For many, the memory of a festival is tied to the aroma of special dishes. In a recent conversation, Sonia Gandhi offered a glimpse into her family's Diwali traditions, recalling meals centred on Kashmiri flavours and a special sweet rice.
A Taste of Tradition
In a video conversation
with her daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and granddaughter Miraya Vadra, Sonia Gandhi revisited fond memories of celebrating Diwali at 1, Safdarjung Road, the former residence of her mother-in-law, Indira Gandhi. While reminiscing about lighting diyas and the firecrackers of her early years in the family, she highlighted a culinary tradition that endures. “On festivals, we always used to have Kashmiri food and that sweet rice… which we still make, by the way,” she shared. This continuation of a simple food tradition speaks volumes about how flavours become intertwined with family history, carrying memories across generations.
The Kashmiri Connection
The presence of Kashmiri cuisine on the Gandhi family’s festive table is a direct link to their heritage. The Nehrus were Kashmiri Pandits, and this cultural identity was a significant part of their household. While Priyanka Gandhi Vadra noted that her grandmother, Indira Gandhi, was not a cook herself, Sonia Gandhi added that she possessed an 'acute sense' of taste and knew exactly how to improve a dish. It was through this appreciation for her roots that Kashmiri culinary traditions, like those savoured during Diwali, were preserved and passed down. These meals were a way of keeping a connection to the family's Kashmiri origins alive at the dining table.
Saffron, Spice, and Sweet Rice
While Sonia Gandhi did not name the specific sweet rice, Kashmiri Pandit cuisine features a well-known festive dish called 'Modur Pulav'. This celebratory rice is famed for its fragrant qualities, deriving a golden hue and gentle sweetness from a generous amount of saffron. Unlike savoury pulaos, it is enriched with ghee, whole spices like cinnamon and cardamom, and garnished with nuts and raisins. Other dishes that are staples in Kashmiri Pandit households include Dum Aloo, Nadru Yakhni (lotus stem in yogurt), and Haak (collard greens). Sonia Gandhi has mentioned her fondness for dishes like Kashmiri Kofta and Haakh, showing an embrace of these specific flavours over the years.
A Journey Through Food
Sonia Gandhi’s appreciation for Indian food was a journey in itself. She has admitted that when she first came to India, she found the spices overwhelming and struggled with the unfamiliar flavours. In her memoir, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', she reflects on how she gradually adapted to and fell in love with the country's diverse cuisine. From finding her initial encounter with tandoori chicken to be 'fire' for her mouth, she now professes a love for a wide array of Indian foods, from Bengali to Gujarati dishes. She recalls even making the Gujarati snack Khandvi for her children when they were young. Today, she says that dal-chawal, specifically Arhar ki dal, is the 'taste of home' and a daily constant in her household.
