While Lent is a time for renouncing food one cannot do without, be it sugar or a whole meal, five people share Easter delights with Jane Borges and Kusumita Das that will make the sacrifice sweeter
'I wanted to link ecology with religion'
Elsie Gabriel, 50
Founder of Young Environmentalist Programme Trust
Saying no to: Items with heavy carbon footprints
Powai-based environmentalist Elsie Gabriel, who grew up in the campus of the Irish Christian Brothers in Kolkata where her parents were teachers, remembers attending mass every morning, and how particular the family would be about observing the 40-day Lent, giving up non-vegetarian food entirely. "I began fasting when I was just six years old," she recalls. During her college years, Gabriel would abstain from eating rice and white bread.
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"Giving up rice was the toughest, because no meal is complete without it. I had to literally fight those cravings, but that's what Lent is about - making the right sacrifices," she says. A few years ago, after Gabriel joined as mentor at former American vice-president Al Gore's The Climate Reality Project, she felt that one could even connect ecology with religion. This Lenten season, Gabriel gave up chocolates, meat and all vegetables, which used extensive carbon and water footprints.
"I ate only local river fish [rehu and katla] on Sundays and vegetables from local farmers. I made a conscious effort to not indulge in exotic and foreign foods," says Gabriel, adding that she'd earlier eat expensive pokchoys, celery and mushrooms, peaches and dried fruits, which involved high packaging, processing and transport costs. Her Easter celebrations aren't going to be different. Gabriel is in Kolkata to celebrate Easter with her mum, Joana, and there will be a lavish lunch.
While her mother will be preparing chicken roast and stuffed pomfret, Gabriel, will be going the sustainable route, opting for a stir-fry sabzi, salad and omelette, made using drumstick leaves (moringa) as the key ingredient. "I learnt these dishes from mum. Moringa is tasty and can be grown in your home garden. It's also the perfect side-dish."
Stir-fried moringa
Ingredients:
2 tbsp mustard oil
500 gm moringa leaves
2 onions (finely chopped)
100 gm spring onions
2 tomatoes
Lime
Chilli sauce
Soy sauce
Salt to taste
Method:
>> Take out the leaves from the stem, wash and strain
>> In a pan, add oil, stir fry the onions, spring onions and tomatoes; add moringa, and the rest of the ingredients. Serve hot
'I feel healthier and lighter'
Neal Mascarenhas, 39
Sales manager with an online platform for industrial products
Saying no to: Meat, fish and alcohol
It was five years ago, when Neal Mascarenhas first decided to observe Lent. "The Lenten season is about abstinence and sacrifice, and I think, it was a good starting point for me to see if I could give up foods that I really enjoyed," he says. While Mascarenhas is a social drinker, what he couldn't bring himself to give up was fish and meat, and binging on fried foods when enjoying a swig of whisky.
"The first 10 days weren't easy, and it took some time to get used to eating only vegetarian. I would also tend to feel more hungry throughout the day," he says. Mostly settling for pickles and brinjal sabzi over the last 40 days, Mascarenhas is happy to have completed what he started. "I feel lighter and healthier, and more in control of my cravings," he adds. He is looking forward to celebrating Easter with the rest of the family.
"I can't wait to eat fish," he says, adding that prawn or pomfret fry, and surmai curry, is definitely going to be menu of the fish-loving family. There will also be mutton and pork curry, vegetable pulao and drinks, of course, to complete the celebrations.
'If you sacrifice lunch, you sacrifice a large food intake'
PV Abraham, 69
Retired engineer
Saying no to: Lunch
PV Abraham was no more than 14 when he started observing Lent. And over the years, during this fasting period, he usually renounces meat, since the past few years he has also been saying no to lunch. The idea is to donate to the church the funds one would have otherwise spent to have the afternoon meal on a daily basis.
It might be a big sacrifice for someone his age, but Abraham does not make it a big deal. "In my younger years, I would feel the urge to eat during lunch time. But, that would last only for a few minutes. Nowadays, I've become used to it. Sometimes, I take a walk outside, to keep myself occupied," he says.
Many have advised him not to do this. "But, I feel more fit and energetic." On Easter day, Abraham and his family will kick start with a breakfast comprising chicken curry and appams. "Lunch is always elaborate. There's briyani with either chicken or mutton curry. Then there's also fried fish."
'I learnt how to resist temptation'
Nikhil John, 27
Manager sales with a media house
Saying no to: Meat and alcohol
Every year that Nikhil John has fasted, his struggles have been the same. "Practising self-control isn't easy, no matter how many times you have done it before," says John. What he found toughest, however, was abstaining from drinking, especially at social events.
"At parties, I would opt for a fresh lime soda, when everyone was drinking away to glory. But, it also made me look inward, and see whether I could complete what I had started," says John, who resides in Powai. He will be celebrating Easter with folks and friends.
After mass, he will enjoy a drink. Feasting will begin early with home-made appam and chicken stew, the traditional meal at Malayalee homes. This will be followed by chicken biryani in the afternoon. He is also looking forward to eating sorpotel, a family favourite.
'This was my way of saying thank you'
Aakansha Shetye, 33
Marketing consultant
Saying no to: Non-veg and alcohol
This is the first time Akansha Shetye has observed Lent. "I had never felt inclined to, until now. Also, I feel many things in life have taken a good turn for me. So, this is my way of showing gratitude," says the Andheri resident. Shetye, whose mother is a Managlorean protestant Christian, has always had her "large family around me observe Lent".
Having completely renounced non-vegetarian food, through the fasting period she had been living on wholesome soups, lot of green vegetables, sprouts and daal. While weight loss is an advantage, for the first-timer, it has not been easy.
"The other day my colleague offered me some chicken biryani, even suggested I just have the gravy. I gathered all my strength to say no," she laughs. For the Easter spread, "We make a special mutton, prepared rogan josh style, then there is prawn pulao, chicken biryani and kheema." A highlight of the meal for 30 is Shetye's aunt's potato chop. A family favourite, she has parted with the recipe for you to try.
Mince Potato Chops Recipe (makes 15 chops)
Ingredients:
250 gms mince (chicken/mutton)
2 onions (finely chopped)
7-8 potatoes (boiled)
1tsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp ginger paste
3 chillies (finely chopped)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp whole jeera
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 a lemon
Corriander (finely chopped)
Salt to taste
Egg whites
Breadcrumbs
Method:
>> Wash mince and drain thoroughly
>> Add oil to a pan and add whole jeera. To this add onions and sauté.
>> Add ginger and garlic paste and sauté for a minute, and then add the chopped green chillies
>> Once the onion is cooked, add turmeric powder and chilli powder
>> Add the mince and cover with a lid. Allow this to cook well.
>> Remove the lid and sauté till the water dries out completely
>> Add lemon juice, garam masala, salt and coriander and mix well. Set aside
>> Mash the boiled potatoes and make small round cups with them, add the mince in these cups and seal with mashed potato
>> Coat with egg white and breadcrumbs and shallow fry
Also Read: Easter Special: Homemade Desserts You Would Love To Eat
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