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Pakwan (paku+ann) translates literally as (properly ‘cooked’ cereals. In many parts of India, ‘properly’ cooked means food that is deep fried or boiled in milk — the pakki rasoi is considered purer repast than polluting fare contaminated and contaminating because it is untouched by ghee, oil or milk. It is in this category that items like puri, kachori, bada are placed. Mishthanna doesn’t need any explanatory translation and is synonymous with mithai — sweetmeats like pua, halva, payas and kheer. Mithai is paired with mewa — dried fruits and assorted nuts. In brief, traditional festive foods offer a mind-boggling range of rich delicacies. Kalipuja, Gurupurnima,
Bihu, Onam, Gudiparva, Ugadi contribute their not inconsiderable bit
to make these three months a glutton’s dream and gourmet’s
delight. There are many interesting, equally resplendent, regional and
ethnic delicacies that can hold on their own against any of these
mainstream classics. Strive to break out of parochial culinary fetters
and try to include a festive, celebratory recipe from another region
this year. A prathaman (payasam) instead of the kheer maybe!
What begins with a bang concludes with a bang during the X-mas and New Year. This is the time to dig into roasts and bakes, assorted puddings and cakes and indulge in wines, hot toddies and punches —alcoholic or fruity, cocktails and ‘mock tails’. There was a time, what now appears a gone by forever golden age, when every family prepared well in advance for treats with a distinct flavour of the festival — be it sweets with long shelf life or time-consuming ‘fillings’ (pithi) spiced up with secret family prescriptions. Alas, now the emphasis is on variety and quantity, there are only few who bother about quality. After half-hearted grudging ritual compliance to traditional menu most of us lapse back to addictions like murgh malai tikka, shahi panir or kali dal and desserts like rasmalai or kaju katli from either the street corner halwai or Haldirams or Bikanerwala. For us, at least, nothing compares with a meal at home lovingly recapturing the mood and the spirit of a specific festival. Don’t get us wrong. We are not suggesting that a sublime and light dessert like phirni or a biryani can’t add to the luster of Yuletide or that a halal roast leg of lamb with mint sauce can’t be relished at Eid; our complaint pertains to celebrate a festival with ‘take away’ or delivered at doorstep ‘designer delicacies’. We have discovered that the joy of sharing the spread at home multiplies manifold if it is combined with ‘joy of cooking.’ This is the time to take
a break from the distressing routine of everyday life — pause and
reflect, calling up remembrances of times past in sessions of sweet
and not always silent thought. You don’t have to be a Master Chef
India candidate; it is enough if the spirit is willing and the flesh
isn’t hopelessly weak. Maybe you can dazzle family and friends with
an imaginative and improvised recreation of a long-lost favourite from
childhood. Something that grandma cooked and mom talked about or it
could be an exotic debutant invited from the culinary repertoire of a
region far removed from your own. A hostess, who prides herself for
not repeating herself, has delighted us more than once by ‘mixing
and matching marvellously.’ She is a violent opponent of fusion but
has a proselytizer’s zeal for adopting foreign dishes that seem to
have an innate affinity with Indian palate. Instead of pulav
and biryani she serves paella or risotto even nasi goreng. She
flavours her phirni with exotic fruits (don’t be deterred by
prices; a little goes a long way and with the way onion prices are
headed this may be the last chance to taste anything!)
There is another nutritionist friend of ours who is perpetually concerned (a professional hazard perhaps) about harmful effects of festive foods. The anorexic wretch not only starves herself to a skeleton but also takes away from the dinning pleasure of others sharing the table with her. It will greatly reassure your guests if most of what is offered is steamed, boiled, grilled, baked. Also if the dishes have been prepared with heart-friendly fats with minimal addition of refined sugar and salt. Do serve puri and kachori but ensure that these are fried in oils rich in omega-3 fats and paired with a light, stir fry subzi and raita. Give the family and guests a choice of assorted wholegrain assorted breads. If its biryani or pulav that is must than have grilled kebab as a started and fruity dessert. It is surprising that what an amazing range of colours is at your disposal with fruits and vegetables. When we opt for a lighter touch with salt and sugar we open the doors to a lost treasure trove of subtler flavours — a seductive symphony played by sour, astringent and even pungent and bitter notes! Myriad aromas redolent of saffron, cardamom, mace, kewra waft as the lid is lifted and service begins to transport you into the realm of magic far removed from this maddening world. Light and sound and abundant splashes of colour are what make a festival. Food is no exception. Interesting garnishes and attractive presentation with a flourish enhance the appeal of even a ‘Palin Jane’ recipe. The phrase ‘eye candy’ reminds us that the eye must approve before we begin to lick! It isn’t just accidental that many Indian festive delicacies were adorned with silver or gold leaves sprinkled with almond and pistachio slivers or strands of saffron and who would dispute that the cake with the icing and cherry always scores over its ‘uncrowned’ peers. Ironically, with declining tradition of entertaining at home many hotels, particularly the deluxe starred variety, have stepped in fill in the vacuum. As the festive season approaches there is a spate of advertisement announcing Dasehra mela, Diwali dhamaka, Christmas hampers and New Year bash! Mouth-watering pictures of ‘dressed-up’ sweets and snacks seek to cast an irresistible spell on us. Even otherwise year round the chorus keeps at ‘kucch to meetha ho jaye!’ conditioning us to treat mass-produced chocolates at par with homemade desi sweets on festive occasions. Our advice is to keep your menu limited and concentrate on novelty and quality. Try to make best use of natural colours and subtle flavours. It is possible to prepare sugar-free sweets at home and nor does all mishthann have to be cloyingly sweet. A generous sprinkling of nuts and dried fruits with a few strands of kesar and seeds of green cardamom and not many will miss the hazardous for health stuff! Please note that daintily, slivered nuts and a small-quantity of saffron go a very long way. Let the numbers on the table be contributed by accompaniments. Richness and resplendence certainly aren’t synonymous with expensive. Finally a word of caution; don’t break your back preparing snacks and sweetmeats to last you months or feed a baraat. Nothing compares with the allure of freshly prepared food — pakwan and mishthanna are no exception. May the festive season fill your life with lights, sparkling colours and bondless joy!
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