It is simple become expert , you just need to keep doing the same thing for long time and try to improve every time !
Sringeshwar from Madwashram, Haridwar gets up early 3 am in the morning , walks down to Ganga river regardless of outside temperature or river and takes holy dip in the river ( note that the temperature of the river is around 1-5 degree throughout the year ) and returns to Ashram. Once he finishes his pooja then he has to cook breakfast for the pilgrims and tourists who come from all over the India and stay in the Ashram. Not over yet. He then cooks lunch and dinner as well . If the number of tourists is less than twenty he himself manages cooking but if more he gets a helper .
I did not ask about his family much. I just learnt that he came to ashram five years ago from the Sringeri, Karnataka and rarely visits his native place. He works in the ashram not for the money and takes very less money just to cover his basic costs.
And now lets talk about his cooking. If anyone in the world asks me what is the best meal that I ever had then first of course will be the meal at my home and second is anything cooked by Sringeshwar ji. The one thing a south Indian always wish when you are in north India is rice for lunch instead of aloo parahta or roti. And a south Indian is not going to be disappointed in this ashram.
I was there in the ashram during winter last year . We enjoyed his special hospitality and some light moments sitting with him chatting and eating together because we were only two of us with him in the Ashram . And I had a yummiest Rasam with rice of my life on that cold chilling night .
I could not hold myself asking “how did you do that ?” . He laughed at me saying he was expecting that question as many who taste here ask the same question. He smiled and said “just like how all do. I use a Rasam powder ” Now that was a surprise for me because I used the Rasam powder both handmade and company made many times and the taste is nowhere closer to this taste.
I asked him “Do you make the powder ? ” I was confident on that .
“yes , I make the powder once in a month”
” what is the special procedure ? ” I knew there must be something else .
There was a bit pause and then a smile .
“Ok here is the secret . Every element used to make powder needs to be fried separately with different amounts of oil or no oil. What people do is they fry everything all at once.”
I was full of surprises. So that must took him long time to understand the amount of frying of the ingredients and then stick to one formula to get a great taste!
Now Sringeri Mutt is my pit stop for all my Himalayan trekking’s. The ambience, the energy around , closeness to the Holy river Ganga and the food makes me feel home in the Ashram here or bit more than that . And Sringeshwarji will make me wait for every breakfast ,lunch and dinner cooked by him!
