In awe of you, Ajwain
I don’t know when and how food became a source of excitement in my life. I look forward to eat, I like whiffing over the pans when the food is being made. Occasionally I like cooking and routinely enough I like eating. I savour food now, one bite at a time. Oh and the flex of knowing small details of cooking now. Which vegetable tastes better with vertically cut onions, which tastes better with tiny chopped onions and which would need onion paste.
But, but, but….I was a complete opposite in my childhood. Never really paid any attention to food. Had no sense of differentiation in food and it never gave me the joy it gives me now. But food, its aroma, its magic surely does have some invisible strings that takes my mind and heart back to some food related memories that my subconscious mind stored as a kid.
Even though as a kid I never paid attention to food but I vividly remember how my friend niharika’s mother used to make aloo ki sabzi which tasted like samose wale aloo (It was because of kasturi methi, I know now!) or how my friend Himanshi’s mother used to make aloo ki sabzi completely differently along with daal ka paratha. Uff, some of my favourite food memories from my childhood. This also makes me think about the fact that even though our dishes are made of similar kind of spices they all taste different in one way or other and that depends totally on how specifically our spices are getting used. In this lifetime I haven’t tasted food from two kitchens that tasted same. Quite fascinating.
Now coming to this spice (or a herb?) Ajwain (carom seeds) that I have been thinking about lately. This is one spice that doesn’t get enough credit for existing. It’s an underdog. Sadly my first encounter with Ajwain wasn’t great. Hence, most of my life growing up I didn’t like it but with time came awareness and a gushing wave of love for it. Above all it is a versatile spice considering the different ways it can be consumed. I was quite young when my first encounter with Ajwain happened. I was a kid with digestive problems. Growing up I had acidity issues which would create severe stomach pain and the pain would make me feel like I am going to die. I could feel certain knots inside my stomach. And even though I had syrups prescribed by doctor my mother used to give me some ajwain along with some water. And I had to gulp it down in one go. It used to be very challenging for me and hence the first impression of Ajwain on me wasn’t very great. I just hated consuming Ajwain with water. But today I can willingly do so. Then my second memory of Ajwain is of course the comfort food of many north Indians, Ajwain, ghee, namak wali pronthi, I LOVE IT! Then my third favourite encounter with Ajwain happenned because of my Naani. My naani loves drinking Ajwain wali chai in a steel glass and I got a hang of it too. It’s my Naani’s staple. Then later in life I happened to live in one my friends’ home and her father used to cook food for us. And uncle introduced me to Ajwain ke tadke wali Arbi ki sabzi. It doesn’t even need onions, just ajwain, haldi, namak and hari mirchi and oh my god, I haven’t made arbi any other way from that day onward. And just like that ajwain is also one of the key ingredients in the black tea I make everyday for myself. These encounters are just me starting my experiments with this legend of an ingredient that ajwain is.
I don’t know if it is weird or not but I have started finding spices beautiful. Their range, colours, textures, their littleness, the precision and symmetry they offer in their shapes. Also, I don’t know what is more weird, me finding spices beautiful or me thinking about all of this on a Friday night.
I think I am done simping over Ajwain for now. Maybe, will ponder about laung next.