In Love with Indian Summer!

I am a person with a very low threshold to bearing the heat of the sun. So, it’s needless to say how much I dreaded the Indian tropical summer every year.  But since the last year, I don’t know what has come over me, I love the Indian summer and have even started romanticizing it.

I've realized that as long as you keep yourself hydrated and stay in the shade when the sun is right overhead, it’s totally possible to love summer. In fact, this summer, I have been braving the heat to go to the Pune market almost every week, and just take in the sights, colours and the beauty in the chaos. Call me crazy! Summer brings along a burst of colours, varieties of fruit and a spread of food like none other.

Let me begin with the visual treats that Nature offers us to mitigate the summer heat. Roads in cities are lined with benign Gulmohar trees offering shade and infusing energy by way of colours to commuters. Gulmohar blooms in red, yellow and blue too. You must have surely seen these. 

The Red Gulmohar. Picture taken from here. 

Peela Gulmohar. Picture taken from here. 

Neela Gulmohar. Picture taken from here.

Not only roads, even housing societies have gulmohar trees. In fact as I type this, I am smiling back at the gulmohar tee in full bloom, which is almost hanging into my balcony. I don’t even have to travel. Beauty is all around me. 

The gorgeous gulmohar saying Hi to me from my balcony.

There are many other trees too which flaunt their colours and blooms, the names of which I may not know. But there’s one, the Indian Laburnum, which is sure to warm any heart with its yellows. I remember walking down a lane in Pune lined with these in full bloom, and I was in paradise for some time at least.

Indian Laburnum. Picture taken from here. 

Some of my favourite fruits grow only during summer, because that is the kind of temperature required for them to ripen well. I saw this cart full of indigenous Indian summer fruits. I don’t know their English names but have eaten them all and they are delectable, each with their unique taste and nutrients to nourish the body for the summer season.

A colourful cart of indigenous summer fruits I saw in Pune. The white round ones are ice apples and taste like tender coconut (tadgola), the bright yellow ones are star fruits. 

Such a happy riot of colours. 

Who doesn't love mangoes? India is blessed with a hundred varieties of mangoes thanks to its soil and climate and yes the summer! Some other fruits available only during summer are the jackfruit and the jamun, both of which I eat in plentiful.

Varieties of mangoes. Picture taken from here.

The black ones are jamun, rich in anti-oxidants. 

Now to talk about the food preparations which are made out of the summer produce. On top of the list would be pickles- mainly the raw mango pickle. Every state in the country, every district, every village and every family has its own recipe for pickles which is passed down from one generation to the other. The pickle is prepared during summer because the hot sun rays are required for maturing the pickle and it is consumed during monsoon, when most vegetables are not easily available and the spices and the oil in the pickle is good for gut health when digestion becomes weak during the season. 

Avakkai or the mango pickle. Picture taken from Jeyashri's Kitchen. 

I recently visited Lalbaug, in Mumbai where there were several shops selling a 100 varieties of red chillies by the sack, mainly for pickles and masalas which are made during summer. 

The jaw dropping varieties of red chillies in Lalbaug, Mumbai. 

A shop dedicated for grinding spices, in Lalbaug, Mumbai. 

Of course that doesn't stop people like me from devouring pickles in summer too, mainly because this time it was my first attempt at pickle making and it turned out so delicious.

Talking of food, there are preparations that make me nostalgic like the chakka varatti or jackfruit jam and chakka payasam, a pudding made of ripe jackfruit and coconut milk.

The lip smacking chakka varatti or jackfruit jam. Picture taken from Palakkad Chamayal. 

The delectable chakka payasam or jackfruit pudding or kheer. Picture taken from Palakkad Chamayal.

There are also a variety of beverages to beat the summer heat and Nature in her infinite intelligence provides fruits and vegetables in a particular season that provide nutrients and nourishment required for that season. Take the Kokum for example. Its fruit is made into a refreshing summer drink which keeps the body cool and the digestive system working fine. 

A refreshing glass of Kokum sharbat. Picture taken from Myjhola

In some places in India  people drink copious amounts of buttermilk and lemonade to keep themselves hydrated. How can I forget the aam panna, a beverage made with raw mangoes and slightly spiced? It’s an appetizing drink which balances the salt and sugar levels in the body which are lost dues to perspiration and what a wonderful way to keep the body cool.

The copious quantities of buttermilk that was served in Kutch. 

Aam panna made with raw mangoes. Picture taken from Chefinyou.

On my recent visit to Uttarakhand, I was delighted to taste the juice of the rhododendron flower, which grows only in high altitudes. Locals say that the juice keeps the body cool in the Himalayan summer. I bought a litre of it back home to savour and share with family and friends.

The rhododendron juice. 

Other childhood memories I have of summer are my grandmother making papads at home and drying them on the terrace. They are consumed during the monsoon when fresh vegetables are scarce.

Women drying Pappads. Picture taken from Economic Times.

If summer comes, can Monsoon be far behind? India has been suffering from a severe drought so I hope to God that we have a good Monsoon this year and every year. But till then, it’s time to enjoy the grand and beautiful Indian Summer.

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Haridwar- A Photo-essay

On the way back from the Deoriataal-Chopta-Chadrashila peak trek, I had a few hours in Haridwar in the evening. So I decided to attend the grand Ganga aarti at Har ki Pauri ghat and explore the markets at much as I could. Markets, because I love the riot of colours, shapes and fragrances in Indian markets and that is a great indicator of the culture of the place too. 

Read my posts on the Mahabaleshwar market and the Juna Bazaar in Pune. 

The Ganga aarti at Hari ki Pauri ghat. 

The Ganga aarti begins at 6.30 pm and lasts for around 20 minutes. But the crowd starts gathering much before that. The day I had visited was the eve of the 'maha-snaan' or main dipping ritual in the Ganga since it was the time of the Ardh-Kumbh, the religious Hindu congregation that happens once in 6 years ('ardh' meaning half). So I was mentally prepared for the crowd. But I needn't have been petrified of the crowd, sine the local Police, the Army and ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police) were doing a commendable job of managing the same. I went to the Har ki Pauri ghat at 5.45 pm to secure a good place from where I could view the aarti. There are 2 options. One is you go to the Har ki Pauri ghat itself where the aarti happens. The second one, which I chose, is to stand right opposite the Har ki Pauri ghat to get a clear and direct view of the ritual. The crowd gathered, the priests assembled and the chanting began. One thing that I liked was that before the aarti all the people gathered are asked to raise their palms to take an oath that they will not pollute the river and will help maintain its sanctity. 

Let me allow the pictures to do the talking :-) 

The sun sets on the river Ganga.

People gathering for the evening aarti. 

The aarti in all its grandeur. The place looked ethereal with the lights of the lamps. 

Since it was the 'Maha-snaan' the next morning, everything was lit up. 

The crowd dispersing after the aarti. 

I was hungry after the aarti and headed to the first shop outside the Har ki Pauri ghat to devour some aloo-puri. (fried bread and potato curry). The quantity was huge as you can see and was served on a leaf. The eatery has no seating arrangement so I had a hard time balancing the food on my left palm, pulling out the puris from under the bowl of curry and eating it..:-) 

Look at the crowd outside Mohan Ji Puriwale, from where I bought aloo-puri. Even Tripadvisor gives it a high rating. 

The neighbouring shop Prachin Mathurawale was quieter and he asked me to stand next to his shop, fearing I would be trampled by the crowd outside his competitor's shop. 

I washed down the heavy dinner with some much need salted Punjabi lassi. Burrp!! 

As I started exploring the market, I spotted several other eateries with their wares stacked interestingly. 

Haridwar, being a religious place, there has to be rosary beads and crystals for the devout. 

Lamps of different shapes and sizes. 

Dupattas and cloth pieces to drape one's shoulders, inscribed with holy names. 

Flower sellers. 

I saw a decent crowd lined up outside this shop. He was selling Basundi (thickened milk) from the big cauldron and pedhas (milk based sweets). Seeing me take a picture, he offered me a free sample. Seeing the delighted expression on my face after tasting it, he asked me if I wanted to buy. I so wanted to eat that, but did not because the aloo-puri had occupied all the space in the stomach. I just bought some pedhas to take back home. 

Making of a pedha. 

In another shop there were colourful bangles. 

And conches to herald the start of a prayer. 

And other offerings to the Gods such as puffed rice, and sugar balls and incense sticks. 

This shop had a collection of walking sticks and damarus, the 2 sided drum used by Lord Shiva. This was the last interesting shop I saw before I arrived at a street with shops stocked with cheap plastic goods.

I was glad I could at least walk around and explore the market in the 4 hours I had in Haridwar. May be I will come back to spend some more quiet time by the river, on a less crowded day. 

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Visit to a 115 year old Kulfi shop in Old Delhi.

The paan kulfi was awesome!

The first time I had heard about Kuremal kulfi was when reading recommendations by celebrity chefs on eat outs in Delhi. And we were anyways going to the city in two weeks, so I had bookmarked this place. The address said it’s in Chandni chowk, which I knew is a crowded area with narrow lanes, entangled wires dangling and cycle rickshaws and two wheelers almost dashing past you, while you cling to the sides of the lanes, if your reflexes are good.

Wading through Chawri bazaar. 

Kucha Patiram marg. 

Zomato informed us that there are two Kuremal Kulfi shops in the same lane. One is Kuremal Mohanlal and the other is Kuremal Mahavir Prasad. Both had great reviews, but the latter had fewer ones indicating that it is a newer establishment. The timings given on Zomato are wrong too, which we discovered only after reaching there. But that worked in our favour. So, on a Friday morning, we took the metro from INA to Chawri bazaar in search of the famed Kulfi.

Beautiful havelis along the way. 

We navigated through narrow, crowded lanes, with wires and cables entwined and hanging across buildings like festoons in disarray. I was surprised to see some old mansions or havelis with spectacular architecture, happily co-existing with modern squalor.

Notice the intricate woodwork. 

We reached Kucha Patiram marg, only to find both the shops closed. I was almost crest fallen for a few moments. I walked up to the opposite shop and asked the owner as when the shops would open. He said both shops open at 1 pm and it was only 10.30 am. But before my hopes dashed further, he said that just around the bend of the lane, they have their kitchen (karkhaana) where they make the kulfi and we could go there. He offered to accompany us and led the way to the kitchen.

My husband couldn't believe that I could go to any lengths (read walking through dusty, dirty streets) to eat a Kulfi.

The haveli opposite Kuremal Kulfi with stunning stucco work. 

Mohanlalji said it's the depiction of the Pandavas. 

But again, this is not just any kulfi. Kuremal is a legend in its own right. It was started in 1901 by a person called Kuremal in the very karkhaana that we were going to.

Kuremal Mohanlalji.

We were happy that we got to meet the owner, Mohanlal, the founder Kuremal’s first son, and owner of the Mohanlal shop. He was sitting with his son in a 10 x 10 square feet area, half of which was partitioned to accommodate giant stoves and cauldrons. There was nothing cooking in the kitchen when we visited, but Mohanlalji said that they have 2-3 others areas nearby and each part of the kulfi making process happens in a different space.

The kitchen. 

As opposed to the timings mentioned in Zomato, which said the shop opens at 9 am, Mohanlalji said it opens at 1 pm, but at the karkhaana, you can come even early morning or late night and have your fill of kulfi. When Kuremal had started the shop, there were just 2 or 3 flavours like malai, kesar and mango, but now they have experimented with flavours successfully and have as many as 25 flavours, some unusual like imli (tamarind), paan (betel leaves), and fruit sorbets like jamun, sitaphal, pomegranate, etc. One interesting innovation is the stuffed mango kulfi, where they scoop out the insides of the mango, fill the cavity with mango kulfi and freeze it.

Jamun sorbet and sitaphal kulfi/sorbet.

They didn’t have a menu card in their karkhaana, so we asked them what flavours are available. We decided to start with the paan kulfi, as I had never tasted that before. Mohanlalji sent a boy on an errand to pick up some paan kulfi from the place where it was stored. While waiting, I chatted up with him casually. I remarked on the fine woodwork on the opposite haveli. He said that it was built in 1930’s and the owners used to live there until a few years ago and now they have leased it out for some factory work.

Kesar kulfi- one of the original recipes. 

The paan kulfi arrived. It was delicious to say the least, with crushed betel leaves in the kulfi enhancing the flavor. Next was the mango kulfi. I was a bit disappointed with this because it wasn’t as creamy and the flavor appeared a bit synthetic. While we were deciding what to eat next, Mohanlalji suggested that we try the jamun sorbet as that is a speciality. We asked him what else was there and while he rattled off the list of flavours, we asked for sitaphal kulfi too. He sent one attendant to get the jamun sorbet and sitaphal kulfi. The jamun sorbet was out of the world with some chat masala sprinkled on it. We gulped that down and targeted the sitaphal kulfi. This one was more like a sorbet than a kulfi, not creamy at all. We were eager for more. What we had tasted so far were contemporary flavours, so we asked for one of the original flavours which Kuremal had begun with. So Mohanlalji suggested we try kesar. So we did and found it awesome.

Waiting for the order to arrive. 

I asked him whom the Kuremal Mahavir shop belongs to. He said that’s his younger brother’s. Sensing that I would be touching a raw nerve here, I did not ask any more questions regarding what appeared to be a fallout between the two. I asked him and his son about the quantity of kulfi they make each day. They replied vaguely saying that it depends on the orders they get and did not divulge the details of the quantity they make for the shop. Respecting that I did not push further. They accept orders for weddings, parties and other functions, within Delhi and even anywhere in the world. If it’s outside Delhi, their cooks travel to the location and prepare the kulfis there.

On the way back, we saw this beautiful building with fine carving and stucco work. 

Mohanlalji has a very smiling face and was very friendly but seemed reluctant to talk about his business. We thanked him for the kulfis and proceeded to explore another part of Delhi, with a happy stomach.

Each plate of kulfi/sorbet costs Rs 60. I may not go back for kulfis there, but if you want to visit a kulfi shop with a history of 115 yrs and situated in an area studded with old havelis with the old era charm, then it warrants a visit.

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