Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Hundreds of traditional dishes from different regions of Madhya Pradesh have become extinct, or are on the verge of it, reveals a study conducted by the state culture department. They include dishes made from mahua like gulgula, raskhir, rasputka, mauhari, paudapitha, chusela,churaouaa in Baghelkhand region and others dishes like baat, mehri, jwar ka khichda baani, kola ki kheer, kanda jalai, amla ka audiya, indarse, lamba halua.
About 20 types of dishes made from green leafy vegetables like vachhan, dhawlai muslai too have disappeared. Changing tastes, non-availability of ingredients and the time and labour needed for their preparation are chief reasons behind the new generation forgetting the names and the recipes of dishes prepared by their parents and grandparents.
Some of them were prepared on festive occasions whereas the others were part of the daily meals. The Adivasi Lok Kala Evam Boli Akademi, a wing of the culture department, had conducted the study for all the five geographical-cultural regions of the state – Baghelkhand, Bundelkhand, Malwa, Nimar and Chambal.
According to Babulal Dahiya, a farmer and a litterateur who was assigned the Baghelkhand (Rewa-Satna) region, of the 300 dishes prepared in 1960s, there is no trace of at least 100. “The dishes that are no longer cooked. They mainly include mahua recipes,” he said.
Om Prakash Chaube, a retired professor of ancient Indian history at Sagar Central University, who was given the responsibility for Bundelkhand region, said at least 40% of the dishes had become extinct. Chhogalal Kumrawat, who was assigned Nimar region, said many vegetables were no longer available in markets. “Naturally, the dishes made using such vegetables will get extinct,” he added.
According to Vinod Mishra, who covered Chambal region, lamba halua, which was like the traditional lapsi prepared in Bundelkhand, is among 15% dishes from the region, which are no longer cooked.
Book on dishes
The idea behind the study was to identify the dishes that are disappearing from the collective memory of society and preserve them. The reports pertaining to all regions barring Malwa have been submitted by the experts appointed for the study. Once the report of Malwa region is completed, the department proposes to publish a book on the traditional dishes from the five of the state.
– Dharmendra Pare, director, Adivasi Lok Kala Evam Boli Akademi
