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Jun 20, 2024

Here’s Why We Crave Chai

A glint of lightning lit up the dreary white room, barely catching the doctor's fatigued eyes, reminding him about how people believed that lightning creates a conduit for souls to depart for the

A glint of lightning lit up the dreary white room, barely catching the doctor's fatigued eyes, reminding him about how people believed that lightning creates a conduit for souls to depart for the heavens. Not today, he muttered! Soon enough, rain began pattering against the window, forming an eerily peaceful orchestra alongside the beeping EKG machine. Even as the pulse quickened, the doctor would not let go of hope. And then the silver-outlined nurse finally walked in.

Meanwhile, hearing the doctor thunder at the attendees helped the patient muster enough strength to lift half an eyelid. He glanced around the room tiredly, before finally noticing it. The plate in the nurse's hands inched closer and closer, until it was finally close enough to smell its contents. Relieved, the patient slumped back into his bed. Chai and pakoda were finally here, and the monsoon rains would not be wasted anymore!

This is hardly a hyperbole. More than just a delectable pairing, chai and pakoda is an emotion disguised as a dish, and not indulging in the culinary masterpiece as the rains roll in is simply too monumental a sin to ignore.

But even the simple and humble pakoda has no common face in India. It might look like a brinjal 'begun bhaja' in Kolkata or like clusters of caramelised noodle-like onions down south, making it hard to pinpoint the origins of our beloved dish exactly.

Earliest sources point towards Tamil Nadu, where "Parika" cakes were crispy fried using vegetables and lentils. However, other sources also hold the Mughal culinary renaissance responsible, where Mughal royal chefs made "Pakkawat", often with non-vegetarian ingredients such as eggs, chicken and mutton.

Still, tracing its origins is one ordeal, decoding who or what brought the chai-pakoda combo together is another.

The obvious and most commonly held belief is the fact that opposites simply attract. During the summers, you tend to crave an icy-cool lolly or sharbat as your body needs a cooldown. Combine this with the Indian obligation to serve tea and pakoda hot, and you have the perfect way of keeping yourself (and your fellow chai-adda people) toasty during monsoons.

In addition, pakoda is ridiculously simple to prepare. All you need is a vegetable, some type of coating (usually lentil-based), oil, and some fire — all staples in an Indian household. There is an inherent marketability to this simplicity, which is also why Maggi packets sprinkle the cabinets of all of our houses.

Add in the ease of ginger tea, and you have a combination that is quick to prepare, tastes scrumptious, and keeps you warm against the blistering wind and wetness our monsoons are notorious for.

By now, we are fully expecting that you have somehow found your way to some chai-pakoda yourself. However, if you still feel unconvinced, let's look at the science behind our craving.

Many of us feel the 'monsoon blues', a seasonal affliction typically caused by the lack of sunlight during the monsoon and winter seasons. This translates to a lowered production of the feel-good hormone 'serotonin' in our body during this time, making us feel excruciatingly low on energy or motivation.

Now, here's an interesting tidbit. Science has shown that carbohydrate-rich meals spike insulin levels in our body which, in turn, temporarily helps our brains produce more serotonin. Guess what has no thumbs, but a ton of carbohydrates? Pakoda, of course!

In addition, hot and spicy foods trick your body into raising its temperature. That's primarily why you might start sweating upon finding that chilli in your pakoda, and every sip of tea stimulates it further. In short, your body has certain mood- and temperature-related needs, and chai-pakoda has gradually become the quintessential rebound during monsoons.

Here's another interesting piece of history to spice up your chai-pakoda addas. Did you know the pakoda family might've inspired the Japanese tempura? Experts reckon that when Portuguese and Japanese traders came to India, they feasted heavily on the delicacy and brought them back to their homeland, which branched into a wide variety of similar fried fritters worldwide.

While this might have helped sate your curiosity, here's something to help with your actual hunger cravings as well: a quick recipe to make your own Beguni, a popular Bengali pakoda snack made with brinjals during the rainy season and typically relished alongside tea or ‘muri’ (puffed rice).

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