Chaugaon - Food and Dietary Habits

Food and Dietary Habits

The food of the villagers of Chaugaon is invariably spicy and hot. The staple food comprises grains of wheat, bajara and jowar with bajara having the major proportion. The grains of bajara and jowar are consumed by way of preparation called Bhakari (thick baked bread). The pulses also form the important part of food. Pulses consumed are horse gram,Toor, Moog, Chawali and Udid.

Nowadays, rice being available in open market and through government controlled Public Distribution System (PDS) is getting popular. Once about three decades ago, use of rice in the menu was regarded as a sign of better living and could not be afforded by all being costly food then. The cooked rice is called Bhaat. Rice is also consumed by way of preparation called Kichadi. Khichadi is prepared from rice and pulses of Toor or Moog with spices, chilly and oil.

Vegetables and pulses are part of the daily menu. They are either grown locally and bought from weekly market of Kusumba or even Dhule. Tomatoes, Brinjals, Onions, Methi, Bhendi (Ladies Fingers), Gawar, Ambaadi, are the vegetables that are grown locally. Potatoes, Cauli flower, are never grown in the village and come from outside.

The Vegetables are cooked into preparation called Bhaji or Shak and eaten with bhakari. Pulses are cooked into preparation called Daal and Aamati. Daal is simple preparation and generally slightly spicy. Aamati has to be very spicy and hot. Both are eaten with bhakari. Daal or aamati are also eaten with cooked rice.

Consumption of fruits like bananas, dalimb, papaya, watermelon, muskmelon and chikkoo is occasional. The other minor and seasonal fruits consumed are Karwand, jambhul, and bor.Bananas, dalimb, papaya and bor are grown locally .

The cooking style and taste differs according to communities but food preparation is invariably spicy and hot. Milk and its products like curd, buttermilk, butter, ghee, form the important part of the diet of vegetarians, as milk is available aplenty in the village.

Consumption of non-vegetarian food is less common. Non-veg food consist s of mutton of eggs, goats and chicken. Fish is less common. Fresh fish is occasional but dried fish called Bombil that comes from ouside the village is consumed. The non-vegetarians are not at all regular meat-eaters and the consumption is occasional on celebrations or at times once a week. The major population is strictly vegetarians notable among them are the Brahmin, Gawali and Mali communities.

All villagers take tea in the morning and the afternoon. Use of milk and sugar in tea preparation is profuse.

Kadhi, a preparation from buttermilk, salt and spices is a very favourite item of all villagers in Chaugaon. Chatani is another item devoured by the villagers. It is preparation of ground chilli powder and salt. The other favourite items include homemade mango pickles, and paapad. Paapad is eaten either roasted or fried. Paapads are made from Nagali (red millet), Jowar ( white millet), Udid (black gram), Mug ( green gram), and Rice. They come in variety of taste and additives.

The daily meal consists of Bhakar (bread), Bhaji or Daal or both, split onion, and groundnut chutney. All communities in the village take three meals a day. Nyahari (Breakfast) is taken early in the morning before going out on the work generally before 10 o’clock. Afternoon midday meal is taken at about 2 o’clock and dinner at night between 6 to 9 pm. The festivals are celebrated with sweets like Puran poli, puri, shira, khir, fried paapad, kurdai, bhajee / pakoda etc. At the Diwali festival, Karanji, Anararse, Ladoo, Chivada and shev, are prepared. For the Akshay trutiya festival, aamras and puran poli is special menu. Every community has its own preparations for festivals. The Gawali community has its own preparations like Kanola, Kapani, Kadkani, and Khodbalaa...