India Trip, Day 52: manwaar

December 4 (Tue) - Day 52:  manwaar

Marwari weddings have a lot of food.  In fact, INDIAN weddings on the whole have a LOT of food.  Food for 100 people that could actually feed 300 people.

So we hire a cook at home, everyone addresses him as "maharaj", and he does all the cooking, for all the meals, for all the people, on all the days of the wedding.  THIS is maharaj's camp for four days:

They have to know the recipes and proportions of the dishes like the back of one's hand.  Cooking for 100 people is no joke, really.  I salute this old maharaj's stamina.  If I ever have to cook food for 100 people each day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner - I will die.  I swear I will die.

He and his two other assistants help him with the preps like chopping, cleaning, frying, etc.  There were other servers hired to serve food, pick up plates, and clean tables.

In a marwadi wedding, albeit very delicious food - expect to eat sabjis (stir-fries and curries) swimming in oil, and at least 6 different mithai (sweets/desserts) each day.

In a typical marwadi wedding, also expect to see a lot of "manwaar".
This is an example of how manwaar takes place:

Host: (seeing the guest's plate) Oh, you did not eat gulab jamun?
Guest: Yes, I already ate two.
Host: But I did not see, so now you have to take one from me.
Guest: Oh no, I am really full, there was a lot of food.
Host: But at least one gulab jamun from my side.
Guest: I ate so much, the food has reached until here (pointing to their neck).
Host: Oho, one more gulab jamun is not going to matter.
Guest: No, really, please, I have eaten two of them.
Host: Okay have this kaju ki katli at least, bahot badhiya hai [it is too good].
Guest: Accha, if you are insisting, just give me half of it.
Host: Arre, what is half katli, here have this (stuffing the piece into the guest's mouth).

Then move on to the next guest.  Terrorizing each one.  And THAT is what Alok and I are doing here.

I kept telling him that if someone is saying NO, do not force them!  He said to me, "aise manwaar karna padta hai nahi toh log bolenge poocha nahi" (translate: you have to do 'manwaar' like this otherwise guests will say they were not asked).

I wanted to reply to him "yeah, I think to finish up so much food it is imperative you force the guests to eat more.  thank goodness you do not tie the guests' hands and feet and push food into their mouth" ... but I had to move on to the next guest.
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