Unseen RODGA/रोडगे making on Cow Dung Cakes in Amravati I PaatVadi + Muthe + Dahi Varan + Gholana

During our Vidarbha Food Tour, we were invited to a Rodga Party hosted by our gracious host Apurv and his lovely family. Named after the unique wintertime dish rodga, which is essentially a baked layered dough ball, it was an experience that enriched our understanding of Amravati's culinary culture and the fact that food is the greatest unifying force. In simple terms it is an opportunity for families to gather together and have a fun time over seasonal delicacies and shared activities.

Coming to rodga, it is a baked dough ball that is widely consumed in this part of Vidarbha. It is the main bread served during any religious feast as it is convenient to make it in bulk. We all gathered at Apurv's family farm. His is one big joint family and it was a pleasure to meet all the elder members during this visit. We cherish the warm reception and their eagerness about their culinary traditions.
Everyone had anecdotes to share and that got us all the more excited.

The ladies of the family were in charge of cooking that took place in the open on indigenous woodfire stoves. Apurv and his grandfather led us to the place where rodga was being rolled out by the ladies. 4-5 thick and uneven whole wheat flour dough sheets are stacked together and then folded into a huge ball. These are then dropped over the embers for baking. Once done they are cut into halves and served with curries. From outside, the rodga resembles a batti or litti.

As the rodga got baked in the low heat, they started with the preparation of patodi, another classic Maharashtrian dish. First gram flour chunks were prepared by cooking it with spices and water. These are then further cooked in a rich onion tomato gravy. After this we saw the preparation of dal vada and muthe. The former is a crisp fritter made with five different lentils while the second one is a hearty curry made of vegetables and lumps of spiced dough.

Next was the turn of dahi varan and churma. In between these preparations we got a chance to listen to the stories shared by the members. Finally it was time to enjoy the meal with everyone. It was served on leaf plates and we ate it sitting on the floor. The spread included rodga, rice, sada varan tup, aalu vangyachi bhaji, patodi, dal vada, muthe, churma and an uncooked veg salad called gholana. What a soulful meal it was full of rustic flavours.

About the host:
https://anubhavsapra.com/

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Text by Swetaleena Nayak