¶JRuri i.3haji 2 Servings
Pun (takes 30 minutes) 2 cups whole wheat flour 2 tbsp. yogurt (curd) water, salt, oil
Timefor “tea’ and a view ofthe Taj as the sun sets
locals discovered Pun Bhaji, a breakfast of fried bread and curried potatoes, which we enjoyed in its splendid variations almost every day until we got to Meherabad. Thus fortified, we set off by car to Fatehpur Sikri about 40 km (25 miles) away. Salim Chisti was a greatly revered Sufi mystic known for fertility miracles. The Mughal Emperor Akbar-e-Azam came seeking an heir and soon the first of
Lena models ourAgra Robe, $40 (/Dma wears hen like a duster)
Mash curd in flour; add salt. Knead with enough water to make soft phable dough. Let rest 15 minutes. Shape into 10 balls. Roll each into 3 or 4 rounds with the help of some flour. Heat oil in deep pan; fry on both sides till light brown (they blow up like balloons). Blot and serve hot with bhaji. Bhaji (takes 15 minutes) 2 potatoes boiled, peeled, sliced 1 onion chopped 2 green chillies chopped 1/2 tsp. ginger finely chopped 1/2 tsp. crushed garlic 3-4 pinches turmeric 1 tsp. lemon juice 1 tbsp oil 1 tbsp. cilantro finely chopped 1/2 tsp. each cumin seed & mus turd seed
Heat oil, add seeds, allow to splutter. Add ginger, garlic, chili and onion and stir ‘til onion is tender. Add po tatoes, salt, turmeric and lemon juice. Stir and cook for a minute or two. Garnish with cilantro. three sons was born to him. Akbar held Chisti in such high regard that he had the great city Fatehpur Sikri built around the saint’s camp. It was the political capital of the Mughal Empire from 1571 until 1585, and Akbar’s crowning architectural achievement, then it was abandoned, perhaps due to lack of water. Pilgrims still seek the blessings of Chisti, tying a thread to the lattice around his tomb, as I did in 1969 on my way to the Last Darshan. (Pagan arrived the following year.) To make this experience especially thrilling, enormous nests of wasps guard every entrance, so don’t stop too long admiring the great gates! Some buildings’ intended frmnction is no longer known, but pigeons in their arched nooks high on the wall remain ready to carry messages. Shabbu had warned us ofpersis tent touts (souvenir vendors) to prey upon
Hand-carved windows
our pocketbooks, and our new friend Lena showed us how to cope: Try to sell them something! Flummoxed, they drift away to bother others. After another night with good Agra food and very low temperatures, we checked out of our hotel and headed off to the Taj Mahal, flnally with one of many stops at the train station along the way, having discovered that one could pay bribes, pay expediters, or just spend time waiting in lines for tickets, reservations, confirmations, and finally! seat assignments, the grail ofthe rail traveller. Being in the people-watching capital ofthe uni verse, we did not mind waiting in lines. We saw the “BabyTaj,” at Shabbu’s insistence, but frankly I was reaching overkill with fine Moghul architecture, and too tired to get a lot out ofit. We went to a handicrafts place for a quick lesson in the basics offine marble inlay work, but could not afford to purchase any of the wares. The Taj Mahal, “the jewel of Muslim art in India,” exceeded expectations, as I remembered from 1969 a site lamentably marred by graffiti and trash. No more. Loving renovations have restored damaged inlays and efforts to keep all in good repair are obvious. Handbags are inspected for contraband and visitors may bring little more than a bottle of water. Upkeep is ftmded by the admission charge, about $20 US for a non-Indian. Well worth it. There may never be another structure that takes one’s breath away in this manner unless you count the Samadhi. The train overnight to Aurangabad was chilly but not uncomfortable, with paper packets containing clean sheets, pillowcase, blanket and towel distributed to each fold-down berth, frequent visits by a chai walla and vendors of samosas and other treats, a nice dinner and breakfast. We whiled away the hours chatting with the young men in our compartment