1) BHOG
: TEMPLE FOOD OF INDIA : ARUN AND GEETA BUDDHIRAJA : KRISHNAPREMA CHARITABLE
TRUST: PAGES : 205 : PRICE RS 3900/-
Both the authors are avowed Krishnabhaktas and have visited many Krishna temples as part of their pilgrimages.
From Vaishnodevi to Guruvayur and from Somnath to Puri Jagannath temple, the
couple has travelled and painstakingly and meticulously picked up the recipes
of the food that has initially been offered to the Gods. These offerings are called Bhog Prasad.
Temples offered to the Gods food prepared from seasonal ingredients grown in
Temple land and cooked with minimum spices. There are exceptions though. For
example, in Imphal’s Govind Devji’s temple, Lord Krishna has his food sprinkled
liberally with chillies. And the rice dish has a sweet and sour taste about it.
The book explores the connection between food and culture and brings to the
benefit of the reader India’s heritage temple cuisine. Different foods have to
be absorbed by the Gods at different times. Based on the year’s six seasons and
the eight units of kala which the temples generally follow for the offerings to
the Gods, the recipes are a wondrous delight and a treasure trove for the
reader. Be it Mirchi ka saag, Tenti ka aachaar, Radha ashtami arbi (Radha had a
weakness for arbi) and kadhi, they are all mouth-watering stuff blessed by the
Gods and a divine delight for the devotees to savour them. More than a recipe
book, the book is about Indian culture. The icing on the cake is that the offerings are made out of
Bhaav and not necessarily great culinary expertise. The authors praise the
temple cooks for their devotion and for being custodians of a living
culture. Arun and Geeta Buddhiraja have done an excellent job of bringing the
‘kitchen religion’ back to our dining tables. I found ‘kamrak ka bilsaru’
particularly fascinating. It is known as a star fruit and it has a tarty
flavor. It has a high content of Vitamin C. Channa Poda, Pokaro and Phoolon ki
thandai were some other dishes/drinks that aroused my interest.
2 comments:
Hi, I waited for this book to be published and thought of gifting it to myself for Christmas. However, when I went to buy it, the price was something I could not afford. It is a beautiful book and I hope sometime you will publish a glossy paperback edition so that more people can buy it. The rich will only have it on their coffee tables - the rest of us would love to try out the recipes!
Hello Sunshine:
You are absolutely right. The book is indeed pricey. I am not sure whether the publishers will go for a paperback edition unless they are sure that the book will sell for a minimum print run.Coffee table books have their place in a niche market. They are high -priced and bought by the rich. Ironically, though they may read the recipes, very few of them follow the instructions and cook. And that is a pity.
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