A peek into granny’s kitchen

Winter reminds me of the innumerable lessons grandpa would give us cousins on the crops growing in our fields in Ambala. We would go there each year, but more than the lessons we were keen on eating delicacies grandma cooked for us. Bajra would intrigue me because it is a sturdy crop; it can grow in sandy soil, high temperatures, and can make do with little water.

Every night, we felt extremely important as we organized a bonfire out of dry straw collected from the fields. And then it was left to grandma to make bajre ki bhakri and other delicacies on the bonfire.

My personal favourite was bajre ki kheer.

Nobody in my family has been able to recreate that taste, partly because there is no bonfire any more; nor is granny’s warm and loving touch.

City life and job stress are to blame for changed food habits. Most families now have just about enough time for ready-mix recipes and instant food. Bajra’s uses though have diversified: from being a poor man’s food it is part of rich man’s health diet.

The other day, as I was basking under the winter sun at home, I had this epiphany. It came with a sense of guilt: like us, our children must know what it is to eat nutritious food such as bajra kheer, khichdi and bhakri.

I called my mother and brushed up on the bajre ki bhakri recipe. To my delight, my children loved it. 

A la carte

Bajra khichdi

Ingredients:

• Whole bajra (pearl millet) – Two cups, soaked overnight
• Moong dal (green lentil) – Half cup, soaked overnight
• Kali mirch (peppercorns) – Five
• Laung (cloves) – Three to four
• Jeera (cumin seeds) – One teaspoon
• Hing (asafoetida) – A pinch
• Haldi (turmeric powder) – One-fourth of a teaspoon
• Pure ghee – One teaspoon
• Water – Five cups
• Salt to taste

Method:

Grind bajra into a coarse mixture. Wash the dal. Heat ghee; add peppercorns, cloves and cumin seeds. When cumin seeds crackle, add hing, haldi, salt, water, dal and bajra. Cook on medium flame. Stir when the mixture begins to boil. Cook until the bajra is soft. Add more water to get the consistency you prefer. Serve hot with ghee or yoghurt, pickles and papad.

Bajri bhaakari (Millet Skillet Bread)

Ingredients:

• Bajra flour – Two cups, some more for dusting
• Salt to taste
• Water as required (lukewarm gives better results)

Method:

Sieve bajra flour on a flat surface. Add salt. Knead till the dough is smooth and pliable, adding water as required. Roll the dough into round chapatis (flatbread). Put the chapati on a tava (flat skillet) and roast both sides. To prevent dryness, sprinkle water on the portion not exposed to heat. Dampened fingers or a wet kitchen towel could be used for this. Serve hot with dry chilli-garlic pickle, a bean dish.
(To make sweet bhaakari, called meetha mann, add jaggery syrup while kneading the dough)

Bajra kheer

Ingredients:

• Whole bajra – Two cups, soaked overnight
• Milk – Six cups
• Water – Four cups
• Sugar to taste
• Almond, cardamom to garnish

Method:

Soak bajra overnight. Coarse grind it and remove the husk. Boil or pressure cook, till half cooked. Add milk; cook till it thickens and the bajra is soft. Add sugar to taste. Garnish with cardamom, almond. Serve hot or cold

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