A for [pine]Apple
When I saw this delicious picture of Murgh Yakhni and boiled eggs set to allure people, my memories went back to childhood train travels. Before the buses invaded Islamabad-Lahore route, traveling by trains, stopping at every station, enjoying the typical chanting of vendors was part of every child’s life.
The most interesting of all these voices would be the shrilly one, “GARAM AANDAY LE LO” (Have Warm Boiled Eggs). And the pleasure of eating those warm boiled eggs (with no fear of cholesterol and calories) was entirely unmatchable. Now when I see back, I miss that punjabi street delicacy in my life. I’m afraid the slightly newer generation is not even aware of its existence. Gradually, soups took over the place of decades old simple delights.
Have you eaten Garam Aanday just like that in chilly winters? Any Garam Aanday reminiscences from your life you want to share with us?
Image Courtesy: Dawn
Shams, nicely written. enjoyed reading your comment
The priceless “Garam Aanday” from Pakistan
I am sitting in my office that is situated at the 4th floor of the Red Centre Building of UNSW Kensington Campus. Its 5:52 p.m. The sun has set and darkness is beginning to prevail outside. It is beginning of the winter season and I can sense the slight chill in the outside environment. My feet are cold and I am unconsciously a bit squeezed to feel warm. In the growing darkness, birds are flying back to their nests, chirping, dancing, enjoying, and adding music to the scene. Crows of Sydney are as usual making noise in their as usual unmusical and donkey-like voice. I mean, that is [Crows] a real problem here in Sydney. Imagine yourself taking a walk in a beautiful garden in the early morning. All birds are singing their beautiful songs and the whole environment is presenting you with a beautiful and free-of-cost orchestra. But here comes a crow that is not somehow happy with the idea that you are enjoying the scene. He announces “aaayy” “aaayy” and you feel like your cassette player has just taken a dip into the water. If you have ever used cassettes, you are well aware of the sound when the reel is crumbled inside and you suddenly hear the singer slowing down, her voice turning into a male, as if someone is strangling the singer’s neck with a tight grip of hands. These crows of Sydney are like those singers.
Crows of Pakistan are different. They sound like “kaye” “kaye”. That does not sound too bad … or perhaps I am being a nationalist here. During my stay in Thailand and Singapore, I hardly saw any crows. But you have plenty of them here in Sydney. If you live in a country where you do not have crows, please request the Australian government to gift you some. I am sure no one is happy with these flop singers. In fact, they remind me of the “jackass penguins” which I saw in Cape Town, South Africa. These penguins are cute but because of their donkey-like braying, they were previously named jackass penguins. On similar lines, I would call the crows of Australia as jackass crows.
Well, I am getting distracted here, as you can clearly see. I was telling you that the weather outside is a little cold, showing that the winter has begun. I finished my Maghrib prayer and started working again. All of sudden, I hear this sound “garam aanday” … “garam aanday”. My conscience tells me that I am living in Sydney and my linguistic knowledge informs me that “garam aanday” no by no measure an English word. Then what it is? I don’t bother about this question and spontaneously start to laugh. I can’t control myself as this “garam aanday” thing has brought all the memory of past, refreshed the fragrance of my country in my room here in Sydney, and reminded me of where I come from and where I belong.
If you are from Pakistan, you know what I am talking about. If you are not a Pakistani, please ask one of your Pakistani friends tomorrow about “garam aanday”. I bet you that the fellow will laugh out loud but will tell you exactly what I am going to describe here.
“Garam aanday” if literarily translated into English would mean “hot eggs”. You are wondering what this hot eggs thing is. “Garam aanday” (hot eggs) means “boiled eggs”. It’s a winter dish in my country. During freezing days of December and January, fully boiled eggs are liked a lot. People like to have them plain or sometime with tea.
You may like to boil eggs at home but you don’t really need to bother about it if you are in Pakistan. Because as soon as the sun sets, you start hearing a sound “garam aanday” coming from the streets. These are the street hawkers who are selling boiled eggs in the streets. These hawkers belong to all ages. You will come across a young 14 year old boy as well as an old 60 years old man selling the “garam aanday”. Now that may not sound well that children also sell “garam aanday”. You have got to know that these are self-employed entrepreneurs who are trying to make ends meet. Their integrity and honor does not allow them to beg. To support their families, they rather study during the day and work during the evening.
“Garam aanday” is a seasonal business. It beings somewhere during early December and ends somewhere during late January. While you are watching your favorite TV drama with your family, eating ground nuts, or sipping tea, you hear “garam aanday” on the road or in your streets. Once in a while, you would like to go out or send your younger brother to go get some “garam aanday”. The trade is fairly simple, with no bargaining or cheating involved. The hawker sells you a “garam anda” (Singular form of “garam aanday”) for 20% more price of the normal egg or what you may like to call “thanda anda” (cool egg). So, if you can buy a normal egg in 4 rupee, a “garam anda” will typically cost you 5 rupee. A typical “garam aanday” seller is wrapped in a thick cloth to avoid the chilly wind. He carries a hot pot (ironically called ‘cooler’ in Pakistan) which helps him to keep his “garam aanday” warm. He will also give you a mixture of black pepper and salt in tiny plastic bag.
There are typically two-three types of “garam aanday”. They could be farm eggs (farmy aanday), organic eggs (desi aanday), eggs with single yolk (aik zardi walay aanday) and eggs with two yolks (do zardi walay aanday). Sometime, if there is a shortage of eggs in the area, you can expect to pay a little high price (may be 10%). But believe me, in the cold night of a wet December, a boiled egg tastes great. After eating one, you feel like eating another one and then another one. A little black pepper (“kali mirch”) and salt (“namak”) taste great with “garam anda”.
Now, you are wondering why on earth I laughed out loud when I heard “garam aanday” – now almost half an hour ago. In fact, during my childhood, it was almost like a joke to shout out loud “garam aanday” when you are walking home late after the Isha prayer. Young boys do it for a general and casual tease. Obviously, someone will hear “garam aanday” and will come out of the house to buy one, only to find nothing. In university hostels, young boys would repeat their childhood mischief in their corridors to overcome the nostalgia. Intrigued by my unusual thought of “garam aanday”, I go to the Google and type “garam aanday” in the search box. To my very surprise, someone has had a similar thought before me. “Asma Mirza” had blogged a similar thought a few months ago in the following link http://www.pakblogging.com/2008/12/all-things-paki stan-unbeatable-garam-anday/. How amazing is that! How, in strange and inexplicable ways, we are somehow connected!
And I agree with Asma, I heard this sound countless times during my childhood. I don’t know if they still sell “garam aanday” back home. Wonder if my children would every know what “garam annday” actually mean. Wonder if soup or anything else can ever replace the joy and experience of eating “garam aanday”.
You expect to hear “garam aanday” in Pakistan. But you certainly do not expect to hear this in Sydney. It’s surely someone who is trying to unconsciously overcome the homesickness in a humorous fashion, by loudly saying “garam aanday”. If you hear this sound 11 thousand kilometers away from your country, you are ought to laugh. “Garam aanday” is simply priceless. Wish I could go down and buy one for myself, even at an inflated price.
Shams!
Sydney, Australia
April 24, 2009
All ganday anday 4 leaders of today…throw on them,,guys!