Free India on My Platter by Sanjeev Kapoor, Saransh Goila Page A

hesitation, asked ‘Do you want to take a bath from this tube well? We do it all the time and the water is chilled and clean.’ Now, that was the best shower that I have ever had! Trust me, the force of water was fit for an elephant to take a bath in, and yes, the water was crystal clear. After the bath, I changed out of my city clothes and opted for a simple village style vest and dhoti (garment worn by an Indian male, akin to a skirt, consisting of a piece of material tied around the waist and extending to cover most of the legs) with an orange turban. It was time now to climb a tractor and ride back to the house for the real deal: food. The tractor ride was as fun as it could be; I felt like Sunny Deol from one of his movies! It was already late afternoon, so I decided to take an afternoon siesta on the charpai outside in the porch before the big party in the evening.
    In the evening, the porch was full of hearty laughs as we discussed food, life, religion and India. Harpreet had promised that the dinner would not be any ordinary one; it was a local feast prepared by the ladies of the house. Every single dish was cooked on slow flame, lit by wood and dry dung. What was on the menu? Sarson ka saag, matar paneer, chicken curry, boondi raita, dal jeera, meethe chawal, paranthas and makai roti. As they had done so much, the least I could do was teach Harpreet how to make a parantha, as his mother complained that he did not know how to cook at all. I taught him how to make a chana dal parantha, as he wanted to learn something healthier. To top it all, Harpreet had planned a surprise Bhangra party. Around 50 villagers came together and there was a huge bonfire that was lit. We sat around it with our plates filled with food and hearts filled with happiness. No hotel food would ever come close to this meal. Every bite I ate, I wanted to shake my head and look at the camera and give a ‘Nigella’ kind of expression. This was real Indian food, no fuss, filled with pure spices, ghee, vegetables and love.
    I learnt my lesson that slow-cooking is a technique that makes a world of difference to any dish you cook, it helps the dish retain its nutrients and makes it tastier. With a full-hearted meal, drinks and dance, the day came to an end and I bid goodbye to everyone with a heavy heart. I had earned a friend for life: Harpreet. One tip: the next time you travel, look for people in the interiors of the city, and they’ll give you a day to cherish for the rest of your life!

D AY 24
    29 August / Ludhiana
    ‘Sat sri akal. Ki haal chal?’ is the way you greet in Punjab and ask, ‘Hi, how’re you?’ with respect. Now that I was in Punjab I had picked up a few Punjabi words. Besides the lush fields of Punjab, the state is unanimous with its big road-side dhabas.
    I was in Ludhiana, one of the richest cities in Punjab. A year back someone had given away 50 BMWs as wedding return gifts to his closest friend and relatives. The real objective for me was to try a dhaba or two for their famous rara chicken; it would have been unfair had I not tried good chicken dishes after coming all the way to Punjab, wouldn’t it? Apparently, the best dhaba serving excellent rara chicken in Ludhiana was Aman Chicken. Manpreet, the owner’s son, explained, ‘Aman Chicken is about 30-years-old now; it was established in 1985. Our speciality is rara chicken. There’s an endless list of chicken dishes. If you’ll read about our restaurant on the internet, it’ll tell you that our butter naan (a type of leavened bread, typically of teardrop shape and traditionally cooked in a clay oven) is very famous. We wrap it with a special white butter and cream.’
    I could already envision myself gaining at least three to four kilograms from today’s meal. Soon, I was in the kitchen and I met the tandoor specialist who revealed the secret behind the butter naan, ‘Make the naan. Spread dollops of butter, and then fold it like a handkerchief and put more