मुंबई की भागदौड़ में भी पहाड़ के घर जैसा स्वाद।
Mumbai is a long way from the hills, and most of what is sold as Pahadi here has passed through several hands before it reaches a shelf. Ordering from the family shops themselves cuts that out: the shop that made the loon or set the ghee is the one that packs your parcel.
For a Mumbai kitchen, the things that travel best are the dry and the oily ones: dals, madua and jhangora, spices, jakhiya, loon, ghee and mustard-oil pickles. Each product page tells you whether that item is sent to your PIN and when to expect it, and shows whether cash on delivery is available. A hamper is a good way to send a taste of home to someone across the city.
In Mumbai, Makar Sankranti is the day of tilgul, sesame and jaggery sweets handed out with the words to speak sweetly. In Kumaon, the same morning is Ghughutiya, when ghughute fried from flour and jaggery are strung into garlands for the children to share with the crows. Jaggery binds the two, and a batch of ghughute fits right alongside the tilgul.
Mumbai's sea air keeps things damp for much of the year. Loon, spices and dried leaves like jambu should go into airtight glass jars as soon as they arrive, and flour into the fridge. Ghee is fine at room temperature and will mostly stay soft. Keep a dry spoon in every jar.