Nostalgia on a Plate: Childhood Foods We Still Crave

There’s a well-known term called ‘comfort food’, which turns on your nostalgia and makes you feel warm and gooey, while your taste buds reminisce the flavours you so love since you were a kid. The thought comes from days when you would greatly enjoy homecooked meals made by your grandparents or parents and savour them together. Though the secret ingredient to enhance the flavour was love and sharing, there’s no stopping in enjoying the same by yourself and your loved ones.

No matter where you are, there’s always a way to relive those moments by cooking those beloved recipes. We want to bring out the child in you by painting a picture of those memories as best as possible with some mouthwatering delicacies that have been traditionally passed on through generations. Below are a select few for you to relish and cherish.

1. Mango Murabba (A kind of Jam Spread)

This desi jam is an age-old favourite that can be prepared from seasonal fruits. Long before we enjoyed bread and jam, Murabba was a well-known spread amongst various regions of our country. Tangy, juicy and packed with nutrients from fresh fruits, it’s a great accompaniment for all Indian breads or just bread. 

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Region of Origin: South Asia
Serving size: 4-inch jar

Ingredients

• 1 big or 2 small raw mangoes (sliced/grated) 
• 2 cups seedless dates 
• 1 cup jaggery (100 gm) 
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 
• 8 fenugreek seeds 
• 8 black peppers 
• 4 cardamom pods 
• 1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tbsp refined oil
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Clean and peel the mango. Grate it or thinly slice it.
2. Soak the dates in hot water for 1 minute. Pat them dry. Chop it into pieces.
3. Take a medium-sized pan and place it on a medium flame.
4. Add oil, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and black pepper. Fry for a few seconds.
5. Reduce to low flame. Toss in the chopped dates and sauté for 2 minutes.
6. Add the mango and mix well.
7. Sprinkle chilli powder, jaggery and salt while continuing to stir.
8. Once the jaggery starts melting, blend again. You can mash it when it’s hot if you need a smoother texture. You will not be able to do it when it cools as it turns sticky.
9. Cover and cook till the fruits turn mushy and translucent while stirring in between for 10-15 minutes.
10. Once you see a paste-like consistency, switch off the gas and set it aside in a dry area to cool.
11. Store it in a glass jar.

Bhutte ka Kees

Bringing you a soft and creamy, melt-in-the-mouth comfort food from the streets of Indore. Made with fresh corn and a subtle set of spices, this yummy dish is renowned not just in its home region but also across India. The art of slow cooking the ingredients to their mushy and aromatic form is key to the flavours and warmth that radiate through the body in every bite.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30-40 minutes
Region of Origin: Indore
Serving size: 3-4

Ingredients

• 4 cups corn (ground coarsely, grated or chopped)
• 1 cup milk
• 4 tsp grated coconut 
• 1/2 lemon 
• 1 1/2 tbsp coriander leaves (chopped)
• 4 tsp coconut (grated) 
• 1 tsp cumin seeds 
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder 
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 5 tsp ghee 
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Clean the corn well. Chop or grate them into small pieces.
2. Take a medium pan and place it on medium flame. Pour ghee and let it heat.
3. Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Fry till they splutter.
4. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chilli powder. Fry for 1 minute.
5. Turn the flame to low and add the corn. Start stirring and mixing.
6. Sprinkle the sugar and salt and mix gently. Adjust the taste.
7. Once the corn is gently cooked and the spices blend, pour the milk and mix well.
8. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes till the milk is completely soaked into the corn mixture. Stir in between.
9. Add the coconut and coriander, mix well and turn off the gas.
10. Squeeze the lemon and gently mix well for the final flavour touch.

Chicken Vindaloo

 Inspired by a Portuguese dish that was introduced to us in the British era, the kitchens of the Goan region enhanced the dish with its local ingredients and reintroduced it. This cuisine style is a long-time favourite of its residents and many more who have had the opportunity to taste it.

Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 25-30 minutes
Region of Origin: Goan
Serving size: 2

Ingredients

• 1/4 kg chicken 
• 1 cup onion (chopped)
• 1 tsp vinegar for taste 
• 1/2 cup coriander (chopped) 
• 2 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste

Marinate

• 1/2 inch fresh ginger
• 2 garlic pods 
• 4 or more red chillies (adjust to the spiciness preferred)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds 
• 1/2 tsp coriander seeds 
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 
• 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds 

Method

1. Wash the chicken well and place it in a large vessel.
2. Make a paste of ginger, garlic, red chillies, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds and coriander seeds by grinding with hand or a mixer.
3. Spread the mixture well on the chicken till it’s coated completely. Set it aside.
4. Take a large frying pan and place on a high flame. Add oil and heat.
5. Once hot, reduce to medium flame and fry the onions light brown.
6. Heat oil and fry onions on low heat till the onions turn dark brown and crispy. You can also deep fry them in a smaller frying pan.
7. Pat out the excess oil and grind it to a paste with vinegar.
8. Pour this mix into the chicken and spread well. Pour a bit of water to adjust the thick consistency of the flavour mix.
9. Cover and let it marinate for 30 minutes.
10. Heat the large frying pan with oil and add the marinated chicken with the marinade.
11. Fry on low to medium flame till the chicken is well cooked, make sure that the gravy also thickens.
12. Garnish it with chopped coriander before serving.

Tamarind Poha

This dish is known by various names such as ‘gojju avalakki’, ‘puli aval’, ‘huli avalakki’ and more throughout the various states of South India. The beloved sour, spicy and a bit sweet poha recipe can take you back to those summers waking up to the aroma of tamarind poha at your grandparents’ house. Simple yet flavour-packed, the dish is one of the favourite breakfasts or light-eat recipes.

Prep time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 10-15 minutes
Region of Origin: Southern India
Serving size: 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups thick poha (200 gms) 

Marinate

• 2 tbsp tamarind or 1 tbsp tamarind paste 
• 1 tbsp cup jaggery powder (adjust consistency based on preference) 
• 2 tsp rasam powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder 
• Salt to taste

Masala powder

• 3 tsp sesame seeds 
• 1/2 fenugreek seeds 
• 1/2 cumin seeds 
• 3/4 cup dry coconut (grated)

Tempering

• 4 tsp oil
• 1/2 cup peanuts 
• 2 red chillies
• 6 curry leaves
• 2 tsp urad dal 
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp hing 

Method

1. Take a large vessel and mix tamarind, jaggery powder, turmeric powder, salt and rasam powder with some water. Adjust consistency by adding the required ingredients. Remember that even if the flavour tastes intense, the poha soaks it in reducing the level of flavour. Thus it’s better to make the marination mix tangy and spicy.
2. Coarsely grind the thick poha. You can powder it further based on the texture preferred.
3. Mix the above-marinated powder with the poha. Add water until it reaches the poha mixture’s upper layer and set it aside for 30 minutes to soak the flavours. The mix should have a semi-solid composition and not be too liquidy. Make sure to avoid adding too much water as the poha turns soggy.
4. While the poha marinates, take a large frying pan and dry roast sesame seeds, fenugreek seeds, and cumin seeds first. Set it aside and dry roast the grated coconut in the same kadai till light brown.
5. Grind the powder finely and set it aside.
6. Take the same large pan and place it on a high flame. Add oil and let it heat.
7. Toss in hing and mustard seeds. Fry till it splutters.
8. Add red chillies, urad dal and peanuts. Fry till they turn brownish.
9. Lastly, add the curry leaves and mix.
10. Reduce the flame to low, pour the marinated poha mix and start stirring gently.
11. Once everything is mixed well, the excess water evaporates turning the poha dry and grainy.
12. Cover and cook for 10 minutes while stirring in between.
13. Turn off the gas and sprinkle the masala powder. Make sure to mix well with an action of scooping from the bottom and dumping on the top.
14. Once you mix well, cover the lid and set it aside for 2-3 minutes before you serve.