Day 19: Let There be Light

Asif Shaikh, a dear friend, and world renowned master embroiderer and designer, was visiting us the past few days from Ahmedabad, India. He shared his passion for reviving the art of Indian embroideries with our friends, and showed us samples of his work, which left us all breathless. At a time when there is so much heartache around the world and we are all feeling the pain, for a few minutes we were able to imbibe some beauty - and revel in what pure imagination and God-given talent can create. It was a feast, for our senses; a balm, for our souls.I asked Asif about his Ramadan memory. He recounted this story: “When I was a kid, there was no loud speaker in the mosque; there was no TV, no internet. So how would people know when to break the fast? Outside the mosque in my neighborhood, there was a big poll, and on top of that they put a bulb. They would switch on the light when it was time to break the fast. I used to go 15 minutes before iftaar time to the mosque, and I would stand there and continuously watch the bulb on top of the pole to see when it switches on. Then I would run down the street and shout, “Batti silgai, roza kholo! Batti silgai, roza kholo!” (the light is on, open your fast). I must have shouted this at least 100 times, running fast down the street, so everyone could hear – summer or winter or monsoon. I must have done this for 10 or 15 years.”I asked Asif bhai if there is a particular food that he associates with Ramadan. He misses all of his mother’s recipes, he tells me, but there is one dish in particular that even his neighbors miss. Everyone on Eid would come to his house for “Jebu aunty’s dahi boondi” (yogurt with gram flour balls). They would unabashedly ask for more and ask her to make a big bowl just for them. And while many tried to recreate the recipe, it would never turn out like Jebu Auntys. What made hers so special, I asked Asif bhai. “The proportion of the masalas,” he said, “… and the love.”Day 19, Tradition 19: Jebu Aunty's Dahi BoondiJebu Aunty’s Dahi Boondi Add water in yogurt and make thin consistency;Soak boondi in warm water for 30 minutes;Add boondi in yogurt;Add red chili powder, salt, garlic paste;Put 2ts oil in pan, once hot, put mustard seeds in it, and when they pop add to dahi boondi;Leave it for an hour to soften, and cool in fridge.(and don’t forget the secret ingredient!) And there's one more thing. Asif bhai used to save all his Eidee as a kid.  By the time he was starting his career, he had collected about 10,000 rupees in Eidee (today about $170). He used that money to buy textiles, tools, threads to start his business.  "Whatever I am today, is from that Eidee," he says.