Note: A recipe for Chai, approved by my project director, and biscuit of choice/recipe will be provided in the blog.
“The people who give you their food give you their heart.” – Cesario (Cesar) Estrada Chavez
It is obvious how universally binding and culturally important food is. The way it’s prepared, consumed, etc. In this case, since I arrived in the Dang district, a motto has been repeated to me various times.
“The food in Dang is very nutritious, people here take their food and meals very seriously” – my supervisor Shaqib Painter told me at a restaurant in Subir.
“It is important here to eat, you are given rice with daal after your meal of chapati and sabji. And chai breaks are universal, you can never go wrong there. It is a form of endearment and importance.” – my Project coordinator Mahipat Baju said to me during a chai break.
Conversations on food and nutrition always intrigued me especially when it related to questioning and analyzing my own food intake and which foods I consider to be culturally significant. The amount of protein and amino acids in certain foods or how much starch is consumed in a region based on the consumption of what was readily available by our past ancestors always has room for questioning. Is it enough to eat this way in modern society? How has our way of consumption changed? Is there a definitive way of eating healthy in contemporary society with so much added sugar? Are biscuits the true enemy, is sugar the real enemy? Can we ACTUALLY come to a place where we can have foods we want and foods we need? Are we “ok” with being told that each of us requires different needs for nutrition despite our cultural backgrounds and beliefs?
In this case, Dang is mainly vegetarian, with emphasis on making each meal savory, nutritional, and satisfactory. Main courses can include Paneer masala, Cashews, broccoli subji, aloo (potato) subji, rice, roti (chapati), lentils, beans, tomatoes, peas, onions, and a variety of spices. Whichever type of meal one has in Dang, however, 3 constants in the district I have found have been the chai, biscuits, and bananas.
Unlike the chai in Delhi that I had consumed, the Chai in Dang contains milk, sugar, ginger, peppermint, cardamom (depending as cardamom is expensive), cinnamon, cloves, and occasionally hazelnut or nutmeg (among other spices). At times, even small amounts of pepper are added. I had voiced my concerns for the sugar content initially. Coming from the United States, sugar had been a serious issue for many people, and there had been a movement to replace it with artificial sweeteners. This concern, however, was quickly discarded and reassured. The formal recipe, recommended to me by restaurant owner in Subir, and personal friends with my project coordinator, was shared with me:
59.15 g Cloves (Laung)
59.15 g Green Cardamom (Elaichi)
59.15 g Black Peppercorns
1 tablespoon Fennel Seeds (Saunf)
6 inch Cinnamon (Dalchini)
2 tablespoon Ginger powder
1 Nutmeg , grated
To make my life easier, I followed these simple instructions:
- Mix all the ingredients (except Nutmeg) in a blender and blend to make a coarse powder.
- Grate the nutmeg in the powder.
- Meanwhile, heat up about half a liter of whole milk (oat milk or cashew cream can be used as Vegan/dairy sensitive substitutes) in a pan at high flame.
- After 3-5 minutes lower flame intensity to add in powder, then increase flame at high intensity.
- OR
- Boil milk first and then use 1/4 tsp of this powder for each cup of Indian masala chai. (it is recommended to add powder to the milk as it boils as one can then filter it out later).
- Store unused powder in an airtight container for up to a month.
- Enjoy the Chai.
Side Note: amount of milk used depends on how many people may drink the chai, this recipe is meant for multiple people. If you are making chai for yourself simply add less milk and continue to follow adding the same amount tsp to chai. If saving chai for later use, know that the taste and quality of the chai decreases with time.
“Understand that chai has been a part of the village and India for centuries. And sugar has been seen as an important source of energy… Yes in the village and mainly in cities across India and your country [The United States] we see how sugar and excess junk food contributes to unhealthy lifestyles. But here, [the chai] with a biscuit, it won’t hurt you, as long as you are active and eat right 90% of the time…” – my coworker Kalpez to me and other facilitators at a lunch meeting.
Chai has been labeled as a method for socialization and enjoyment in the village. It allows for people to stir up conversations near chai stands and have something sweet after or before their meals. Furthermore, as coffee isn’t readily available in the village, it provides a form of energy for everyone. Having a chai with biscuits is also a culturally important phenomenon. When I am invited over to meet friends of my coworkers and project coordinator, chai and biscuits are always provided. Although every chai break doesn’t require biscuits, having both in the same meal signifies a level of respect, cordialness, endearment, and hospitality.
“Even people of old age have biscuits and chai. Or those that know about their health, will still only have chai. For you, you need biscuits and chai. You are young, you need the energy, and it is ok. The calcium, sugar, and spices in chai has allowed one to reduce their levels of stress, increases dopamine, and allows you to have a good day” – my neighbor Ananyagi speaking to me over a cup of chai she made.
Note that any type of biscuit can go with chai, however, below is a video on how to make the famous Osmania biscuits that have become synonymous with the cultural identity of Hyderabad: https://youtu.be/x9tWe_l2LUM?si=LiIGYDuhQ6DT_zQW
Bananas are important in the village like any other fruit. Although in my case, my love for the fruit has been noted by various people in and outside of the office. Bananas are available year round in many parts of the world, but it is India and China that are the biggest producers of bananas on Earth. With this in mind, I was subtly praised for buying bananas wherever I went and was always reminded about its nutritional value (e.g. calcium, potassium, fructose, etc.). Despite bananas being a medium source of potassium, it is the easiest. People in the village have mangoes, pineapples, apples, pears, dragon fruits, and bananas as part of their diets. Students at schools with LRC and LEP spaces that I visited were taught that if no other fruit was available, a banana would always help to keep them full, reduce chances of illness, and increase their capacity for learning. From this exposure, I have had a more positive outlook towards eating the foods I do in Dang, instead of just having the positive image of such food and eating them.
