Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-09-12
FOOD IN NORTHERN INDIA.
women Who Work the NIL - Cooking
without Stove OF Range.

women Who Work the NIL Cooking
without Stove or Range.
Wheat Is the chief food in Northern
India, although rice and coarser grains
are also largely used. Very early in the
morning 'the sound of the grinding is
heard" in the houses Of tie natives.
Some woman, a servant, a widow, o the
mother of the family is grinding wheat
for the days consumption. Sometimes
two women work the mill, which is O
rude but serviceable continuance, within
the means Of most families. The c~oarsely
ground -four is kneaded with water into
a mass of stiff dough, covered with a
piece of muslin and set away.
Meanwhile the men, having repeated
the prayer to the sun at the exact mo-
ment of its rising, go TO their daily avo-
cations. The children, If they wish, re-
oeiye a little food hat was left over from
the dinner Of the previous evening. and
go to school or to play in the court yard.
The women make the rooms tidy, battle
and dress, and await the return of the
men. About noon they come, bathe by
the well in the cour yard, and perform
worship by placing a little food or a
flower before the family idol, burning q
little incense, and muttering a few
prayers, after which they repair to the
place set apart and consecrated to the
sacred act of eating. They sit on the
floor with their knees near the chest,
wearing only a single garment wrapped
about them, which they wash themselves
so that it shall not be contaminated by
the touch of a man Of low caste. Their
other garments must not be worn when
they eat, because they have been defled
in this way.
A metal plate is given to each man, a
lota, or metal cup, filled with water is
placed by his side, and the women bring
the food and serve it cut TO their lords
and masters. In the hot season a woman
twirls n of the huge fans, or punkahs,
in a very deft manner, creating a little
breeze in the close hot room. When the
men have finished and gone out &c take
their usual whiffs at the hookah, the
women bring in tie rest of the food and
eat their breakfasg by themselves.
They Cook without the aid Of a stove
Or range, and generally without even a
chimney. Two or three sets of chulhas,
which are merely little standards built Of
brick or mud, are in one corner of a little
kitchen. The little kettles rest upon
them. Fires Of small sticks are kindled
in these chulhas whenever wanted, the
food is cooked quickly, and the fire i'm
mediately extinguished. Flat cakes,
f1attened out in the hands, are made of
the wheaton dough and baken on an iron
plate over the fire, first on one side, then
Oh the other. 1t is reckoned a nice ac-
complishment to do this ''just right" /.
e., to have the cakes perfectly baked, but
not burnt.
With these cakes, or chapatis, they
serve stewed vegetables or a pulse, called
dial, highly seasoned and enriched with
CHI, or boiled butter, or oil. Their only
beverage is cold water. They use no
china, glass, spoons, knives, forks or
chopsticks. They convey food to the
mouth with the right hand alone, using
pieces of the flat cakes as spoons TO scoop
up the stewed pulse. AT the evening
meal they have a little more variety; rice
in some form, perhaps, with a curry of
fish or vegetables, and a dessert of fruit
or sweetmeats. They are extremely fond
Of sweetmeats, and have them in great
variety. They are made of rice, sugar,
flour, butter, cocoanut and other fruit.
Some kinds are very good; but most Of
them are too heavy and oily to he digest
ible.
Some women smoke the hookah, and
all Of them chew pan a large portion Of
the time. This is composed Of betelnut,
a little shell lime, cardamon seeds, ETC.,
wrapped ina pungent leaf. After chew
ing this awhile a blood red juice escapes,
which colors the teeth and mouth in a
very unpleasant manner Mrs. Z. j..
Humphrey in Demorest's Magazine.