Page 12 - Seniorstoday December 2023 Issue
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one would get Jalebis eaten with Dahi or Tomatoes, Cucumber and onions. There
Rabadi. At Morena one would buy little was a little pickle that accompanied every
bottles of scented elaichi seeds. At Agra Thali. If you ordered a special Thali there
there was Petha and Dalmoth and At were cutlets that were made of beetroot,
Mathura one would buy Pedas and north potatoes and vegetables, at an extra cost.
of Delhi Chana Bhutara / Kulcha and in Similarly there was a non-vegetarian Thali
the winter Sarso ka Saag and Makai ki that consisted of two pieces of chicken in
roti were on the menu. A vendor selling curry, rice, chapattis and vegetable salad
Chana-Dal and Aloo eaten with puri or etc. In Nagpur a Railway caterer invented
lucchi made himself popular by calling a dish called the Railway Chicken. This
“mai puri lucchi ‘’. Of course the pun was caught the fancy of the upper-class and
obivious to every woman who passed became a popular party dish, and even
his stall. In North & Central India, there today there is something called Railway
would always be the smell of oil frying, hot Chicken.
samosas and kachoris and puris. Almost Passengers often carried their own food
every station had a food speciality. for the journey, and one always packed a
little extra to share with fellow passengers.
At railway stations, the food available was
reflective of the local culinary traditions
and varied across regions. Slowly but
surely these vendors have shut shop and
they have been replaced with modern fast
food joints and this is a big regret for me.
Also what has disappeared from the
Railway station are Toy vendors. There
would be push cards selling handmade
toys, the Kathakali doll that would shake
with a little nudge. The little Taj Mahals
in a glass case, monkeys beating drums,
all kinds of whistles, little drums, dolls,
musical and string instruments, miniature
kitchen utensils, a whole range of Indian
handmade toys that have now completely
disappeared.
One of the enduring charms of train
travel in those days was the scenic beauty
that unfolded outside the windows. As
Image courtesy: Vinod Karve blog the trains traversed through picturesque
In the 60s, the culinary experience on countryside and rural landscapes, you
Indian Railways was different from today’s were treated to a visual feast of India’s
onboard catering services. The dining car diverse topography. The journey itself
provided standard Thalis includes Dal became a meditation, a slow passage
and Aloo ki Sabji and salad consisting of through the heart of the nation. As the
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