Elephant apple / ou tenga : Assamese cuisine

 

This is an Elephant Apple a very regular and liked food item with many health benefits used in our Assamese kitchens.Being from north i had never come across this fruit until i got married... since the time i first tasted it i fell in love with this one.It is called Ou tenga (pronounced O ,tenga means sour).Its outer covering is hard and you need to be very careful while cutting it as the inside pulp is slippery in nature.We consume it in cooked form when the fruit is not too young or too ripe.It is considered as a liver and heart tonic and anti diabetic....it is known to have a cooling effect on the body .After cutting it into small pieces(seeds are discarded ) we prefer to pressure cook it by adding some water to it....it is very acidic in nature.Once boiled some musturd seeds are spluttered in a wok or kadhahi and the boil mix is added ,later a pinch of turmeric and salt is added.....to make it more interesting fried fish can be added which is the most preferred choice out here.Its great specially if you are experiencing a very hot day .Tenga is served as the last dish (with the rice) i.e. once you are done with eating all the other items served.When kids are unwell and refuse to eat anything i always make this preparation because just one bite of tenga and rice mix is enough to stimulate their appetite.

I am only focusing the folk medicine culture in our food habits...if somebody is interested an expert advice is suggested.

Khar of Assam - An indigenous way of making bio-antacid

This is how khar (a bio-antacid)is made in my house.To make this BHEEM-KOL(a heavily seeded variety of banana)is used.Khar is an indispensable item in an Assamese household.......its a handy antacid and is also helpful in soothing a sore throat.Its a must have in every Assamese house.Displayed here is Bheem kol ...you can see it is heavily seeded....this banana is known to have beneficial properties ,for ages it is considered as an option for first baby food(seeds are removed and mixed with rice flour).We sun dried the banana peel . Once fully dried we burn the peels in an iron vessel.........the ashes which remain is collected. A muslin cloth is used to drain the extract,traditionally , a coconut shell is used to strain the same.Plain drinking water is poured over it and in an hour or so you get this clear liquid which is stored at room temperature for months. It is of a very strong strength so very little quantity is used at a time(1 tbs approx).A dish is made using this ....a raw papaya or cucumber or bottle gourd is cut in small pieces to which salt and desired khaar is added ...cooked in medium heat..very often small fishes are added to it too. I am only focusing the folk medicine culture in our food habits .If somebody is interested an expert advice is suggested.

THIRTEEN DAYS

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This is the back cover of the book published in memory of Kuna ba( a close relative and a great friend) whom we lost two weeks back to a deadly colon cancer- with a doctorate in child psychology -she was working as a professor and head of the dept of home science in a reputed girls college in Mirza.... her death report was covered by almost all the newspapers here.this painting is done by her seven year old daughter Antara titled SURJYA UTHA DESHOLOY..meaning" to the place where the Sun rises"....it is a goodbye gift from her to her mother .On the day of her Shraddha this book was distributed amongst all the friends,relatives and the family members.This book contains a lot of messages from family,friend and relatives.....many things written about her life, pictures of her childhood ,school days,college,marriage and many other aspects of her life.The idea of a book of this kind was initiated by both the families and the way both sides put their effort in was very touching and inspiring......even at a hard time like this they did something very positive.

In Assam it is mandatory to observe certain rituals in memory of the deceased ...starting from the day of death till the shraddha bhoj which takes place on the 13th day(many variations are seen )....but this pattern is followed by the most. I visited both the families(in-laws and her maternal home) many times ......during these thirteen days i saw all the rituals very minutely.I felt that these rituals are not only done in memory of the deceased but in a major way these are structured and designed to heal the family left behind mentally after such a great loss.....if not that at least it places the family on a healing path.Fasting and eating a plain meal,leaving some everyday comforts ,everyday evening prayers where all the family members and interested friends and families join.............people visiting the whole day to offer their moral support to the family.....a lot of talking and discussions.....it rebuilds our faith in family,relations,society and God even more.

At first i wrote a detailed version of these 13 days but later deleted because i was not sure if it is a right thing to do or not.... i want to share this beautiful lines written by Kuna's 15 years old nephew Chinmoy(i was surprised because it is the same kid whom i used to bribe with balloons before extracting his milk teeth).....

ON HER DEMISE

We were strong but now broken

only tears are left to show as token

pray darkness fails and light dawns

into a day of endless hope and delight

where pain is only a mere thought

and we are away from God's wrath;

Her smile ecstatic and joyous

shatters the pain that so monotonous

her humble looks delights ones sight

have hope and fight;

you are strong,

fight and prove all wrong

All that is good went in vain

she lost her fight with pain her movement cease to sway!

O DEATH!why thy take her away!

sleep now behind this curtain of fate!

now that we be joining you none too late!