam masala powder preferably using your hands, all the darken. Cool and grind to a rough powder. No tender. Cover and simmer for another 10
1/4 tsp kewra (screwpine)
4. Add 4 cups water and bring to the
minutes. Serve hot, preferably
1 tsp whole peppercorns
1/2 tsp cumin powder essence ingredients of the marinade. Leave to rest water should be added while grinding. boil. Cover and simmer. Every few the next day.
Blind ballot A blind man is carried to the polling booth in the 1951–52 election. WIKI COMMONS