In Praise of Sajuk Toop .....

Someone , not much acquainted with Marathi, in a food group,  wanted to know what "sajuk toop" or साजूक  तूप was.  When that someone is a person  with several acclaimed and nutritionally informative food blogs, and in particular those excelling in traditional foods,  I thought it deserved better than a clinical description of the recipe /procedure.

 Here is a poetic attempt. Only thing missing is the Puranpoli, waran bhat  पुरण पोळी  वरण भात   and other great things of life....

A life spent
being
the Milk of Human Kindness,
a gentle warming
and aging into dahi,
clutching close
the cream
in times of fermentation.

A joyous life churning
and a manthan
as a buttermilk sea
throws up
riches of plump butter;
a concerned patting
and shaping
of a butter face
by a hand
wet in concern,
in view of the
trial by fire
to follow.

The happiest
are often the saddest,
and
the butter faces
huddle together,
in a heavy based house
dissolving into golden tears
at the first touch of heat.

Their thoughts remain,
at the bottom,
brown, golden and traditional,
like a "saaj"
adorning Lady Toop.

Ever grateful,
she now sits
fragrant
in a silver pot
and goes by the name of Lady 'Saaj'ook Toop.