Once upon a time, there was a great king of the Nishadas who ruled over the mystic forests surrounding the Aravalli and Vindhya mountain ranges. He was a skilled hunter, an expert charioteer, and a great cook. He was such a great cook that a princess fell in love with him and chose him as her husband. And when he ran away from her after losing a game of dice, she followed him to the ends of the world. Her name was Damayanti. His name was Nala.
The story of Nala and Damayanti originally appears in an episode of the Mahabharata titled 'Nalopakyana' or 'the tale of Nala'. Interestingly, the story emphasises Nala's culinary skills a great deal, which is strange since cooking was usually seen as the work of slaves and shudra or low-born workers. Although Bhima, too, is described as a great cook, cooking was generally seen as unfit for a king, and Bhima only cooked for himself and when he was in exile and disguised as a lowly cook.
While we do not have any record of Bhima's cooking prowess in the Mahabharata or elsewhere, we do have some record of Nala's culinary skills. An ancient Indian culinary treatise titled 'Pakadarpana' or 'the mirror of cooking' (as in 'reflections on cooking') is attributed to the mythical Nishada king from the Mahabharata. At least eight centuries old, the text consists of 751 verses in 11 chapters and describes the qualities of an ideal cook and host, the process of preparing the cooking ground, and techniques of preparing different kinds of vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods.
The dishes described in Pakadarpana are categorised into 16 different kinds such as odana or cooked rice; sūpa or de‑husked legumes soup; sarpis or ghee; vyañjaka or side courses; māṁsa or meat; śāka or leafy vegetables; bhakṣya or snacks; pāyasa or milk and rice pudding; rasāyana or refreshers; pāna or drinks; yūṣa or porridge; lehya or lickable food like chutney or achar (Indian-style spiced pickles); pānīya or water-based drinks; kṣīra or milk-based beverages and takra or sour buttermilk; and different rice preparations following culinary principles of Ayurveda.
Interestingly, the Pakadarpana also includes the recipe of a Biryani-like meat and rice dish called 'mamsodana'. To make mamsodana, three parts water and one part rice are mixed in a cooking vessel and put to boil. When the rice begins boiling, meat is cut into small pieces and added along with a small amount of rock salt. The preparation is then mixed well by stirring. A small amount of ghee or clarified butter is added at this point. When the water is absorbed by the rice and meat, the vessel is taken out of the fire. The preparation is then seasoned with coconut milk and ghee, along with edible flowers of ketakī (Pandanus fascicularis) and pieces of parpaṭa (Hypecoum leptocarpum). The preparation is then scented using camphor and muskwood. Finally, the vessel is sealed and left on a simmering fire and served hot. The author of Pakadarpana describes this dish as delicious, aphrodisiac, nutritious, and easily digestible. It gives strength to the body, nourishes the soul, and heals wounds (sounds like biryani, alright).
Whether written by the mythical Nala or a medieval author using his name, one person or several, the Pakadarpana is a valuable source of information about the food habits, culture, history, and culinary traditions of Ancient India, and stands out as a window into ancient Indian culinary ideas.
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