LOST PUNJABI RECIPES MAKE A COMEBACK MOONG DAAL PINI
Sahej pakke toh meetha hoye.” These words of Guru Nanak, the founding guru of Sikhism, guide the cooking philosophy of chef Harpal Singh. “When we cook with love, it is bound to taste good. Food cooked with love is not bound by religion or caste,” says Singh. The chef, born in Amritsar, has lived in places like Delhi, Pune, Chandigarh, and Malaysia. But it was home where he found lost recipes and secrets: “I got this idea [of cooking the traditional way] when I went to my nani’s house and ate the food cooked in those mitti ke bartan. These recipes are no longer found in cities.”
The clay vessels that are a part of these recipes make a big difference to the taste. To recreate the taste of this food from undivided Punjab, the chef and his team cook in clay pots and vessels. “Chaati ka kukkad, for example, is slowcooked in the chaati (clay pot). We put all the things together in the chaati and cook it over a slow fire,” he says. Though the chef has never been to the Punjab that’s in Pakistan, he got to listen to stories from his nani. And he has put all that knowledge into his dishes.
“People used to cook over the chulha (clay oven) and even today, she cooks in clay pots over the chulha,” he says.
The tragedy of Partition not only affected the people, but also impacted the food. His grandmother, Mangeet Kaur, now 89, was born near Lahore, and now lives in Ajnala (near Amritsar). “My nani tells me that most of the non-vegetarian food went that side with the Muslim population. We lost a big part of our culinary legacy in the Partition,” says Singh.
As an ode to this old world, Singh, the head chef at Fairfield by Marriott Amritsar, has organised a food festival, Lost Recipes (August 10-26). “The festival showcases the culinary heritage of undivided Punjab. Some dishes, such as desserts like Isabgol ki dodi, Moong dal ke laddoo, Alsi ke laddoo are not made in households anymore,” the chef elaborates.
A sweet drink, Shardai,
Etti Bali
made with almonds, green cardamom, black pepper and milk, also finds a place on the menu. “We don’t use mixergrinders for crushing the ingredients. Everything is done by hand, in a clay vessel. This taste cannot be recreated in markets,” he says.
Were there any difficulties in staying true to the roots and origins of the dishes? “It was only slightly difficult. Clay vessels are easily available everywhere. Masalas and spices — ground red chillies, turmeric, black salt, dhaniya (coriander) and jeera (cumin) — are the same as those used in the earlier times,” he says. To make the final dishes taste like the originals, he spoke to folks from his gran’s generation. He found out about the intricacies of masalas, what ingredients to add when, and how to cook on a slow flame. “My nani told me that she learned these recipes from her mother and then taught them to her daughter,” Singh shares, adding that this is the story of every household in villages in Punjab. Grind 125gm cashew nuts and 250gm almonds to a coarse powder. In a pan, pour 2kg ghee and when it is hot, add 2kg moong daal ground and roast it. Once it is roasted and changes colour, add 2kg powdered sugar, ground dry fruits, 250gm each of khus khus and raisins, 125gm melon seeds and roast it again. Let the mixture rest and cool for 5 minutes. Then add 125gm ajwain (carom seeds) 125gm each of cardamom and ginger powder, and powder of 2 dried, grated coconuts. Add 10gm goond katira at the end and let the mixture rest for some time. When the mixture cools down, start making the pini and garnish them with chopped almonds.
Serves 20-25 people