A taste of royalty

Pushpesh Pant

Middle of January is an odd time for food lovers. Binging that begins with X-Mas continues unabated well beyond New Year and well-meaning resolutions about ‘eating light and eating right’ seem to effortlessly fade from memory.

We have failed to understand the ‘belief’ that what is good for body, mind and soul should be frugal and that ‘sugar, spice and all things nice’ should be only sparingly consumed. The truth is that we can indulge in what we like, striking a balance between what is good and what may not be so good. The guiding idea should be innovation with substitution. This chain of thought was triggered at the Uttarakhand Food Festival held in Mussoorie.

Here, chocolate walnut cakes, muffins and pizzas were displayed along with uttapam and idli, hamburgers and sandwiches. Interestingly, all the recipes used millets and leafy green vegetables (mostly forgotten nowadays), eschewed refined sugar and made do with just a pinch of salt.

What we share with our beloved readers today is the recipe of a long-lost regal delicacy named Paashai, a melange of vegetables fortified with meat and cheese purloined from the collection of Pankaj Aggarwal, who won us over with his shilajeet ki chai. More about that magical brew some other time. The name Paashai is a distortion of Baadshahi. Legend has it that it was created during a hunting expedition of the Tehri king, combining seasonal and foraged produce. A touch of Mughlai extravagance is noticeable in the aromatics.

The original recipe is believed to incorporate 156 ingredients but we are confident that excellent result can be achieved with a much lesser number! 

This is a crossover between a desi salad and sukhi sabzi. For increased pungency, you may add chopped green chillies, a few dry roasted red chillies and grated garlic. Served on a bed of boiled jangura (barnyard millets), this becomes a delightfully healthy one-dish meal!

Paashai

Ingredients:

50g Radish 

(washed, scraped and cut in batons)

50g Cauliflower (broken into florets)

50g Sweet Potato 

(roasted, peeled and cut into large slices)

1/4 cup Fenugreek leaves 

(washed and chopped fine)

1/4 cup Mustard leaves 

(washed and chopped fine)

50g Button mushrooms 

(wiped clean and sliced with stems)

50g Turnips (washed, scraped and cut into quarters, then halved)

1 small Capsicum (cored and quartered)

50g Carrots (grated, washed and sliced)

50g Cheese (cut in bite-size cubes)

1tsp Cumin seeds 

1tsp Red chilli powder 

1/2tsp Turmeric 

1tsp Coriander powder  

A pinch Cinnamon powder

A pinch Clove powder

A few blades Mace

1/8 tsp Nutmeg (grated) 

Salt to taste

3 tbsp Mustard oil 

Method:

Heat oil in a deep pan or shallow pot and add cumin seeds . When these begin to crackle, add the green leafy vegetables. When the leaves wilt, add carrots, radish, turnips, cauliflower. Add the powdered spices along with salt and mix well. Add cheese and mushrooms. Cover and cook on low-medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Stir once or twice in-between. Sprinkle a little water if needed. The vegetables should retain the crunch. Add capsicum and sweet potatoes in the end. Stir and cook covered for two more minutes. Squeeze some lemon juice on top. Serve.