A feast from the yore, one that surely calls for a siesta. In fact, it almost incapacitates you from keeping your eyes open if lunch has been Puri and Doodhpaak, the Gujarati take on a rice-and-milk dessert.
Doodhpaak literally means milk that has been patiently cooked until it slightly caramelises while gently cooking the rice within it. Compared to kheer or payasam, doodhpaak is thinner in consistency, and the quantity of rice used is minimal—just enough to offer the occasional soft bite. The true star ingredient, however, is charoli/chironji, which cooks alongside the rice and lends doodhpaak its unmistakable flavour.
Whether enjoyed warm or chilled, doodhpaak remains a celebratory mishtan lovingly prepared in Gujarati households.
What I also share here is the Hurbai plate (#notsponsored), quite literally a work of art on a platter. Hurbai Masi has been creating these masterpieces of Kutchi – Khavda pottery since the age of fifteen; she is fifty-eight now. You can read more about her inspiring journey and Niraj’s work through @dehaati_design.
I recently came across the following passage in the introduction to Mediterranean Claypot Cooking by Paula Wolfert, and I could not resist sharing it here, because handcrafted pottery and wood remain my favourite mediums to work with:
“These vessels also speak of the potter’s skill. For eons these craftsmen have been essential partners to cooks. Art historian Bernard Duplessy describes potters in his book From The French Country Table: Pottery & Faience of Provence:
‘Gods of clay who work the elements—earth, water, fire, and air—to create platters, stew pots, plates, and skillets.’ There’s something very special about cooking in pots that bear traces of what craftspeople call ‘the maker’s hand.’”