The Humble “Panjiri” and the Pandemic
The Lockdown continues and along with it continues my days of reflections and contemplations. I am deliberately trying to find virtue in the smallest of things that I do these days and digging out from my memories things that I used to enjoy as a young girl.
I do not know why but these moments of quiet reflections give me a lot of happiness and contentment these days. Maybe it is not about having beautiful days, but about finding beautiful moments in every day.
During one such reflective moment today when I was transferring wheat flour into the container, I was reminded of this sweet prasad that my mother used to make whenever there used to be any pooja at home. A powdery, sugary sweet made with wheat flour with lots of dry fruits. We used to get to eat it in banana leaf along with cut fruits. Have I ever in my life tried to make this prasad at home? I tried hard to recollect it, when I did not remember anything, I went to my son and asked him whether I have ever made ‘Panjiri’ for him on any occasion? “Panjiri’? What is that? I have never heard of that mom. Is it something, we eat? No idea never heard of it.” He informed me. I felt sad at that moment, not because my son had missed out on any big thing but because in my pursuit of enjoying many designer cuisines and delicacies, I had in fact forgotten that once upon a time I used to love having the humble “Panjiri” given to me in banana leaf either by my grandma or by my mother. I also associate the memories of “Panjiri” with a pooja celebration and hoards of people visiting our house to take ‘prasad’ that my mother used to prepare with so much interest and care.
It is definitely not my craving for the humble ‘Panjiri’ that has started this chain of thought but the realization that how over the period of time our preferences about things change, our attitudes and our likes and dislikes about things change and if we do not make an extra effort to revive the things that we once cherished so they die a natural death. How many of us who have eaten “Panjiri” as prasad when we were children have really exposed our children to the same experience often? At least I am guilty of not doing it at all. That is why the reaction of my son in his thirties now, has made me think and also to come into action.
I quickly surfed through internet to find out the recipe for “Panjiri”, which was in fact a piece of cake! The easiest sweet dish I have ever prepared in my lifetime! Why didn’t I think of it earlier? It is so healthy. Not much sugar or fat goes into it, but it is filled with the goodness of dry fruits and wheat flour! WoW! Once again, I had to appreciate the ingenuity of yore and tradition.
The ‘Panjiri” prepared by me turned out to be perfect. The same aroma, same taste, and the same texture only thing that was missing was the Pooja atmosphere and banana leaf!
Admiring my work of art in a bowl, I came out of the kitchen and straight went to my son and proudly thrust the bowl of “Panjiri” under his nose. “See I have made “Panjiri”, I am sure it is so healthy that you will not refuse it. Not much sugar and very less fat. “I declared with confidence. He wanted to know the ingredient, I told him so.
“Hey Mom, don’t you know I am gluten intolerant and on a gluten free diet these days! This thing is nothing but pure gluten!” he said in a hurry.
I came out of the room disappointed and filled my own mouth with “Panjiri” and said aloud” Phuphaji” and when the wheat flour flew out of my mouth , I became the little girl once gain who enjoyed the humble “Panjiri”. And I thought to myself that the small things of life were often so much bigger than the great things. And sometimes the smallest things can make one feel good about being alive. Thank God for these little things that have given me the whole new purpose to go on during the Pandemic!