SHEHERWALI
India a country
with 28 states so the influence of this states can be seen on indian cuisine
but there is one more factor that affects the cuisine of India and that is food
of different communities. There are so many communities in India such as East
India Community, Saoji community, Parsi community. These communities take some
ingredients and techniques from the place where they settled and gave something
in return to that region.
Who are sheherwali?
In the middle of
the 18th century, a group of wealthy Oswal Jain community traders, businessmen,
and bankers migrated to Bengal. They came from small towns of Rajasthan, and
settled around Azimganj, Jiaganj, and a few other areas near Murshidabad, the
then capital of the Nawabs of Bengal and a trading hub where Europeans came to
buy silk. “The community, in no time, became one of the most influential ones
in colonial India and came to be known as Sheherwalis (city dwellers). The name
came from the fact that they were itinerant traders, who moved from sheher to sheher (city to city),
With time, the
Sheherwalis adapted to their new surroundings of Bengal, everything from their
culture, attire and food to the way of life was heavily influenced by the
locals–Nawabs and Bengalis. Their sartorial choices incorporated local
sensibilities; men wore pleated dhoti with Bengali-style kurta paired with an
embroidered shawl and a local variation of a turban, while the women took up
sarees, instead of the Rajasthani lehengas. Sheherwalis speak their own version
of Hindi, which is generously uses Bengali, Urdu, and Rajasthani vocabulary.
Sheherwali cuisine
Sheherwali cuisine is a finest example of vegetarian cuisine. Sheherwalis are devout Jains following the tenets of the nonviolent culture and philosophy. The food, accordingly, follows the same nonviolent Jain principles—the community’s food is completely vegetarian, and it excludes root vegetables or spices since it doesn’t believe in harming insects and microorganisms.
One of the most interesting aspects of the Sheherwali cuisine is that it is a
confluence of Rajasthani, Nawabi, and Bengali flavours, the community came from
a land of extreme climate, and where food was cooked to last for a long time
and reheating meals wasn’t needed. Also, where the scarcity of water was
compensated with dairy products such as milk and ghee. When they settled in Bengal,
they were presented with a year-round abundance of vegetables and fruits and
they included them in their traditional recipes. Such as vegetables like potol (wax gourd), jackfruit, kanch kola (plantain), bottle gourd, ridge gourd,
cucumber etc. and fruits that were found abundantly in Bengal in their diet.
Mustard oil which is used in Bengali food was also used liberally in the
cuisine. However,
ensuring their religion’s dietary rules were intact. The influence of Bengali
cuisine is evident in Sheherwalis’ generous use of the popular paanch phoron (a Bengali
spice mix consisting of fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, nigella
seeds, and black mustard seeds). While the liberal use of rose water, saffron,
and dry fruits is proof that they raided the Nawabi larder as well.
The Jains
usually do not eat anything after sunset and they take the first morsel of food
only 48 minutes after the sunrise. So there is usually a large gap between
these 2 meals. They usually start their day with a drink called Dhanagra. It is
a mix of spices like cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, bay leaf etc. boiled in
water and served as the first drink in the morning. Mirich
is made of caramelized sugar and black pepper. Dhanagra and mirich is
said to give you the required energy for the day and is good for the stomach as
well.
Signature Dishes
Kheere ki kachori (a puri stuffed with grated
cucumber and curd), saloni mewa ki khichdi (sweet rice with
dry fruits), paniphal ka samosa (a
fried flaky snack stuffed with water chestnut), kheere ka khatta meetha (sweet and sour cucumber curry),
and chhena bora (a
sweet dish made with cottage cheese) & Neemas, which is a variation
of the North Indian daulat ki chaat. “Neemas is basically sweet and
creamy milk froth. It is made using full fat milk, and usually hand-churned,
are few of the popular dishes from the Sheherwali culinary repertoire
Love for Mangoes
No Sheherwali summer is complete without the mangoes of Azimganj.
Reportedly, there are over 100 varieties of this fruit in Murshidabad and
around it. The community makes the most of the king of fruits by using it in a
wide array of preparations such as pickles, chutneys, drinks, and curries.
Many of these recipes also
didn’t leave the precincts of the family kitchens and were lost with time
because Sheherwali recipes are closely guarded family heirlooms.
In an effort to save and share this rare cuisine with more and more people
across the country, several Sheherwali food enthusiasts have been hosting
pop-ups and dinners. But more efforts are needed.
“FOOD
CAN BE A VEHICLE FOR SOCIAL CHANGE, IT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER IN A WAY VERY FEW
OTHER ACTIVITIES CAN’’
ANIM STEEL
Outstanding as always 🌼🥰
ReplyDeleteMind boggling info bro ...keep it up
ReplyDeleteThank you so much
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