The Great Indian Food Feat

There isn't a spelling mistake in the title. It is a feat to eat food in the traditional Indian manner. I don't know about others, but for me it is so.

In India, there may be weddings, birthdays or funeral wakes; food is always present. It is considered an essential part of the whole event. Especially in Maharashtrian households, a plate filled with food is very important.

In our culture, the ‘pangat’ system is where people sit in a line with their plates filled in a systematic manner. Rules are very rigid, though people improvise nowadays. Growing up in a foodie household, I was made aware that the system of everyone sitting down and eating is an integral part of any special event.

Be it a birthday, wedding or even after a funeral, people sat on the ground to eat food in strategically placed dishes in plates. We can find parallels in almost every other culture in the country as well.

Sadly, for me this practice of eating is almost always embarrassing; because it’s is a herculean task to finish the first serving on the plate and I almost never get second servings (unless they are forced on the plate). And since I am skinny, I am force fed.

So. Much. Food.

I learned the technique of firmly saying no from my experiences of eating in pangats.

It's not like this.

It. Is. This.

As the years went by, I started devising certain tactics to not be left red-faced. So here are my tips to survive an Indian style food fest! -

1)Finish the big things with the small things combined. For instance, eat the rice with the chutney. Salad with veggies and roti.

2)    If you can’t finish your sweets, eat them before anything else.

3)    Compartmentalize. Strategise what you will finish first, leave no dish behind!

4)    If you think you can eat more, only then ask for a second serving.

5)    You only get 20-30 minutes maximum to consume your food, use them wisely.

6)    Worst strategy told by elders is to swallow the food with water. Don’t gulp food with water; it will only fill up your stomach. You know what, just don’t drink any water until your plate is clean.

7)    You need to practice the biggest hand gesture you can make and the most sincere expression of having a full stomach if you want to avoid those pesky requests of “please have some more”.

8)    Sit next to a close relative who, if need be, will help by taking some stuff off your plate.

Hey dude, take some food off my plate. PLEASE.

Let my experience help someone!

In other words,

Stay Awesome \m/

(Gifs from www.giphy.com ; Images from Google)

Things I love about winters in India

Winter is coming.

There is no doubt that one of the most awesome seasons in all is the winter season. Especially for skinny people who are tired of being taunted on how malnutrition-ed they look (yeah that's me). So here's a list of things that I absolutely love about Winters!

1) The produce.

During winter, at least in India, some of the best produce can be enjoyed. The plumiest of tomatoes, greenest of spinach and the reddest carrots are available. They in turn lead to scrumptious dishes.

2) The food!

Continuing my above point, the tastiest dishes in the year are all made during the winter season. Gajar ka halwa , Makke di roti with Sarso da saag, and especially for Maharashtrians (that's me too :D) Gud ki roti with ghee or "गुळाची पोळी आणि तूप " are the tastes of the season!

Oh so delicious!

     

No Indian can avert from freshly prepared Gajar ka halwa!

The most awaited winter treat at my house!
तीळ गुळ घ्या गोड गोड बोला :) 

Enough about food, let's move on...

3) The Razai or quilts.

Almost in every Indian household there is at least on Jaipuri Razai, which is famed to keep you warm even in the direst of winter conditions.

DND

As a consequence, many a times people have missed reaching their work on time; Because they are so damn comfortable in bed! And before you think I get up on time, let me tell you... I'm no different Okay?! I love to sleep in the razai and would if I could, spend the whole winter days in it.. But then who'd eat the food? o.O :D

4) The weather.

Its no secret that the Sun is most beloved to us in this season. I have myself spent many a days trying to keep warm with sunlight, but it sometimes doesn't affect as much. I have spent at least a semester on my college campus basking in the Sun with my friends. :D
In winters the afternoons seem like mornings and the mornings seem like evenings, only one thing remains constant, the cold weather.

Now that we have established how we love to eat hot food in the winters, should we not also talk about the beverages? Heck no! So here they are...

5) The beverages.

Let's get back to food now :D

A hot beverage of any kind, be it tea or coffee, is dear to me when I am shivering with cold. And the bonus is the ginger that gets added to them! So refreshingly soothing.
And of course, soups taste oh so much better in the winters!


6) Christmas!

The most awesome part of winter season, besides the food, is Christmas time! I don't actually celebrate the entire festival, but I like to get involved in the festivities in my own way :D

So you can count on me to post a Christmas related article soon enough! 

7) New Year!

The beginning of the new year and the end of the old one is much fun for me, to make 'breakable resolutions', stay up late in the night, celebrate with friends and family; this is what the new year is all about!

All in all, Winters are a time to be happy, get healthy and stay awesome :D

                                       

Last post of 2013

So...

The year 2013 is coming to an end.

Filled with  laughter, happiness, sadness and tears.
We saw some of the most influential people leave us for the high heavens. We revelled our victories, and  mourned our losses.
All in all, this was a fantastic year, and personally, it was a fabulous year for me.

Particularly if I see the change in my country (India) , I have seen the drastic change in perspective of the populace. The young have become the driving force, bringing much needed change in society.


What I wish for the year 2014 is not so difficult, but not so easy either. I wish 2014 bring prosperity and peace to all, that all suffering be eradicated from the world, that we may find it in ourselves to rejoice in not our differences, but our similarities. Be human, believe in humanity above all religious faith.

I hope this small message resounds throughout.

My best wishes to all.

Happy New Year!!



(image courtesy- google images.)

Just some Indian things

A country where you are surrounded by people who have different ethnicities and still it is not at all difficult to be with them. It is the best thing about India. As they say "Variety is the spice of life" :)

    1)      You always eat Poha (Indian breakfast snack) with Chai (tea) or Jalebi (tubular sweet filled with syrup).

    2)      Indian boys always hate the smell of mehendi and girls just love it!!

    3)      During a wedding reception, you must always fill your plate with EVERY food item available; even though you might not eat most of it. You don’t want people to look over your plate and ask if you’re dieting.

   4)      If you have brought your Tiffin to college, don’t expect you’ll be able to even get a whiff of the food. It will all be gone within seconds, unless of course you brought some unsavoury veggies nd chapattis (Indian bread) you’ll probably have to eat it yourself :P .

    5)      Sachin Tendulkar is the GOD OF CRICKET, but when he is out of form, it’s legitimate to defame him and call him names.

    6)      Even though we may love to eat at Mc Donald’s, Subway, Pizza Hut, etcetera, the humble sabzi-roti (veggies and chapatti) is the most satisfying meal at the end of the day.

    7)      Bollywood (Indian movie industry) movies are the only ones in the whole world where the villain and the hero dance to pop tunes at the end of the movie in a very hip song.

    8)      You can try and eat a Dosa with your fancy cutlery, but it’s always better to eat with your hands.

    9)      We love our monsoons, hate the summers, endure the winters and well, when spring comes it goes away very soon.
  10)   EVERY Indian lady is addicted to watching absolutely ridiculous soap operas which are nothing but total sob fests. I have actually witnessed women crying because they missed an episode.