Kachariyu and Winter Food Rituals in Limbdi
A visit to her maternal hometown in Gujarat has Priya Nirmal reminiscing about how visits there are anchored by food, from roasted water chestnuts and a stir fry with raw papaya to the sweet kachariyu. The warming winter sweet made with the by product of crushed black sesame seeds is a morning ritual in that home, much like chai.
Having grown up in England, I think of Limbdi mostly through food. Conversations over shelling roasted popta — green chickpeas harvested when they are young, still encased in pods — and late night cups of chai are what immediately come to mind. My mum and her three sisters were raised in this small town in western Gujarat’s Saurashtra region. Their childhoods were shaped by the rich agriculture of the region — lemon, custard apple, pomegranate, almond and mango trees that filled the garden of their home. The name Limbdi comes from the Gujarati word for neem tree, limbdo, a reference to the abundance of these trees in the area. Seasonal fruit and dishes marked the passing of the months and are still what they return to now.
The author’s maternal home in Limbdi.
In the early 80s my grandparents, school teachers by profession, along with their friends and colleagues, each decided to build a house on empty land in the outskirts of town, aptly naming this community Professors’ Society. Although everyone has since moved to different cities and even countries, the house remains a haven for the extended family. During a visit earlier this year, I was reminded of how our bond to places is deeply shaped by food, with flavour being at the centre of our memory.
Breakfast during our stay was steamed dhokla prepared by my great aunt, carrying the sharp flavour of garlic reminiscent of my grandmother’s recipe. It was accompanied by a local variety of fafda gathiya, thinner and crispier than elsewhere in Gujarat, so popular that it sells out by the end of each Sunday morning. There were green chillies known for their distinct gentle flavour and sambharo, a stir fry made with raw papaya. We had guavas, dusted with salt and chilli powder, as well as water chestnuts, roasted until their skins blacken.
For my mum and her sisters, chai has always been a habitual, enduring ritual. One night, it carried us through card games and stargazing on the terrace under the luminous moon. We dug through boxes of old family photo albums stored at the house. Among these was a photograph of my mum having tea on the morning of her wedding, much like the many cups we shared over the weekend.
For the author’s mum and her sisters, chai has always been a habitual, enduring ritual.
In Limbdi, winter brings a harvest of black sesame seeds. Sesame oil was traditionally extracted from the seeds using a ghani, a wooden press pulled by an ox, resulting in an unrefined, cold-pressed oil which has been bottled and sold locally for decades. My grandmother would combine it with coconut oil, herbal powders and henna leaves to create her homemade potion of hair oil. In winter, sesame oil played a role in her kitchen for tempering spices in Gujarati stir fries and as a dressing on snacks including dhokla and patra. Traditional Ayurvedic practices see it as a warming food that balances coolness and dryness in the body, hence it is primarily used in cold weather.
A byproduct of crushed black sesame seeds is created during the oil production process. This is the key ingredient in a local delicacy called kachariyu, a sweet blend with nuts, warming spices and jaggery. The name stems from the Gujarati word kacharvu, meaning to crush or grind. A spoonful of kachariyu in the morning is believed to boost immunity and provide nourishment in the colder months. The method of oil production has largely been replaced by machinery, making it widely available online and in supermarkets. Even so, the use of sesame oil and kachariyu in winter is a cyclic practice that still survives in this area. My aunts continue to cook with it and apply it warm as a remedy for aching joints. In Limbdi, people arrive at shops to buy jars of kachariyu and refill their empty bottles of sesame oil during this limited time of year.
RECIPE FOR KACHARIYU
Ingredients
125g black sesame seeds
50 g jaggery
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp cardamom powder
1 tsp cinnamon powder
25 g shredded coconut
25 g almonds
25 g cashews
1 tsp fried edible gum - optional
1 tbsp of sesame oil
Method
Lightly roast the black sesame seeds.
Separately, roast the coconut, almonds and cashews.
Grind the sesame seeds in a mortar and pestle or a food processor.
Add jaggery, ginger powder, cardamom powder and cinnamon powder and grind again.
Add the shredded coconut, almonds, cashews and edible gum and gently grind again, retaining the texture of the nuts. Top with sesame oil or ghee and more nuts if desired.
Transfer into a jar.
Natural oils released from the sesame seeds will preserve the kachariyu and last up to a month in the fridge. Top with more oil if required.
Priya Nirmal is an illustrator based in England, working in a variety of mediums including gouache and coloured pencil. She is inspired by people, vintage advertising and explores themes of nostalgia and introversion. Her work can be found at priyavignetta.com.
Photos credit: Sai Mehta.
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