Food and drink of Kayasthas 05: Meat utensils were never mixed in the main kitchen utensils, wonderful Nimona was prepared in winters.

Now let us talk about Kayasthas living in eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Whose mines are very similar. There is abundant agriculture in this area made fertile by rivers like Ganga, Yamuna and Gomti. Various types of vegetables, food grains, oilseeds and pulses are produced. Its impact is clearly visible on the rich food of this entire region.

The dishes of Kayasthas that we are talking about in this series are not necessarily invented by them, rather we want to tell what was cooked in the kitchens of Kayasthas and what was pleasing to their tongues. Yes, it can definitely be said that he made every dish more rich and tasty in his own way.

Famous food expert and author KT Achaya has talked about the history of food, agriculture and food of every region of the country in his book Indian Food History. It is said in the book, in the 16th century, among the foods that were popular in the areas along the banks of Ganga in Uttar Pradesh, Sattu, barley flour were more prevalent and pulses were in abundance. Therefore, Mungodi and Badis were made from them. These were used with vegetables. The book also says that although Khandvi is considered a dish of Gujarat nowadays, it actually originated from the region of Eastern UP and Bihar.

People used to make flour pudding. A thin lippy was prepared by mixing flour and milk, and laddus made from rice flour were eaten, which was called Chirauta. Many types of seasonal vegetables, greens etc. were produced in abundance in every season.

Today I will mainly tell about the dishes made by my maternal grandmother and mother. Before that, talk about a page from the diary of a British officer from a century ago. He had recorded information about the food habits of the people of Bihar in his diary. According to him, people in Bihar regularly ate rotis made of wheat, ragi and barley flour along with rice. Barley was also used in place of rice.

Rice Khirora, Curd Phulwada and Sattu Jalwa
When it was cooked like rice, it was called Bath, whereas Muslims called it Kushka. Rice flour was made into round laddus and boiled and eaten. It was called Khirora. Lava was eaten after roasting lye, chiuda and maize grains. There was definitely a Bhadbhuja in every village. During festivals, puri, especially fried lentils and phulwara soaked in curd were eaten. If seen from this perspective, the food habits of this entire area have changed a lot in a century. However, Sattu’s charm remains intact. Sattu is also eaten in the form of various dishes.

Phare, Kofta and various types of pakodas
Now I will talk about the delicious food prepared by my maternal grandmother and mother. Food often conjures up old memories. The list is long – wonderful gourd, jackfruit and bitter gourd vegetables, stuffings, delicious spicy pea mincemeat i.e. Nimona, spicy thin arhar dal khichdi, finger-licking tahari, phare, kofta, different types of pakodas and chutneys, peas. And vegetables which give different shades of taste after roasting with corn dishes, gram flour, oil and spices.

How was the meat prepared, what was the process?
Grandmother used to cook many types of meat. The maternal grandmother’s kitchen was on the first floor, surrounded by walls on three sides. One part was open towards a small terrace. A second kitchen was often set up on this small terrace when Nani used to cook meat. The meat was first cleaned thoroughly with water and boiled with chopped onion, salt, light turmeric and about half to one teaspoon of mustard oil.

After boiling, the meat was taken out and the boiled water was kept aside. Now a lot of chopped onions were simmered in mustard oil in a pot. Then when the onion showed signs of turning pink, the paste of ground spices mixed with onion and garlic was added. The flame became a little lighter. Kept roasting in paste for a long time. When the entire paste started releasing oil, the meat was added. A lid was placed on top.

After some time, when it seemed that the spices and meat had formed a warm friendship with each other, then the boiled water from the meat kept separately was added to it. It kept cooking on low flame. It was ready in about 40-50 minutes or something. If you add curd in the right quantity at the right time, it tastes different. If water was not added, this meat would have tasted different.

Liver and Mutton Keema
Nani also prepared different dishes including liver and mutton mince. Fish was cooked less. When prepared, mostly mustard or mustard seeds were used. Kebab was prepared by mixing minced peas and gram flour. All this was cooked in mustard oil.

excessive use of mustard oil
Generally, in Kayastha houses of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, earlier food was mostly cooked in mustard oil. Which was also called bitter oil. In the 70s, packing brand mustard oil was more or less non-existent. There were oil shops. Where mustard was processed with a machine and oil was extracted. I often used to go to the oil shop near my maternal home with a bottle or box and bring essential oils. He used to give it with his flask and scale. Often grandmother used to return from the village with mustard produce in a sack. Which was brought in oil after grinding it in instalments. Don’t know how many of you might have seen this. But when mustard is ground in the machine and the cake is separated, a special kind of smell comes out, which is very pleasant to the nose.

At that time, meat and not chicken ruled the kitchen.
Nowadays, chicken is more popular. Then I don’t remember that chicken was ever cooked at our place. Yes, the utensils for eating non-vegetarian food were definitely completely different. They were never mixed with the utensils of the main kitchen.

Two special dishes of winter, Nimona and Ghughni
There was more than one dish even in vegetarian food. There were two most special dishes in the season of green mutton. One is Nimona and the other is Ghughni. These were definitely made regularly in the kitchens of Kayasthas during winters. Nimona means minced peas. Peas are ground but the real crunch or tadka is what gives its taste. These spicy dry badis are first put in hot mustard oil on the pan. They are roasted with hot oil until they are fried and become crispy. Some people then take out the bigger ones and keep them aside.

Now the same mustard oil is mixed with the paste of thinly sliced ​​onions and spices and then they are heated in the oil until all the spices start leaving the oil. At this time, add the fried balls also. Fry for a couple more minutes. Actually, this is the ecstatic state of the spices being roasted with oil, that is, the state when the spices have attained perfection and are ready to meet the real content. However, there are different methods of this process.

Now add ground pea paste into it. The process of roasting all these things in coordination continues on the flame until a special aroma starts emerging. Just at this time add water to it. The flame is reduced. It is covered so that the steam does not go out. In cooking, there is also a meaning in not allowing the steam coming out along with the cooked ingredients. It is said that the more steam remains inside. That much will make the taste more delicious by rising inside the vessel.

I claim that if you eat this Nimona, you will not be able to live without saying wow. Eat it with rice or roti – it will be very tasty in both. Now vadi are not made at home, hence the vadi bought in the market must be of better quality. (will continue)

read this also

Food and drink of Kayasthas1: How is the kitchen of Lalas decorated, what is cooked in it
Food of Kayasthas 02: From kebabs to new style of biryani which came out of their kitchen
Food and drink of Kayasthas 03: Shab Degh meat which was very tasty and liver of lentils
Food and drink of Kayasthas 04: If there is no Shami Kebab and Seenk Kebab, then what kind of food will the Lalas of Lucknow have?

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Tags: food, food 18, food diet, Food Recipe, healthy food, Prayagraj cuisine, Vegetables