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Punjabi Wedding 43 43 CELEBRATE CELEBRATE PUNJABI WFor HarkeetEDDING Sandhu and Rupinder Puria, getting married is a celebration that lasts for more than a week. We join them for some of the seven events that make up their Punjabi Sikh wedding, filled with family, rituals, fun and food. FEAST 43 44 Previous page: Rupinder arrives with the baraat (groom’s party). Clockwise from right: sweets at Harkeet’s mehndi night; making the onion bhajis (fritters); Raj prepares the food in Harkeet’s kitchen; besan ki burfi (chickpea fudge); the intricate mehndi (henna) art; Harkeet’s sister-in-law Taz helps her to sip a cocktail; cooking for the mehndi night. ndian weddings are traditionally In the kitchen, Harkeet’s mother, Raj, is finishing off a really sad occasion for the bride’s family,” says Sim the feast she’s spent all day preparing. It’s the first time Sama, twin sister of the bride-to-be, Harkeet Sandhu, Raj and most of Harkeet’s family have made the journey as she pours Champagne for the chattering assembly of from London to Sydney since Harkeet moved to Australia Harkeet’s girlfriends cramming into her tiny, inner-Sydney in 2010. After meeting Rupinder in 2009 while travelling apartment. “The mehndi [henna] night is equivalent to in Goa, Harkeet moved to Brisbane for work before settling a hen’s night. It’s usually meant to involve the older in Rupinder’s hometown of Sydney. Sim watches on as women, who sing traditional folk songs mourning the her mother deftly flattens the chapattis that are quickly departure of the bride, but Harkeet wanted to put a more puffing up on the hotplate, while onion bhajis (fritters) modern spin on it,” says Sim. are thrown into a pot of bubbling oil and fried until crisp Tonight, at Harkeet’s mehndi night – just one of seven and golden. Besan flour is mixed with ghee and condensed events that make up her Punjabi wedding – the traditional milk to make sweet squares of chickpea fudge, a sweet often folk songs are replaced with Bollywood music and a flurry found at Indian celebrations. Raj is in charge of feeding of colourful saris and jangling bracelets, creating a vibrant the guests tonight, but as both families are of Sikh faith, it’s atmosphere that’s anything but sorrowful. Her guests perch tradition that Sikh caterers cook the vegetarian morning Ion a spectrum of coloured silk pillows on the floor sipping tea and lunch banquets at the wedding ceremony held bubbles, gossiping and admiring Harkeet’s expert mehndi; in Glenwood’s Sikh temple, or Gurdwara, the following the heart and soul of the evening. “Henna is applied to Saturday. There, guests will be fed twice in three hours, decorate the bride, just like we’d get our make-up done feasting on a variety of Indian snacks and dishes like fresh or put on jewellery,” says Sim. vegetable samosas, palak paneer, carrot halva and chai tea. Harkeet’s sister-in-law, Taz, feeds her bites of samosas Religion and rituals aside, Punjabi weddings are and helps her to sip a cocktail while Harkeet sits glued to about having fun. Punjab is among the most affluent a chair for a bottom-numbing 90 minutes, as a professional states in India and families are not shy in spending a lot henna artist creates an intricate lace-like pattern on her of money to host a spectacular event. Entertaining, almost hands and feet. The name of Harkeet’s fiancé, Rupinder, theatrical, games are played between both families. “Games is hidden somewhere in the unique design. “In India, in at Indian weddings are to break the ice and bring joy into the past, the bride and groom wouldn’t know each other the occasion,” says Harkeet. Before the baraat (groom’s that well, so the ice-breaker would be the groom trying party) can enter the Gurdwara, the bridesmaids hold up to find his name in the henna,” explains Sim. a red ribbon and barter the men’s entry. The games are 44 FEAST 44 45 in jest, but the bridesmaids mean business, demanding cash, diamonds, and even upgrades for their flight home. “I only got $20!” exclaims a disappointed Taz, as the bridesmaids let the ribbon fall and allow the baraat to pass. But there’s still a chance to score. Once the baraat have entered the Gurdwara and removed their shoes, the bridesmaids steal their footwear and hold them for a hefty ransom that the groomsmen will have to pay if they want them back. ~ The official ceremony begins in the Gurdwara’s main THE hall. Guests are seated on the floor and Rupinder and MENU Harkeet, dressed in beautifully embellished red and gold, ~ kneel in front of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh holy book). Food is an intrinsic part of the day, not just to feed Mathi the guests between rituals, but also within the ceremony (salted fritters) itself. The Granthi (priest) hands out balls of karah parshad, a sacred wheat, sugar and ghee mixture, which is accepted Onion bhajis by the seated guests with hands raised and cupped as a sign (onion fritters) of humility and respect. Whether at the mehndi night, the Chilli paneer wedding banquet or one of the many other wedding rituals, Jeera chicken food plays a symbolic part in celebrating with family and and rice friends. “Food is such a huge part of Indian celebrations because it brings people together and allows us to share,” Besan ki burfi reflects Harkeet. “It’s the centrepiece of all celebrations.” (chickpea fudge) FEAST 45 46 ANAND KARAJ The anand karaj (blissful union) forms the central part of a Sikh marriage ceremony and takes place in the main hall of the Gurdwara. Once the bride and groom take their place in front of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh holy book), Harkeet’s father, Sukhwinder, takes the end of a red scarf (palla) that Rupinder has draped around his shoulders and places it in Harkeet’s hand, symbolising that she is leaving her father’s care to join her husband. The Granthi (priest) reads out four lavans (marriage hymns) that are both teachings and vows, and describe the progression of love between a husband and wife. 46 FEAST 46 47 CELEBRATE Onion bhajis (onion fritters) These crunchy fritters of onion, potato and spinach are served Previous page: Zabaikal with a refreshing Cossack Alexey Piatkov. mint chutney. Clockwise from far recipe page 52 left: there is a religious element to the krug, with a short moleben, or prayer service, conducted by a Russian Orthodox priest; Maria Portnagina prepares the dough for the dumplings on today’s menu; five-year-old Michael Vlasof leaves the meeting to Clockwise from left: guests are seated on the floor during the ceremony; Rupinder and Harkeet share a moment after the ceremony; the fathers of the bride and groom embrace during the milni ceremony; watching on as the groomsmen attempt to barter their entry on the wedding day; colourful saris at the temple. FEAST 47 48 Mathi (salted fritters) MATHI extra water, if necessary. Cover dough with SALTED FRITTERS a damp cloth and set aside for 1 hour to rest. CWa[i(*Fh[f)+c_di"fbki'^hh[ij_d] 2 Divide dough into 24 equal-sized pieces. 9eea_d]'+c_di Using your hands, roll into balls. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each ball to 500g (3⅓ cups) plain flour a 9.5cm round. Using a small, sharp knife, 1 tsp ground ajwain* make a 3cm cut in the centre of each round. 1L vegetable oil, to deep-fry, plus extra 120ml 3 Heat 1L oil in a large, deep saucepan to 175C on a cooking thermometer. Working 1 Place flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper and in batches, cook rounds, turning halfway, ajwain in a bowl, mix to combine and make for 4 minutes or until puffed and golden. a well in the centre. Place extra 120ml oil in Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a jug with 200ml water and stir to combine. paper towel. Serve immediately. Gradually pour water mixture into the flour * Ajwain seeds are available from Indian food well, and mix to combine. Using your hands, shops and spice shops. They have an intense mix until a soft dough forms, adding a little caraway flavour. Substitute caraway seeds. 48 FEAST 48 49 CELEBRATE MILNI To formally introduce each male family member to their corresponding relative on the other side, the milni (meeting) is performed before entering the Gurdwara. After a prayer, the Granthi (priest) calls the names of the men from each side of the family, beginning with the eldest. They meet in the middle and place a haar (flower garland) around each other. The wedding games continue during this ritual as the men hug, pose for a photo and often try to pick each other up to prove who is the strongest of the families. Clockwise from left: Harkeet bows her head as a sign of respect to the Sri Guru Granth Sahib; the vegetarian lunch bufet; caterers prepare morning tea and lunch; Harkeet’s cousin Gursh Sandhu (left) and Rupinder’s uncle Resham Singh (right) participate in the milni (meeting) ceremony. FEAST 49 50 CELEBRATE BESAN FLOUR Besan flour is made of ground, dried chickpeas and is a staple ingredient in Indian cooking. Raj uses it in the mixture that coats the onion bhajis (fritters) before deep-frying them to add a light, earthy flavour but it is often a common addition to homemade beauty products as well.
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