Frugal Kitchens – Pishpash by Tanushree Bhowmik

Om has been suffering from a toothache since ast night. It had been bothering him since beginning of the lockdown but we couldn’t make a trip to the dentist, so he was managing it. Last night the pain got unbearable and he couldn’t sleep all night! And those who have experienced toothaches and earaches know that the pain is worse than a bone fracture, and probably just next to labour pain! I would know, I have gone through all of them; well, not labour!

He was been listless since morning. So the morning within our four walls was dull, as the house completely mellows down when Om is not operating on his usual energy levels. We spoke to the dentist in the morning, and I made a run to the pharmacy, which these days sets off a complete mad cycle of cleaning, handwashing, sanitising and bathing!

After all that, I didn’t have the energy to cook anything fancy or even cook multiple dishes. Thankfully, I had woken up pre-decided that lunch will be a pishpash. The dish is perfect for toothaches, is nourishing and comforting, at the same time.

So I refered Didubhai’s recipe diary and rustled up the first pishpash of my life! Yes, true! I have never made one before. Never needed to and have always been the child who was fed a pishpash but never the adult who felt the need of making it. Untill today!

Pishpash, of Anglo-Indian origin, is a comforting mushy, starchy dish that was food for children and the sick! We were given pishpash while dealing with baby teeth eruptions, tender stomach or weaknesses. The younger we were, pishpash had lesser number of, and less fibrous vegetables and no chicken or boneless shreds of chicken. Once we were older, pishpash was replaced by stews, unless it was to tend to a delicate stomach, which was more robust than a pishpash and added much more fibre to the diet by way of types of vegetables.

So today was the day for the pishpash to make a comeback to my adult life for the big boy nursing an excruciating toothache at a times when physical access to the dentist is next to impossible! Till any of those change, it has to be medicines, lots of loving care and the comforting pishpash.

Pishpash

White short grain starchy rice: 1 cup; Red lentils (musoor daal): 1/4 cup; Chicken (legs or thighs): 4 pieces; Potatoes: 2 medium, peeled and cut into half; Carrots: 1 medium; Salt: to taste; Good quality cow’s ghee: 2 tbsp; Green cardamom: 1; Cloves: 2-3; Bay leaf: 1, small; Onion: 1, small; Ginger; 1/2 inch; Garlic; 2 cloves

Optional: French beans, string and cut into 1″ pieces: 10; Cabbage: 1/2 cup of 1″ square pieces

1. Wash the rice and the lentils. Soak in water and keep aside;

2. Clean and wash the chicken pieces, there should not be any coagulated fat on the pieces;

3. Wash, peel and chop the carrot into 1 and 1/2 inch thick roundels. Peel and chop the onion into small pieces. Peel and chop the ginger finely. Peel and smash the garlic cloves.

4. In a large pot, add the chicken, carrots, beans (if using), onion, ginger, garlic and the whole spices. Add about five cups of water and salt and bring to a boil.* Cover and cook till chicken is falling off the bones and vegetables are tender. Or cook till four whistles in a pressure cooker, over medium flame.

5. Strain the stock, and add the stock back to the pot or pressure cooker. Seperate the carrots and beans. Remove the bones off the chicken pieces. Add the chicken, carrots and vegetables back to the stock, with potatoes and cabbages.

6. Drain the rice and daal. Add to the pot.

7. Cover tightly with a lid and cook over medium- low flame till rice and daal are soft and mushy, and potatoes are tender. Or cook in a pressure cooker till four whistles over low heat.

8. Since I wasn’t cooking for children, I did not strain the stock. I removed the chicken pieces, de-boned the meat and added in back to the pressure cooker. In the stock, I added the rice, daal and rest of the vegetables. Covered and cooked for four whistles over low heat.

9. Let the pressure release naturally.

10. Mix the ghee, give one light handed stir and serve warm.

* I had added a pinch of turmeric as turmeric is good for fighting infections.

Note: I am adding the pishpash to the Frugal Kitchens because it is a pretty lean recipe, cooked in just one pot and yet, it very nutritious. It is also the perfect sympathetic food to help you tide over periods of low, which a lot of us are going through, off and on, in midst of the pandemic and unpredictability..