Comfort Foods

I grew up on an interesting mix of comfort foods: rice and beans on the one hand, cholent and chicken soup on the other. The other night I literally dreamt about (California style) Mexican food with heaps of sweet and juicy heirloom tomato cubes and gorgeous green chunks of velvety ripe avocado. Steaming handmade tortillas with frijoles and melted salty cheese ….

Now I’ve discovered a new comfort food: pongal. It’s a breakfast food that’s relatively mild. Usually breakfast food in the South includes pungent chutneys and spicy curries. They’re served with some kind of bread, like idli (steamed cake of fermented rice flour), dosa (crispy over-sized crepe made from gram flour) or puri (flaky chewy fried little round). Lunch and dinner always include rice and dhal, along with some kind of vegetable curry.

So what’s my new favorite food made from? Well, rice and dhal, of course. But in pongal they’re cooked together so it has this texture that’s like… baby food. In fact, it’s just like kichedee, which is the first food that Indian mothers give to their babies. I love it. Madam cooks it with garlic, mustard seed, curry leaves and only a little chili. I like it mixed with curd (but then, what don’t I like topped with yogurt?)

Well, as much as I love pongal, I was getting ready to join a cult after so many days of rice and dhal (with the occasional garnish of banana curry, egg curry, curry curry) when I was unexpectedly served some very interesting food. First, was mutton. That just means meat. No idea what kind, probably goat. Hopefully goat. I was honestly afraid to ask.

Then, madam kept wanting me to try this other dish called junnu. It looked so odd. Spongy and tan. I asked if it was sweet and she said no. But it was, so I saved it for dessert and ended up really liking it. Turns out, it’s colostrum! It comes from a cow in the first 3 days after she’s calved. It’s cooked by steaming so it’s like a flan, and it’s flavored with jaggery (that reduced cane juice). So it’s like a super-food! Packed with nutrition. And it’s tastes really nice.

I’m still preparing the teaching modules which means a lot of time at the computer. I loaded my mac with podcasts before I came, so while I wait for the internet, I listen to Science Friday with Ira Flato, Visionary Activist with Caroline Casey, and KQED’s Forum with the brilliant Michael Krazny. Good thing I loaded up because the internet is too slow to download any new ones.

My room at the girl’s hostel is great, but things get very loud around here at midnight. I’m not sure why, but it happens every night! I think it’s when they put away their books and just relax for a while before bed. The building is all concrete block, open hallways around a central courtyard, so noises resonate and there’s no way to sleep through it, and I hear them shouting to each other, "Puspa!! Aparna!!". Here’s a picture of my stuff in my room at the hostel (Jana, notice your pillow – I use it every night!), and some pictures from a recent excursion into Parlakmendhi, where I bought my train ticket to Hyderabad. There’s a shot of the pan wallah, the juice wallah, and the Gokul ad and the King’s house are especially for D. The king was in town, and I was issued an invitation to visit him the next day, but it rained and I couldn’t make it.

AND…. A big shout out to Clara Dorothy. Well done little girl (Man, that was fast!), and Happy, Happy Birthday! We’re all SO glad you’re here.