Dal Chawal for the Soul
Dal chawal has been the Indian staple for millennia now… And, when it’s steaming hot with the right amount of seasoning, it’s a divine and nourishing taste that touches every pore of your being!
After a long day’s work, a spell of travel, or even when you want to put your stomach back in order, because you’ve been socialising and eating out a lot, dal chawal is the food to resort to.
A few years ago, I had written a blog titled Bhelpuri for the Soul, about an Indian spicy popped rice snack, that was always comfort food for me. Going to the street vendor, and munching on it, made me think about how success should never take you away from the small joys of life.
Now with COVID-19, and with greater respect for home cooked food, dal chawal — or lentil soup with rice (as some gourmet menus would describe it)— has become my preferred comfort food.
Call it a sequel to my previous blog, or an expression of an evolved yogic me that now likes milder spice, this blog is essentially about things, people, places, foods and events, that give us the feeling of ‘coming back home’.
Because, no matter what you achieve in life, how famous you may be, how far you’ve travelled, or how much wealth you’ve amassed — and, on the flipside, no matter how low a phase you’re going through — your soul almost always longs for the familiar…
Things that evoke a sense of homeliness, of knowing you are safe and secure, of knowing you can be yourself (eating rice with your hands, if you please), and immersing yourself in the moment!
With the pandemic and the consequent lockdown, many of us have literally and figuratively come closer home…
We’ve spent more time with our immediate families, taken care of ourselves at a physical, mental and emotional level, and have perhaps also had time to revisit the stuff that gives us ‘real joy’.
Some of us may have even had realisations about who we are and what we value at an individual, familial and societal level…sometimes over a hot meal of dal chawal!
Here are some of my revelations while relishing my comfort food… Let me know your thoughts on the same, and what your preferred comfort food is in the comment box below.
Life can be chaotic but you will find your moments of calm
We’ve seen that a lot in the last few months — every day brought a new set of challenges, and every day we improvised to cope better with the various impositions on our old ways of living.
But, amid all the uncertainty, we found our moments of peace… We resorted to what made us happy, what we could still do from the safe confines of our homes. Many went back to reliving childhood passions, while still others completely reinvented their careers and businesses…
A new future was being built, hopefully a more peaceful one this time!
Life is about sharing meals with friends and family
A family’s life revolves around food. Bonding with friends happens over food. Food has always been the defining factor in our lives…making beautiful moments more memorable, and softening the blow during hard times.
While many may have eaten alone during the lockdown, the first thing we did when the lockdowns were relaxed, was to share a meal together… To bond over favourite dishes, eat pizza together out of a box, or to simply clink our glasses — sanitised ones at that — and know that all is well with the world again!
Life is about small daily efforts that finally add up to huge changes
If there was one thing that kept me sane during the lockdown, it was my daily practice of yoga… Though I initially kept at it because it was the best homebased exercise I could do, I realised that sticking to it, helped me gain more strength and flexibility.
Whether it’s your mind, body, or a skill you do with your hands, if done on a daily basis, you may not see visible changes immediately, but one fine day, suddenly, as in the case of yoga, you will slip into the final pose with ease…and that’s when it will all make sense!
Life is about giving, in however small or big ways you can
When the spirit of contribution enters your life, your life will always have greater purpose… An acquaintance of mine has made random acts of kindness a regular practice — his only motto is to put a smile on people’s faces… Those smiles are reward enough for him.
Giving needn’t only be material… It’s sometimes about small simple gestures like holding the door open for someone, or listening with full attention when someone needs an ear of understanding….or even just saying thank you to special people in your life!
Life is beautiful, specially when it includes dal chawal
At the end of 2020, after a zillion struggles that the world has collectively gone through, I think we would all unanimously still agree, that — life is indeed beautiful!
What makes it beautiful is not just those exotic travels, or expensive gadgets, or branded outfits that lay in our cupboard smelling of mothballs during the lockdowns, but the fact that we were still alive — alive to cook ourselves a wholesome meal of dal chawal, alive to enjoy it hot and spicy with loved ones!
Of course, many may have lost a near and dear one, and we still don’t know the exact magnitude of the pandemic, but, what we do know, is that we can make each day count, by adding to them moments we cherish — moments full of warmth and soul!
I wish you more dal chawal in the coming year, or whatever else is your comfort food, place, person, or thing… Get enough of what you seek, life is too short to stress over anything else!
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