LAKE LEELANAU -- India is a vast country with a current population estimated to be well over one billion. It has 28 states and seven national government-ruled union territories. India occupies 2.4 percent of the world's land mass and contains 17.5 percent of the world's population.
And it has some of the best, tastiest and most varied food in the world.
Probably only a handful of people in northern Michigan could tell you where India's capital, New Dehli, is located. Two Lake Leelanau residents, Rekna Chugh and Rajni Punhani, most certainly would.
Chugh and Punhani may not look like adventurers or risk-takers, but four years ago Chugh, her husband Surinder and two sons moved here from New Delhi to run NJ's Grocery in Lake Leelanau. A year later Surinder Chugh's sister, Rajni, her husband Pawan Punhani and their daughter joined them. Now the two couples run the store together. The women are responsible for the store's traditional north Indian food.
New Delhi, with its wide, tree-lined boulevards, beautiful homes and landmarks, is the seat of India's government. The vast Indian political bureaucracy gives New Delhi a unique cosmopolitan feel with diverse ethnicity and culture from many regions of India.
"Delhi is a posh colony, very beautiful and cosmopolitan. It has very good restaurants with specialties from different regions," says Chugh. "There isn't really a traditional cuisine."
However, there are some beloved street vendor and restaurant specialties both women miss like pani puri and Indian sweets like kulfi and halwa. "Pani puri are small puffed breads we eat with spiced water and with fillings of spiced potato or chickpeas," says Chugh. "Here we can't always get what we like so we make them."
In India, people's lives revolve around mealtime. "Women in India spend most of their time cooking so they don't usually work outside the home," said Punhani. "Every day for lunch and dinner we make fresh chapatis, lentils and fresh vegetables. We never use canned food."
"We mostly eat simple dishes of rice, lentils and vegetables, roti (flat breads) and salads of radish, carrot, tomato and cucumber," said Chugh. In India we didn't eat a lot of lettuce."
Both women say that they came to this country for their children's futures. They probably didn't realize the impact it would have on their eating habits, though. After three years Punhani's daughter has many American friends and likes many American foods.
"She loves pizza and pasta," says Punhani. "Sometimes when she doesn't like certain vegetables and lentils she'll cook macaroni and cheese or bake a chicken. She eats Indian food, but doesn't like all dishes. This is the age when we cannot force her. Sometimes she won't take Indian food to school. She says that she doesn't want others to say, 'What are you eating, what are you eating?' But she had some friends who came here. They ate samosa and liked them. Now she takes more Indian food to school."
Living here has changed both women's cooking "a little bit."
"We use less oil, less spices and make food healthier," said Chugh. "We've learned to cook more hygienically and how to make food safe. Because of the store we are exposed to more foods."
"We like American foods like pasta, pie and macaroni and cheese for a change," says Punhani.
Although you might think of India as very hot, New Delhi is known for its temperature extremes. Summer starts in April and goes through October with July and August being the monsoon months. "In the winter the temperature can go as low as 30 degrees Fahrenheit and over 110 degrees in the summer," Chugh said. "We don't get snow, but it freezes. In the summer it gets humid and sticky and it burns your skin." To cool down in summer Punhani and Chugh serve cooling yogurt-based raita with cucumber and summer vegetables like okra, summer squash and gourd.
With its cooler winter climate, north Indians are less rice and more wheat-based. Indians from New Delhi are known to have a sweet tooth; Chugh and Punhani are no exception: in addition to kulfi (a dense frozen ice cream thickened with cornflour) and carrot halwa they love rabri (milk, sugar and almonds cooked until thick). Savory favorites are dahi vada (lentil balls in yogurt), chat pakori (vegetable fritters with spices) and the local specialty of makki roti (cornbread) with sarso da saag (mustard green sauce).
Moving away from such a large city with diverse food choices could be difficult, but both women enjoy their new home in small town Lake Leelanau. "I like people here and I have found good friends, but sometimes I miss my family," says Punhani. "My parents are not alive, but my husband's family is very big. Sometimes they call me and we talk."
"I really don't miss home," said Chugh. "For me, everyone is like my family."
Sarso Da Saag
A well-known, world-famous recipe, this is tops on the list of Punjabi cuisines. Ask a Punjabi about spinach and he will jump up with mouth watering. Here is what you need to prepare the same in your kitchen.
1 lb. mustard greens
2 T. salt, more as necessary
2 T. cornmeal
2 T. ghee (clarified butter) or oil
About 1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and finely minced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 green chilies, like jalapeño or serrano, finely chopped (remove seeds for less heat)
Wash greens, trim then chop them finely. In a pot large enough for the greens, pour 2 cups water and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover the pot and let it cook until the greens are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove from the heat and drain excess water into a measuring cup and set aside. Mash the greens in the pot with the corn flour. Place the pot back onto the heat and let it simmer for another 10-12 minutes, adding the reserved cooking water as necessary to get desired consistency.
Make the Saag Tadka: Pour ghee or oil in to a small sauté pan over medium heat. When the fat is warm, put ginger, garlic and chilies in. Lightly sauté them until soft and pour this mixture in the pot of greens. Mix it well, season with salt and your Saag is ready to be served. Makes 4 servings.
-- Rajni Punhani
Makki Di Roti
This corn bread is one of the famous Punjabi breads, which are popular worldwide. If you talk about Punjabi food it's impossible that an Indian would not mention Makki Di Roti. It's best served with Sarso Da Saag and Lassi (a cooling yogurt drink). Some like their roti with curd (yogurt) or even pulses (beans or lentils). This type of bread is a daily morning breakfast meal for families in Punjab. When Punjabis go back to India they love this dish.
2 c. finely ground corn flour
warm water to knead
salt, to taste
1/4 c. oil or ghee
Knead the corn flour with salt as per your taste and enough warm water to make a soft but not wet dough. Make small ball of approximately two inches in diameter of the kneaded flour. Take an individual ball and press it to make a flour disc.
Warm a flat cast-iron pan or steel tawa. Once heated put some oil or ghee on it. Place the cornflour disc on the tawa and let it cook on low heat. While cooking turn the discs and cook on both sides. Brush discs with ghee while roasting so that it doesn't stick. Once both sides of the flour discs are cooked well, you have Makki Di Roti ready to taste. Makes 4 servings.
-- Rajni Punhani
Pani Puri
Pani puri make wonderful finger food. Try them at your next summer party.
Pani:
1/2 c. tamarind pulp
2 c. water
2 T. roasted cumin seed powder
2 T. unroasted cumin seed
Cilantro leaves
3 green chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 T. mint leaves
1 T. black salt
2 T. brown sugar
Puri:
1 c. semolina
3 T. fine wholewheat flour
1/4 t. baking soda
salt
Oil to deep fry
To make pani: Purée all ingredients. Adjust spices and tanginess to taste. Strain through a wire strainer to remove any rough bits.
To make puri: Mix semolina, wheat flour, baking soda, salt and enough water to knead a soft dough. Let it stand covered with wet cloth for 15-20 minutes. Make small, marble-sized balls. With the help of some dry semolina, roll them into thin rounds.
Heat oil in a pan to 365 degrees and deep fry puris on both sides till very light brown and crisp. Drain on paper towel. Serve with pani.
You may store the puri in an airtight container when cool. Makes 4 servings.
-- Rajni Punhani
Carrot Halwa
3 c. grated carrots
3 T. ghee
11/2 c. milk
pinch of saffron
1 c. sugar
1/2 t. cardamom powder
2 T. chopped cashews
In a heavy bottomed pan, fry the grated carrots in a tablespoon of ghee for one minute. Then add the milk and saffron, bring to a boil, cover and cook until carrots are very soft. Add sugar stir constantly over medium heat.
When all the moisture is gone, add 1 tablespoon ghee. Fry for two more minutes and remove from heat.
Fry the cashew nuts in the remaining ghee till golden and add them to the halwa with the cardamom powder. Mix well. Serve warm or at room temperature. You may serve carrot halwa warm with a dollop of ice cream. Makes 4 servings.
Note: You may reduce the sugar if the carrots are very sweet.
-- Rajni Punhani
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