Two to tango

Saas-bahu duo, Madhu and Nidhi Sood, pursue different passions.

Madhu Sood and her daughter-in-law Nidhi Sood are quite a dynamic pair. While Madhu is engaged from nine- to-five with her work at Concern India, an NGO, Nidhi is busy managing a flourishing catering business out of the family home in New Delhi’s Hauz Khas area. But when together, there is nothing they like better than spending time with Nidhi’s four-year-old daughter Jiah. They laugh at the mention of “saas-bahu”, preferring to say their relationship has always been one of friendship. “We were friends with Nidhi’s family for a long time, so I have known her since she was a child,” says Madhu.

At work, Madhu coordinates the textile exhibitions that Concern India organises to raise funds for the weaving industry. The NGO also works with destitute and orphaned children, abused women, Dalits, the differently abled and elderly, along with supporting other NGOs and self-support organisations. Her interest, Madhu says, has been in textiles. “The Indian woman has stopped wearing the sari,” she observes, while talking about the issues that the weavers face across the country. Madhu ensures her exhibitions are avenues where the weavers come in contact with clients, especially big buyers, so that the industry can benefit from sustainable production practices.

“During my visits to Benaras over the last year, I found that entire trading houses have shut down because of lack of demand. The handloom sari has especially been hit due to the preference for machines and synthetic fabrics, and the fact that younger Indian women prefer outfits that are easier to wear and more comfortable than a sari,” Madhu says. She is trying to encourage weavers to focus more on weaving yardage, for producing woven cloth that can be put to several uses.

Nidhi, meanwhile, is the example of entrepreneurship that Madhu is trying to instil among the weavers. Her catering business began two years ago when friends requested her to make dishes for them. Soon after, Nidhi says, her Thai and Continental cuisine and bakes became popular. “I am a cook who goes by instinct. I have a sense for proportions and I taste my way through the cooking process. I like food that is simple and like to ensure the food is visually appealing,” she says.

An interesting offshoot of Nidhi’s work has been editing cookery books. She has worked on seven books so far. “Authors don’t know how to sequence the method and ingredients. I make it such that the reader spends as little time as possible preparing the food,” she says.

Madhu, therefore, has happily ceded the kitchen to Nidhi. The arrangement suits her perfectly, she says, as the carrot cake only keeps getting better every time it is baked.

FAVOURITE RECIPES

CARROT CAKE
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp cinnamon powder
4 eggs
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1½ cup vegetable oil
3 cups grated carrots

In a bowl, mix the flour with cinnamon powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add the eggs to it and mix till it becomes like crumbs. In another bowl, mix grated carrots with sugar, vanilla extract and vegetable oil. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and blend well. Transfer contents into a baking dish, greased and dusted with flour or butter paper. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, covered on top with foil. Serve warm with cinnamon flavoured cream or vanilla ice-cream.

RAW PAPAYA SALAD
1 medium size raw papaya, grated
1 large raw mango, grated
A handful of roased peanuts
2 tbsp sesame oil
Salt to taste
3 to 4 dried red chillies,
pre-soaked
Juice of lemon or a tbsp of vinegar (only if the raw mango is not sour enough) A few cloves of garlic
1 tsp sugar
A few coriander leaves

Pound all the ingredients together, except the papaya and raw mango, into a coarse mixture. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add it to the grated papaya and mango. Mix well. Taste again to check for seasoning, watch out for how sour you want the salad. If it’s not sour enough, add the lemon juice or vinegar. Serve in a bowl, garnished with fresh coriander leaves.