Repast politics

FOODIE

The Singhvis bring together music, politics and food.

Anita and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, he of the Congress party and a well-known lawyer, and she known for her singing, both ghazal and sufiana kalam, have the air of a happily married couple. They banter in good spirit and both are able to complete each other's train of thought. Their shared background "" both are from Jodhpur, Rajasthan "" is the backdrop to their high-profile life in Delhi. Says Abhishek,"We constantly weave Jodhpur into our lives, be it food..." Anita continues, "Or apniyat, a warm, personal way of welcoming people which is typical to Jodhpur. And this apniyat is done through food."

Abhishek adds: "People in Jodhpur have a very high standard of eating and living, even if the person is not well off." Food has long been an integral part of politics. I ask Abhishek about this and he says, "Food creates a convivial atmosphere. The path to a man's mind lies through his stomach. If this is true of a person, it must be true of the collective as well. When you break bread together, juices flow." For Anita, cooking is something to be done properly and with love. She quotes Rumi, who said that there is a particular way to eat and serve food. Says Anita, "Rumi was very fond of yoghurt and garlic."

Anita's interest in food almost equals her interest in music. When she started singing ghazals, she also started learning Urdu so as to pronounce words and grasp nuances. On food, too, she is a fount of information. She says, "I read a lot about Ayurveda and I try and not go to doctors. Recently my son was a little unwell, but I cured him with the right food at the right time. My son keeps saying that I am resorting to quackery." She recounts how when she lived in her parents' house in Jodhpur before her wedding, there were almost 500 people living in adjoining havelis. Those days, "At one thali there would be 5-6 people who would eat from it. It creates a certain harmony." If the main courses have their own tehzeeb, even paan, says Abhishek, a personal favourite with him, "is served in many ways to indicate the mood of the moment."

The Singhvis put together a royal meal of gatta ki sabzi, dhania badi ki sabzi and some sauteed spring onions accompanied with a choice of peas-filled or dal-filled paper-thin rotis. As we eat our fill "" and it's easy with this cuisine with its emphasis on ghee "" it's clear that music and politics can come together in the kitchen to create culinary magic. In Indira Gandhi's Congress, the kitchen cabinet had negative connotations; in the Singhvi household a kitchen cabinet is a very desirable thing.

Favourite Recipes

Gatta ki sabzi

For the gatta
250 gm besan
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp zeera
1/2 tsp ajwain
1/2 tsp turmeric
Salt to taste
For the gravy
1/2 kg curd
1 pod of garlic
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp green chillies, chopped
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp ghee
Salt to taste

Mix ingredients for gatta and knead into a dough. Then shape into rounded lengths and cook in boiling water. Once done, remove from water and cut into small cylindrical pieces. In another pan, put the ghee and the other ingredients, barring curd. Add some water and let cook for a while. Then add curd and let boil for a while. Finally add gatta and let it slow boil for a while. Serve hot.

Dhania badi ki sabzi

1/2 kg dhania
1 small katori of crushed badi
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp zeera
2 green chillies
A pinch of hing
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp amchoor
A pinch of turmeric
Salt to taste

Put the zeera, green chillies and hing in the tadka and then add the dhania. Cover it and let it cook on a slow flame. Then add some water and some red chilli powder, turmeric and amchoor. After boiling it for a while longer, add the lightly crushed badi and let it cook till the badi becomes tender.