The Ubiquitous Upma
Nothing else could present the reality of a Monday morning
better than the smell of fresh Upma cooking in the kitchen. As my brother and I
got ready for school, and Father for office, the smell of Upma, the thought of
having to survive two rounds of battle with it at breakfast and lunch – clearly
prepared us for the long week ahead. If
Upma was prepared for a second time in the week, it was a clear indication of
hostilities in the family. And as Upma made its way to our breakfast plates,
surrenders were imminent.
The dry, powdery, colourless and sometimes tasteless
breakfast dish has been referred to as “concrete”
by men of wisdom, for ages. This lack of subtlety, uninspired preparations and
the “use cases” when Upma is prepared have clearly dented its brand image.
For starters, Upma always served as a substitute and would
never be the first choice. I still remember Grandmother having Upma on
Ekadashi. And post eclipses, we were all force fed Upma for dinner. The
preparations were always in a hurry. Switch on the stove, roast some rava, boil
some water, add a couple of green chillies – Upma was ready to be served. The
intent was always to fill the stomach – and not serve something that pleases
the eyes or the taste buds. And if some quantity was left over, it would
invariably find its way to the lunch box the next day.
On the lunch table that day, poor Upma competes with
Biriyani, Pulao, Bisibele Bath and other delicacies the whole office has been
talking about since morning. The grumpy husband thinks a hundred times if he
needs to offer the Upma to colleagues, who are passing the more illustrious
preparations and decides against it. He is bound by marital code to finish his
lunch box while there is overwhelming temptation to dig his spoon into his
neighbours’ plates. The meal starts with anger, transitions through frustration
and ends in meek surrender.
With this daily narrative in most homes playing spoilsport,
Upma looked for resurgence through multiple avenues. Not least, piggybacking on
other ingredients to become palatable. A mishmash of vegetables to begin with.
Onions, for instance, lent their flavour and “Onion Upma” was considered acceptable. The more imaginative
kitchens added colour with turmeric. A spread of cut beans, carrot, capsicum
and curry leaves took the attention away from the bland rava. This “Vegetable Upma” earned a few
appreciative nods as well. In a departure from tradition, someone served Upma
with Chutney, and the masses almost started looking forward to it.
What definitely changed fortunes for Upma was when it started
becoming mainstream. Upma, being a traditional south Indian dish found
preference for an evening snack just before the beginning or during the
interval of a Carnatic classical concert. However, here, it wasn’t powdery
concrete anymore. It was a delicacy – a pleasing green with strategically
placed beans and carrot, embellished in ghee and cooked with just the right
amount of water to make it semi-solid. The aroma wafted through the halls of
the concert, playing with your olfactory faculties as the musician played with
the Swaras.
Hotels went a step ahead and carved out a “Chow Chow Bath” – a mixture of Upma and
Kesari Bath. Upma was now enjoying equal status with a sweet. Hotels, with
their panache for presentation, used a bowl in which to fill the hot Upma. When
they emptied the Upma on the plate, the Upma took the shape of the bowl.
Powdery concrete was finally history in front of this classy looking Upma –
with cashews standing out artistically.
Perhaps what sealed the ubiquity of Upma and gave it a sense
of social standing was its role in courtship and weddings. When the prospective
groom’s family visits the bride’s home, meals are not served as a matter of
tradition. The first alternative that came to mind – was Upma. The perception
and the reception of the Upma played a critical role in the alliance
progressing to the next level. What if a mediocre Upma drove the groom’s family
away from the alliance? Worse still, what if this Upma was not great, and the
girl was ridiculed years later by her husband saying the first Upma he had in
their home was terrible, yet he went ahead and married her?
More importantly, Upma slowly became the de-facto breakfast
in weddings. Again, a challenge for the bride’s family- who generally take care
of the food. A good breakfast meant a great start to the proceedings. If guests
were displeased at breakfast, it would take humongous effort to get back into
their good books. And Upma, quietly shouldered this responsibility.
From the melts-in-the-mouth craftsmanship of wedding Upmas,
to mustard infested dump-in-your stomach funeral Upmas, Upma has seen it all: The
rage of a husband pushing away a plateful of Upma in contempt, as a worried
wife looked on. The delight in the eyes of prospective in-laws, as the groom
tucked into the Upma and relished mouthful after mouthful. Yet, what could tug
its heartstrings would be a toddler, crying profusely over phone saying “Uncle, rescue me! They are killing me with
Upma every day!” Some things would never change!
-19th August 2018
The article was subsequently published in the Hindu Open Page column, on 26th August 2018
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