The Comfort food that satiates your hunger

Recently, my wife and I visited our son in California. My son works in the Bay Area and was very excited to have us over at his place. After all, we were visiting him after a couple of years. He had planned out a complete itinerary for the entire stay.  The list included a whole lot of eating joints as he wanted us to experiment with different cuisines from Mexican to Taiwanese and from Japanese to Korean food. We were also excited to try new cuisines, as both of us are non-vegetarians and loved the variety.

It was barely a week, and my son left for the office. My wife checked what I would have for lunch, and my immediate response was dal-chawal and bhindi ki sabzi. In the evening, my son opened the fridge and saw the lunch leftovers. He immediately checked with mom on why she was cooking dal-chawal and sabzi that is so tedious. My wife replied that beta, this is the comfort food on which we have grown, and that both of us prefer at least one Indian meal a day.

In an era of fad foods that today’s generation loves, it’s the comfort food that our generation still prefers. And what better than dal-chawal-sabzi-roti? Though I must agree that making a chapati in the US is a bit tedious. So, the option is to get ready to cook chapati from an Indian store or manage your Indian meal without chapati. I preferred the latter option.

The comfort food that fades out the fad food.

In a world obsessed with health, there are two things that have gained momentum. On one hand, we have fad foods considered healthy, like Avocado, Quinoa, Chia seed, Matcha, and on the other hand, we have weight-loss injectable drugs (the tablet version is coming soon) like Wegovy, Ozempic, and Mounjaro. The difference between taking healthy food vs taking the drug is that in the former, you lose weight marginally without losing your looks. On the other hand, the injectables make you lose not only your weight but also your looks.

But there is another world – the world of foodies who are born to enjoy food without worrying too much about the side effects. So, let’s enter their world and see the comfort food that they are enjoying.

The staple food of India

For Indians, roti-sabzi-dal-chawal is the comfort food that satiates the soul. I come from a Kayastha family from UP, and for us, dal-chawal is the comfort food that we relish daily. People are often surprised when I tell them that arhar or toor dal is a must for us every day. Arhar dal, chapati topped up with desi ghee (clarified butter), rice, aloo-gobhi masaledar / pyaaz wali bhindi / baigan ka bharta / bharva karela, raita, and aam ka / bhara mirch ka achar is a weekly menu for lunch. Rice, dal, and chapati are constant daily, while the sabzi keeps changing to bring variety to the food.

India is a country of 29 states. In most of the states, the staple diet remains the same, like chapati and rice. It’s the sabzi and dal that are prepared in a different style with different spices. Punjab relishes different dals (Lentils) like rajma, urad dal, masoor dal, and moong dal. Chana dal is a favourite in states like UP, MP, Maharashtra, Bihar, and West Bengal. And tur or arhar remains favourite across the country. It forms the base for sambar in the south, while in states like UP, MP, and Bihar, it’s enjoyed plain with a desi ghee tadka of burnt garlic or onion. 

The comfort food that is free from all the sins that social media has created

What will happen if one has to follow the advice of self-declared health specialists on social media? Well, one will have to sacrifice all the food that we have grown up on, and that brings a smile to our face.

The light brown samosas are the perfect companion with evening tea. I remember dad getting them hot from the nearby kiosk and the entire family relishing it without any guilt trip. The samosas were accompanied by a green and a red chutney in small polythene bags wrapped by colourful rubber bands. The red chutney was made of imli, while the green chutney was a mix of dhania (Coriander) and green chillies. Whether it was a birthday party of a friend or a farewell to a colleague in the office, samosas will always remain an inherent part of Indian culture.

And how can we forget the vada-paav served with red-hot chili powder in Mumbai? Enter any eatery in Chennai or Bengaluru, and the smell of hot vadas served with sambar will make you feel hungry. Masala dosa and Idlis are now as popular in the North as they are in the South.

Street food is the biggest Comfort food.

It’s been 4 decades since I passed out of college, but the taste of that aloo-filled (there is also a paneer version) bread pakora with a glass of tea still makes me nostalgic. Go to any tea stall kiosk in Delhi, and you will find aloo-stuffed bread cut into a triangular shape, wrapped in a layer of besan, and getting fried in a huge kadhai. Served on a disposable bowl layered with aluminum foil with green chutney and some chaat masala, it will be difficult for you to say no to a second helping. At this point, you are forced to overlook that dark coloured oil and trans-fat. 

Every local market of Delhi had one Agarwal sweet corner that would serve the best Chola-bhatura. I still remember during my childhood days our family would walk down from Jorbagh via the Safdarjung flyover to the INA market that had two shops serving hot chola bhaturas and masala-dosa. Whenever we had relatives coming from outstation and staying with us, a visit to the INA market was a must. Visiting an expensive specialty restaurant today still cannot match the experience of having chola bhaturas served on a wooden table that had no chairs.

The King of Comfort Foods

Chola Bhaturas have survived through generations and still remain one of the most popular dishes of Delhi. You can watch social media experts discussing the best Chola bhatura joints from Sitaram of Paharganj to Nagpal of Lajpat Nagar. Watching a reel on Insta of those balloon-like fluffy bhaturas served with dark coloured cholas with a masaledar aloo sitting in the gravy, along with green chillies and mango pickle, is heavenly. After reading the story, I am sure a visit to Haldiram or Bikanervala will only satiate your soul.

When an alien dish invaded the streets of Delhi

This story will remain incomplete if I don’t mention the steamed, cabbage and carrot-filled semi-circular-shaped momos. Served with a really hot chilli paste, there is a gentler version for the people whose taste buds can’t tolerate such spiciness. It’s the mayonnaise chutney.

For the non-vegetarians, there is chicken stuffing. The award for best innovative street food will go to all the momo-making chefs of Delhi. I have never seen so many variations of a basic street food:

1. Kurkure momos – momos coated with crushed cornflakes and deep fried.
2. Tandoori momos – marinated in Indian spices and grilled in a tandoor
3. Afghani momos -stuffed momos drenched in rich, creamy, and mildly spiced yogurt marinade.
4. Schewazan momos – Pan-fried or steamed momos tossed in a fiery spicy Schezwan sauce.
5. Achari momos – momos spiced with tangy pickle.

And the award goes to the chef who created the Chocolate momos.

So, guys keep enjoying the comfort food that you love the most without bothering too much about H1Abc, Cholesterol, Triglycerides, and fatty liver. But yes, enjoy it in moderation and avoid overindulgence.

You can enjoy reading more such stories on my blog. Click on the following links:

Dal aur Chawal is an all time favourite combination of any foodie

A love affair with a spicy golgappa India’s favourite street food