Vegetables or riot??
When we talk about certain dietary choices, we usually talk about it in terms of health and morality. Sometimes, in terms of depravity (you'll see what I'm talking about). We even talk about the impact of our diets on the environment, though it is mostly large scale than immediate. For most of us here, in India, our diets are informed by social constructs, social divisions and hierarchies, tradition, religion, or our parents. And let's be honest, the last one is a pretty big decider.
Which is how those of us who are vegetarians or vegans actually came to be -- because our caste and religion, and those before us, decided our diets for us. But it's more than just prevalent in our homes. The UP government's decision to crackdown on meat shops was not based on any compassion for animals, but to celebrate the 'purity' of vegetarianism, and to subtly attempt at unifying Hindus to forge a nationalist identity by bringing those who acknowledged as consuming beef, that is the Dalits and Muslims, into the identity of caste 'purity'. Here, the invisible argument put forth by the government and those who subscribe to it, was that vegetarianism is morally superior not because it's better for the enviroment or the animals, but as a marker of caste identity, is normative. Those who eat meat, are the 'others'.
This is also seen in the removal of eggs in some states from the menu of midday meals for school children, even though the consumption of eggs or lack of, points to economics and not dietary choices. India's war against meat then is based on who consumes beef, and who makes a living out of it; notwithstanding the fact that India is the second largest exporter of beef, nor that the egg contains more protein than milk. Or that beef is a cheap form of protein, given the rate of our levels of malnutrition.
This isn't a plea for everyone to start eating meat. Neither is this a justification for why meat-based diets are better than veggie/vegan-based ones. My hope is that we not only think about food in terms of ethics, but also in terms of social dynamics and hierarchies that will help us confront our privileges. Indian cuisine is not homogeneous, and as much as we recognise that it is made up of different regional cuisines, it is pertinent to recognise that food habits vary across caste, class, and religion. In the same way, those with privilege and access to any food possible need to think about food in terms of politics. Why is it easy for someone to be vegan, and who is that someone? Who decides the narratives surrounding food? Who has the right to food? In the long run, veganism makes sense and I agree, but the violence with which food diktats are imposed in this country points out a greater problem than. That of structural violence in the caste system which no doubt is pervasive in food. Vegetarianism has its benefits, but it shouldn't be an enforcer of caste purity.
Couscous with roasted vegetables, chickpeas and garlic yogurt
For the couscous
- Two cups of instant couscous
- A cup of cooked chickpeas
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin powder; adjust to taste
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp chilli powder/paprika/smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp thyme; fresh or dried
- 1 clove of garlic; finely chopped
- salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp oil/ghee/butter
- 1/2 cup assorted chopped herbs; I like coriander and parsley
- juice of half a lemon/lime
- about a cup and 3/4 of water
Method
In a saucepan, add your fat of choice (I used ghee), let it warm a bit and then add the turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, chilli powder, and thyme. Add the minced garlic, and then the couscous and fry for 30 seconds. Add water till the couscous is hydrated and give it a mix. Set a lid on top and the burner to a medium-low, and let steam for five minutes. Switch off the stove, add the herbs and the chickpeas to the couscous and set the lid back on. After five minutes, add the lemon juice and salt, and taste for seasoning.
For the vegetables
I don't really have the exact amount of vegetables I used. I understand that part of the reason to have recipes is to avoid confusion with measurements. But a recipe is just a guideline -- you should be able to riff on it however you want. When you cook two cups of dried couscous, the amount should have at least doubled, if not given you a cup extra. So then let's say you can roast:
- 2-3 carrots; scrubbed, peeled and cut into wedges
- 6-7 Brussels sprouts; scrubbed and halved
- 1/2 of a sweet potato; scrubbed, peeled and chopped into cubes
- 1 small head of broccoli; divided into florets
- 1 red onion; cut into wedges
- 2-3 tsp cumin powder
- 2-3 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp thyme and oregano; dried
- 2 cloves of garlic; finely minced
- salt to taste
- 2 tbsp of oil for roasting
Method
Oil the vegetables first and then add the spices, salt and garlic so they stick. Place on sheet tray and stick in a 400 degrees F/200 degrees C oven for 35-45 minutes. But keep an eye on it from time to time, and stir throughout. I like my vegetables to be charred a bit. Go by what you like.
For the garlic yogurt
This is literally what it is -- garlic and yogurt. Any yogurt is fine here (except sweetened yogurt, unless that's your thing). For a cup of yogurt, I prefer two cloves of finely minced garlic, salt and chilli powder to taste, 2 tsp of olive oil, some chopped coriander/parsley, and 2 tsp of lemon juice. Stir to incorporate.
Assembly
Set plate, add couscous. Scatter the roasted veggies on top. Add a few more chickpeas here and there, and then spoon over the yogurt. This is also quite good as leftovers straight from the fridge.
Notes
- For those of us used to semolina, it's helpful to know that couscous comes from the same family, so if you don't have couscous, you could use semolina in a pinch, except that the latter drinks more water. It's also useful and important to learn where couscous comes from! Just like rice, which is so vital to many South Asian cultures, couscous has that significance with North Africa.
- You can use barley, rice, or Israeli couscous. Just note that the cooking time and water needed to cook, will vary.
- Remember the concentrated tomato paste recipe from last issue? You could add that just before adding the couscous, fry it in oil a bit and then fry it along with the dried couscous, add water and cook.
- If you have kidney beans, instead of chickpeas, use that. Or just any other bean. Those French lentils will also do. You want anything that holds its shape, so maybe don't add leftover toor dal.
- Substitute water for chicken stock (or beef stock/veggie stock)! It's shortcut flavour! Maybe even thin coconut milk?
- You know what would go with this? Roasted/grilled chicken! Yes, I see the irony in naming this issue vegetables or riot.
- Use any veggies available, honestly. If you don't have an oven like me, you can saute the vegetables. End of the day, they will all taste good.
- Instead of garlic yogurt, you want to eat it with cucumber raita. Okay, I see you. Grate half a cucumber for one cup of yogurt. Add a tsp of salt. In the smallest saucepan available, add 2 tsp oil and wait for it to achieve a shimmer. Add a tsp of brown mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp of broken urad dal, 1/2 tsp of chana dal, one slit green chilli, asafoetida and 4-5 curry leaves and saute till the mustard pops. Switch off flame and pour over the cucumber raita. This is known as tempering.
Miscellaneous
- I couldn't touch upon the gendered nature of meat in this issue, but Alicia Kennedy, in her excellent newsletter, explains it and the banalities of omnivorism very very well.
- Please stop calling it non-vegetarian, which is itself a neologism that makes caste vegetarianism the normative in India. Revisit this piece by Soutik Biswas on the myth of India as a vegetarian nation.
I would love to hear from you, whether its an idea, a shoutout, or just a chat about Shelf Offering. Reach me at seriouscheats@gmail.com.