Winters Manna

Winter’s manna
by Punam Khaira Sidhu

WINTERS are a time to wake up to the magic of the city covered in sparkling dew lit with cold clear sunlight. The farmers in the periphery are out in their fields, tending to the winter wheat, mustard and vegetables. The watered fields are covered in a fine mist, raising a magical mystical gloaming around them at dawn and dusk. The city gardens are currently bidding adieu to their crysanthemums but soon they will be feting the rose in the annual rose festival and gardens competition and their joyous celebration of all of winter’s floral abundance.

The Sukhna lake is like a giant teppenyaki platter glistening silver as it awaits the sunrise to set it aflame. The spicy fragrance of the “kachnar” blossoms hangs heavy in the air. For those who know of its medicinal value, it’s a good time to pick its buds for a healthy raita. I am a Punjabi hence don’t blame me for thinking with my stomach.

My teenaged son summed it up rather critically, when observing me attacking my food with gusto, “Gosh mom”, he said, “you eat like a teenager”. That’s true of most Punjabis. We continue to eat like teenagers right through the “middle-age spread” to comfortable later life obesity. But what’s life without a little indulgence and the comfort foods of our youth. No Punjabi, I believe ever suffered from the number one killer disease of our times: “depression”. How can they, when their stomachs are full and their hearts content?

Food is an inextricable part of the rites-de-passage of our lives. Mounds of winter vegetables dot the city markets and roadsides. Office-weary employees returning home are stopped, willy nilly by the mounds of farm-fresh peas, carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, beetroots, radishes in different colours and shapes. In the northern sector hypermarkets the exotic broccoli, red, and yellow bell peppers and iceberg lettuce make their debut.

The perfect winters day starts with “Aloo”, “gobi”, “muli” and “gajar ka Parathas” and “Amb da achaar”. Another favourite with indelible memories of my youth is the “Poora,” a pancake of gramflour, fresh mint, onion and tender green chilies served with Punjabi style tomato salsa.

Bajre-di-roti and Sarson-da-saag are afternoon favourites. Later in the day it’s time to bake new potatoes and top them up with butter and lime, slightly charred from the coal it was baked on. There’s something almost sensual in the fragrance of potato chips, and pakoras fat and fried and paired with ketchup and mint chutney, hanging heavy on the cool winter’s air. Endless cups of tea, flavoured with cardamom and ajwain, is the elixir of choice for young and old.

Come evening and the rich gravies of dinner are followed by desserts to lift your sagging spirits. The West has its rice puddings and pancakes but they don’t come close to the flavour of Malpuas drenched in creamy Kheer, “Gulab Jamuns”, “Kala Jamuns”, “Jalebi” and “Balushais”, their intoxicating aromas so tempting that it’s only too easy to succumb. Just pop the delicious morsels in one go, then sit back, and savour in their sweetness the memories of times gone by.

Add on the magic of “gur” (jaggery), “rewriis”, “gachaks” and “mungphalli” (groundnuts) roasted in their shells and you should transcend into foodie heaven. These are indeed “saddi” Punjabi rites-de-passage of the season. Celebrate, and succumb to Winter’s sweet Manna. You’ve only one life to live — live it to the full in “Charh diya Kalan” for all the Winters of your life.