beingdesh

Tag: tea

  • Is it the end of the Chai-Biscuit era?

    Today I received an article from a friend of mine, Where did conversation go? No where. It talks about the “about-to-die” habit of having conversations. It also debates whether forms of new media have eclipsed the intimacy of having a one-on-one, or sharing a happy moment together.

    So is it the end of the Chai-Biscuit era? Chai represents much more than to us than a mere beverage, it is a conversation starter, our true friend during a conversation and the tastiest dip for a biscuit. From the addas which are still commonplace in Bengal, to housewives sipping that post-siesta tea, from office tea breaks to evening tea with families, chai has shaped the way Indians converse and share thoughts for a long time.

    So what happened now? When did walking to someone’s home without telling them in advance become a crime, when did talking about things personal and private online become a habit, when did the happiness of connecting with a few and bonding with them transform into the ever increasing desire to have more Facebook friends and Twitter followers, when did the keeping things to oneself become more than a one-off thing, when did our life become private in front of our parents and elders, when was the real smile overshadowed by the fake smileys, when did chatting and messaging steal the look of the face and tinkle of those eyes, and when did we start getting detached from the world, lose our sense of being together to being more individualistic?

    So is it the beginning of a new era, the Coffee-Cookie era? Coffee shops have replaced the meetups at home, 5 Rs. Parle-G has been replaced by 40 Rs. a piece Cookieman cookie, but more than that both of them represent a transition. A transition in habits, triggered by technology, economy and the society as such. It is not bad, its a transition, although its fun to live in nostalgia, these are changes which will shape the future. It is useless to trigger the age old debate of tradition vs. modernity, and it would be ruthless to declare a winner.

    In my world, Coffee exists with Chai, with Parle-G in one pocket, and a Cookie in another.

  • The Story of Indian Railway Cutlet

    Have you ever noticed Bhartiya Railway- “Aapki Sewa main” (Indian Railway- In Your Service) written in small circles on the berths in railway coaches. The only noticeable aspect of this service is their catering, captured in the quintessential Railway breakfast, Cutlets!!!

    Those small patties, covered with bread crumbs, deep fried, cut in various shapes (circular in west, heart shaped in east, other shapes which I have seen include a rhombus, small squares etc.) are part of the morning happenings of any train journey. After experiencing (primarily experiencing the sense of smell) the aromatic railway toilets in morning (usually flooded, soiled and you know what all) and a quick brushing of teeth standing alongside variety of people, many a times with finger (as one forgets the brush 9 times out of 10) the smell of these cutlets is the first welcome thing which invigorates all senses, especially “the smell” which ends all smells. The smell of railway cutlets is unique, much unique than that of soil after first rains, or that of Chanel no.5 . Any other smell which comes closer is that of railway window railings, purely metallic and very very unique. Another smell which was equally unique was that of Duckback raincoats, leathery and nice.

    These cutlets are mostly made of potatoes with a few seasonal veggies, mostly peas, carrots etc. Although the best ones always have that bit of beetroot in them, they always have. They are nicely packed, well wrapped in aluminum foils, in fact there is a bit of sogginess which seeps in along with the crispiness due to the foils which creates a unique taste. One is always served two cutlets with bread butter (2 slices only, never ever more than that). I always make a sort of a sandwich out of the first and then slowly munch of the second one to get lost in its taste. One can’t forget the contribution of ketchup here (cheap version, enriched with Pumpkins for thickness). This tomato ketchup is always packed in those small plastic sachets, bright red in color, it always adds to the flavor of cutlets. Although nowadays one tends to get branded ketchup at times.

    Cutlets taste best with the watery coffee (which is much better than the watery tea). Although if one gets tea of the quality of Chaudhry Chai waala (a famous tea vendor, near Nandurbar station, en route Ahmedabad to Nagpur) one shouldn’t miss that.

    Cutlets compete for stomach-space with Omelets in morning, but in my books there in only one winner when it comes to breakfast on Indian railways. Cutlets also get an enhanced version in Rajdhani or Shatabdi where they are accompanied with fried green peas or a some pieces of French fries at times. But the basic taste remains the same.

    I just hope I keep traveling, enjoying my journeys on Indian Railway and keep enjoying the wonderful moments it brings along.

    Long Live the Indian Railway Cutlet, one of the best breakfast in this country…