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The torai is often a victim of overpowering spices and is seldom appreciated for its original flavour, says Pushpesh Pant
Doodhiya, nenua, ghee torai call it by any name, the poor gourd remains Cinderella untransformed by any fairy godmother’s magic touch. Immensely beneficial, it has a sweet taste if you don’t (unwisely, according to us) adulterate it with tomatoes, onions, garam masala and what not. The pilaf — presumably the root for pulav — is commonly acknowledged as a Central Asian contribution to global cuisine. Though references in Bhavprakashnighantu, an ancient ayurvedic text nail the lie. Palav was known to our ancestors as ‘rice cooked with meat and condiments’. The point is that even in times gone by the shakahari version was not found worth mentioning. Times have changed and nowadays there are myriad avatar in this genre-peas, navaratan, jeera, gucchi and what not. All much to our regret mimic their meaty cousin. What the torai pulav attempts is to assert the ‘superior’ simplicity of the dish. It is sufiana in temper, impressive in subtle play on the palate. Perhaps, a purist would frown upon the vegetarian pilaf but that does not detract from the sheer simplicity and pleasure of serving and having a well-made pilaf.
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This torai pilaf is not
only quick to make but ensures that the subtle flavour of the torai
and delicate aroma of rice are preserved. Often accused of being
bland, the torai is often a victim of overpowering spices and is
seldom appreciated for its original flavour. This recipe however does
justice to the gentle flavour of torai. We acknowledge our debt for
introducing us to this beauty to friend Atul Rai from Allahabad.