Om, a syllable that is considered the most sacred in the Hindu faith, has such a complicated meaning that volumes have been written to address its importance. For Sri and Anshu Chawla, a couple of Asian-Indian descent, the term has special significance.
“When I was in college, a friend gave me a plaque that says: ‘Om. Welcome the Gods’–the Sanskrit word combined with English,” says Sri. “I always kept it in my prayer room, no matter where we lived. Almost 20 years later, it became the inspiration for our new home.”
Today, the plaque hangs in the prayer room of the Oak Brook home the couple built for themselves and their two children almost a year ago–a home that reflects the dualities they feel as Asian-Americans.
“We were raised here, yet always maintained a very strong attachment to our Indian heritage,” Sri explains. “The identity crisis we faced as teenagers became an asset for us as we became adults and parents. It helped us learn how to let our Indian and American experiences co-exist.”
The harmony they achieved dictated the design of their home. “We are modern, yet traditional. Modern in our aesthetic preferences, and traditional on our outlook towards family, religion and values. So we devised our own version of East-meets-West style, which blends the substance of our beliefs with our taste,” says Sri.
Arlington Heights architect Rob Kirk designed the home for the Chawlas, using many of the principles of Vastu, an Indian philosophy that, like feng shui, prescribes the way a dwelling should be built to maximize positive metaphysical forces.
Their home’s front doors face east, nine jewels with meaningful properties were set into its foundation walls, special niches and spaces were built to house statues of various deities to indicate the ‘godly’ nature of the home and a circular, glass-enclosed prayer room that now holds the treasured ‘Om’ plaque is sited in the center of the second floor, surrounded by the family’s bedrooms.
Once the house was done last fall, the Chawlas wanted to perform the traditional Hindu rites to sanctify and purify their home because “we felt it would have a positive affect on the long-term happiness and harmony of our family in this house,” says Anshu. And they wanted to share this achievement with both family and friends in a Gruha Pravesam, which is the Indian version of a housewarming (the phrase translates literally as “home entrance”).
But the ritual Hindu blessings necessary to consecrate homes are performed entirely in Sanskrit, and are also quite lengthy. The couple felt that the many Americans they are close to personally and professionally–Anshu is a physician and Sri is a management consultant–may be lost at this event.
“We solved the problem by having two celebrations,” Sri says. “The first was for the religious ceremony when the house was just finished. We held it two days after we moved in, and had only our families present. The second was a few months later, after our furnishings were in place, and we invited our entire extended families and all of our friends. It was much more festive.”
Like the couple themselves, the second celebration was also a blend of Eastern and Western traditions. About 150 guests were invited to stop by their new home between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon, much like a traditional American housewarming. There was food, entertainment and house tours, but all of these components had a distinctly Indian flavor.
People were asked to take off their shoes when they entered the home, which is an important custom in India. “It’s a sign of respect. You walk in with your feet bare and clean, so you don’t carry in dirt and debris from the outside,” Sri explains.
Some came in traditional Indian garb, and others wore Western clothing. The Chawlas were sartorially split, with Anshu in a shirt and pants but Sri and the children, Amar, 8, and Arya, 5, in kurta pajamas.
The food was strictly Indian and meat-free, since Sri is a vegetarian. Her family is from the south of India and Anshu’s family is from the north, so the couple chose to serve food that represented both regions.
Because of her work schedule, Sri had the event catered. “There was too much to make on my own for that number of guests, so we stuck to dishes that are really things we like and serve frequently, and that all the guests would enjoy–even the Americans, who are often unfamiliar with our spicy palette.”
Music was a family affair. Sri’s sister, Padmini Rao, is a well-known singer in the Indian community and performs East Asian music with a regular group of musicians. That day, she and her group sang devotional music for the event.
They had the perfect place to perform: One of the features the couple built into their home is a circular raised landing at one end of their lower level, meant specifically for musical performances. Guests were able to sit at tables set up in the rest of the 3,000-square-foot space, and enjoy the buffet that was set up nearby.
The term Om is at the center of the English word home, a coincidence that is not lost on the Chawlas.
“Om has so much meaning for us,” Sri says. “We always associate it with the center of our universe. And now we associate it with our new home, which is the center of our family life.”
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BLACK URAD BEANS IN FRAGRANT BUTTER SAUCE
DAL MAKHANI
Serves 8 to 10
Dal is lentils, and makhani means “containing butter.” This dish, traditionally made with black urad dal and clarified butter is one of the most favored dal preparations in many northern Indian homes and restaurants. Popularly presented as a main dish in vegetarian menus, it shares equal limelight with non-vegetarian entrees. I have yet to meet someone who does not like it.
Don’t be scared by the long list of ingredients. Once you get everything together, this dal does not take much time. It is not essential to soak the beans; it just shortens the cooking time. Add 3 to 4 cups extra water if the beans have not been soaked.
1 cup dried black urad beans, picked over
2 tablespoons dried pinto beans, picked over
3 cups water
1/4 cup dried split yellow chickpeas, picked over and washed
2 tablespoons mustard or peanut oil
10 small, dried, hot red peppers
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon asafetida
2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 cup loosely packed, finely chopped cilantro, soft stems included
6 to 7 cups water
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 cup lowfat milk or light cream
2 to 4 tablespoons butter (optional)
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnish
1/2 teaspoon garam masala for garnish
1. Wash the urad and pinto beans and soak overnight in the three cups of water. Drain, rinse and set aside. Mix in the chick peas.
2. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker over high heat, add the red peppers and garlic, and fry, stirring, until the garlic turns golden, 30 to 40 seconds. Stir in the cumin seeds, coriander, cumin, asafetida, ginger and cilantro and fry, stirring, for another minute. Add the beans, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 to 6 minutes. Add 6 cups of the water and the salt. Increase the heat to high, secure the lid of the pressure cooker, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes after the pressure regulator starts rocking. (Cook for 10 to 15 minutes under pressure if the beans have not been soaked overnight.)
3. Remove from the heat and let the pressure drop, 20 to 25 minutes. Open the lid, carefully remove the peppers (they might break when you stir and make the dish spicy hot), stir the beans, cover loosely, and simmer over medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes or longer. (Add more water if the dal seems too thick and sticks to the bottom of the pan.) Stir occasionally.
4. Reduce the heat to low; add the tomato sauce and milk, cover loosely and simmer until the dal is creamy, another 30 to 40 minutes. Stir occasionally. (At this point, the butter can be added to enhance the flavor.)
5. Transfer to a serving casserole, garnish with the chopped cilantro and garam masala and serve. The flavor of this dish improves with the passage of time, so it can be prepared 2 to 3 days in advance. Just remember that it will thicken as time goes by, and additional water will be required when reheating.
6. Serve with any paneer cheese preparation, a dry vegetable side dish and tandoori naan or paranthas.
–from a cookbook by Geeta Chawla
POORI
DEEP-FRIED BREAD PUFFS
Serves 5, Makes 10
This bread is served mostly with vegetarian meals and particularly with potato curry and semolina. Though pooris are deep-fried, they are very light. You can either pile them one on top of the other or leave them on a tray so that they remain puffed up. Allow two per person.
8 oz wholemeal flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1 pint oil
1. Place the wholemeal flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the middle, add the water gradually and work into a dough. Add more water if needed. Knead until smooth and elastic and set aside for about 15 minutes. Divide the dough into about 10 equal portions and with lightly oiled or floured hands pat each into a smooth ball. Roll out each ball on a lightly oiled of floured surface into a thin circle. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and deep-fry the pooris, turning once, until golden in color. Drain well and remove from the pan. Serve immediately if possible; otherwise, keep warm wrapped in foil.
–Urmilla Chawla
