5 States- Memoirs of Mumbai, Maharashtra

 

5 States- Memoirs 

"Homesickness is not a thing until you have left the place you call home."

 

 

Come and delve with me 

as I jump into the experiences 

of my four friends

 and one including my own,

 who are from different states; 

as they share their thoughts

 on what it feels

 to be away from home

 and what do they miss

 about their place the most!

 

1)What is your name and it's meaning in your language?

- My name is Priya. It means beloved in sanskrit ❤️

2)Which special dish is your favourite that reminds you the most of home?( Could be your state special but please do mention who makes them that makes you reminisce the feeling of back home)

- God my favourite dish that makes my mouth water just thinking about it is Sai Bhaji and Tairi/Pulav. It is made in sindhi homes and by my mom. It is basically a creamy palak and chana dal gravy with brown pulav or sweet rice on the side along with boondi raita/ dahi!

3)Tell me about the landscape of your place where you live(The weather, geography of the place etc)

- Well, the place I reside in is Thane which is in Maharashtra. The weather is dominated with humidity and rains. Winter is like spring over there. Not harsh, barely noticeable.. pleasant. The rains though is another story. Every mumbaikar knows when it rains and we could write an essay on what feelings we experience when it rains. Nevertheless, Mumbaikars and it's rains have a love/hate relationship with each other. More love than hate tho❤️. The landscape of our place is coastal+mountains. So we have both amazing beaches and trekking spots.

4)There is a general vibe decided by the people living in that place.How are the people in your hometown?( You may compare it with the current place you are living in eg:Punjab)

- Well, the people in my hometown are actually really cut to cut. With pride of belonging to their culture, rightfully. You have to learn Marathi because there is a general bias wherein if you speak their language you will be treated like one of their own. So you can't survive long without learning atleast basic marathi. Here in Punjab, people do speak in punjabi but don't really care if you speak with them in Hindi. People here are more greedy and there is no proper price standards set here which makes it super hard to bargain with them. I really like that people here serve langar prasad and sharbat on roads and gurudwaras tho. So service is in the blood of Punjab, but recent times have changed it since I don't experience that vibe here anymore.

5) Can you please speak something in your language and translate it for us?

- In Sindhi: Maa Sindhi Chokri aya au mukhe Gharji jaam yaad indi aa (I am a Sindhi girl and I miss my home alot)

In Marathi: Maharashtra aale ki ikdecha trains madhe ekda tari sair karaylach pahije.(If you come to Maharashtra,you must travel by train atleast once)

6) How does your lifestyle look like in your hometown and what has changed after coming here? (Compare with providing examples like the food you eat or the pace of life here etc)

-There are so many changes. The timetable there is pretty late; like Mumbai is a city that never sleeps so you get the gist. You can go driving there at night and there will be places open, a nightlife bustling basically. The food is definitely very different, there are more greens made there like palak, shepu, lot's of peanuts veggies, coconut based veggies, sindhi tomato and besin(gram flour) curry lot's of fibre basically. And also the famous Vada Pav and Misal Pav of Mumbai! Here it's all paneer and aloo and lot's of protein based diet basically. The food diet here is definitely more heavy than in my hometown. Talking about the pace of life: it's busy and hectic there. Here, it's not that busy and fast paced like in Mumbai.

7) Which festival is the most celebrated in your hometown? Describe in detail how you celebrate it at home as well as in your locality (Perhaps something that your mother used to make or do which reminds you of home or the overall rituals that only people in your hometown do which makes it so memorable and festive)

Ganesh Chaturthi all over Maharashtra and badi Ekadasi at my home. In Ganesh Chaturthi the vibe is so energetic that you will literally forget all about your problems and enjoy the jovial atmosphere and the Ganesh Vandana aartis in Mandalis and at homes where everyone invites each other with love. The food special that I love the most is steamed rice modaks with sauted coconut and jaggery filling inside. My loving mausi(maid) taught my mother how to make it, since she is a maharashtrian. 

In badi Ekadasi my mom makes meethi maani which is basically is of the thickness of a big cookie and is made of jaggery water and wheat flour. It can be fried or made like a chapati on tava(pan). We also make churi.

8) Which special dishes are prepared in your festivals?

Churi, Meethi maani, Sai bhaji tairi, Kadi chawal, poran poli, shankar padi, karanji, chakali.

9)Can you give us the recipe of one of your favourite dish back home? (Please keep it original, something that your mom makes or grandmother or dad or grandfather or some local special; you can ask the recipe from anyone but the internet!)

Sai Bhaji:

(For four people)

1)Chop lot's of mix palak which consists of palak and lot's of other greens which I don't know the names of! Soak like two cups of chana dal and keep it aside.

2)Chop two tomatoes(Or one if you are going to put aamchoor or dry mango powder)

3)1 big onion chop chop!

4)Grate that ginger and chop that garlic cloves baby (swaad anusar)

5) Chop some green chillies too while you are at it. XD

6)Now what?! Put it all in the pressure cooker with oil and the basic spices(salt,chilli powder, aamchoor, garam masala) and see the magic!

Oh yeah don't forget to saute the onion,garlic,ginger, chillies into a beautiful brown colour before you add the other ingredients.

7) Don't forget to put that soaked chana dal in too because I forget it everytime lol. It's gonna make Sai Bhaji creamy (i know, yum).

8)Add like literally 1/4th glass of water for lubrication and close the lid of cooker and give it 5 whistles. Make it 4-5 whistles at the most cause palak is a mushy veggie and get's cooked pretty fast.

9) Make just normal white rice along with it if you are lazy like me or saute onions to brown in a vessel and make brown pulao with it.

10) Make your kid or any poor small sibling of yours to prepare boondi raita with dahi, jeera powder, god knows what ever spices they wanna add in and serve it as a side dish! (It won't be a disaster I promise)

10) If you would go back home today,what would be the first thing that will tell your senses, mind and body that you are back at the place you belong? (It could be the first thing that you do, like eating some food you only get back home or taking a ride in a vehicle you only find there or the classic weather that you only find in that place!)

- I will have the lassi and dahi at all three times of my meals and my mother's beautiful round face to look at and know I am home. She will make one extra small round chapati which I will eat with a song only me and my mother know of and get it, like a secret vibe. The moment I enter Mumbai, the autorickshaws and the drivers yelling in Marathi will tell me I am home. The beckoning of local trains and riding in them again will verily tell me that yes, I am at home.

Here it is, I hope this connects with all my fellow mumbaikars and also for you to get to know me better. 

Next week we have Manipur, the land of horticulture and cuisines and all things and people who are soft and nice!

Until then,
Love and Light,
Priya❤️