Tarrqaa and Mirchaan

Why is it that within Punjabis, almost all food can not be prepared without first doing Tarrqaa and adding so many spices/peppers. Can't food be prepared without these two?
What is the Gurmat way of preparing food? How did puratan Gursikhs used to prepare food?
I feel both Tarrqaa and spices are very sickening, why can't Punjabis prepare food without them?

I always know there is an Indian family living near when I walk down the street and smell thurka!

lol TSingh that nothing bro,

go to brampton/surrey and walk down the street in the evening and you will smell turka in the air coming from all the houses on the street....heck..who cares about a street.... the whole entire block/neighbourhood is making turka at that time....lol

Excerpts from Book Se-Kinehiya, Biography of Baba Harnam Singh Jee Rampur Kehdawale.

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Chapter 44 - SHARING COMMUNAL FOOD (LANGAR)

Generally, he would take very little salt in his food. If there were too much salt in the Daal (lentil soup), he would just dilute it with some water. He almost never ate green or red chillies. If he was due to eat at anyone’s house, he would ask them before hand to refrain from using chillies in the food. If somehow, the family had put chilli in the food inadvertently, he would discreetly, without fuss, just dip his chapatti in water and eat it. Similarly, if there were too much sugar in the tea, he wouldn’t scold anyone. He would just add some water to dilute it.

It was as if he followed what Bhagat Kabir Ji has said…
raam ras pee-aa ray.
jih ras bisar ga-ay ras a-or. ||1|| rahaa-o

Baba Ji was utilitarian, in that he ate for the simple purpose of satisfying his nutritional needs and not to indulge in tasting culinary delicacies. He was not in favour of frying food or eating spicy foods. He would prefer simple food without too many spices, garlic and other garnishes. The Daal made for the sangat would be made simply, by boiling lentils with chopped onions and some butter. He would often have Masur Daal (a yellow lentil made into a soup) or yoghurt with some chapatti. In the early days, if a devotee brought milk to the Gurdwara, Baba Ji would make tea or herbal tea (called Saunfa) and use the milk for the service of the sangat. If no milk was available, he would make tea as normal but, instead of adding milk, he would add a little butter and offer it to the sangat. With the tea, he would offer his apology, “We have no milk in the Gurdwara and I don’t go to beg for milk. Please accept this tea as it is. Whatever the true Guru sends here, we distribute it as it comes, back to the sangat.”

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Bhul Chuk Maaf.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa,
Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.

Like Gurbani , the numerous rehats encourage a simple diet. Bhai Daya Singh Jis rehatnamey has a section which mentions what should be included in the langar. I dont remember there being any menion of spices or tarrka.

Giani Gurbachan Singh Ji mentions when one does seva of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji they should not eat uncooked onions or garlic because such things provide a bad odor in the mouth, and we should not be going to Sri Guru Jis hazoori with such a bad odor while doing seva. I think he also mentions not to eat gassy foods before going to the Hazoori of Sri Guru JI, because gassy food leads to flatulence .

thanks for the humor Sukhdeep Singhji

I don't think he was joking Ks jeeo

I was not trying to be humorous. It makes sense to avoid eating certain food that prohibit you from doing seva of Sri Guru Ji. For example. I know during akahand paaths many Singhs would just eat fruit. This way they dont have too do a number 2, because when you go to the toilet you have to do full ishnaan again before going to Sri Guru Jis hazoori again for seva. On the other hand I have seen Singhs not being so selective in the foods they eat before seva and during the paath you hear them burp and you can hear the sound and smell of flatulence.

I know you are not joking Sukhdeep Singhji, and TSinghji,
Just the mention of avoiding food that causes odor is humorous.
But jokes aside, with regards to taking full ishnaan before doing Gurbani Sewa, or Path where one is to hold Gutka, I do full ishnaan now, though when in teen years, use to skip washing hair daily.
However, I am confused as to why in Se Kineya, Sant Sewa Singh mentions that they wash face, hands, and feet before Sewa, also at times take Hukanama if there is Ardas request to be made?
Maybe it is due to the fact that Sant Harnam Singhjio was a true gem of Bhramgyani, so He is Pavitr personified?
Bhul chuk muaf
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

Sukhdeep Singh, you had to come and ruin it man?
I was talking about Tarrqaa and Mirchaan bro, you went off-topic, and totally started talking about something else...
Seriously, what goes on inside your head bro?

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KS
I know you are not joking Sukhdeep Singhji, and TSinghji,
Just the mention of avoiding food that causes odor is humorous.
But jokes aside, with regards to taking full ishnaan before doing Gurbani Sewa, or Path where one is to hold Gutka, I do full ishnaan now, though when in teen years, use to skip washing hair daily.
However, I am confused as to why in Se Kineya, Sant Sewa Singh mentions that they wash face, hands, and feet before Sewa, also at times take Hukanama if there is Ardas request to be made?
Maybe it is due to the fact that Sant Harnam Singhjio was a true gem of Bhramgyani, so He is Pavitr personified?
Bhul chuk muaf
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

when ever you go to do to seva of sri guru granth sahib you must do full ishnaan.

furthermore, when you go to the gurdwara sahib (ie. by walk or by driving), everyone must also do punj ishnaan becuase you have worn shoes, and your hands are dirty and you should wash your face etc.

what sant seva singh jee is saying is that sometimes during the day Sant Baba Harnaam Singh jee would be asked to take huknaama sahib and then they would do punj ishnaan before taking huknaama sahib, which is the proper maryda. But they also did full ishnaan at amritvela.

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Maybe it is due to the fact that Sant Harnam Singhjio was a true gem of Bhramgyani, so He is Pavitr personified?

Sant Baba Harnaam singh jee did full ishnaan everyday, so i dont know y u r confused?


take this for example, say if there is some random singh X who is a giani at gurdwra sahib, he would wake up at amrtivela do ishnaan then, they would do simran abyass and nitnem, and then they would take huknaama sahib in the morning. Then lets say for example the singh X goes for a walk right after and then goes eats langar. then lets say 2 hours later someone comes and says i want you to do ardass and take huknama sahib, so the singh X would do panj ishnaan before taking huknaama sahib.

i hope that makes sense...

but if singh X did number 2 sometime before he was asked to take the huknaama sahib, he would have to do full ishnaan.

also, most singhs that noe that they will be doing seva usually relieve themselves before doing ishnaan at amritvela

Sant Baba Harnaam Singh Jee was and is a bram gyani

Thanks Bhaijio,
With regards to taking full ishnaan after a no 2 (which I assume is relieving oneself?), seems like in Se Kineya, Sant Harnam Singhjio, takes Hukanama after Sri Rehras Sahib, when there is an ardas request from sangat. There is no indication that full ishnaan is taken, or maybe Sant Seva Singhjio did not include this detail (?), but He did mention that such prayers were conducted after punj ishnaan only?
The local Gurdwara I attend, sangat do chakr sewa while holding handbag, no washing hands first, sitting in sangat, just gets up to do chakr sewa. Another concern here, is there is another door before entrance to where sangat sits before Guru Granth Sahib, and most do not go to do punj ishnaan, which is possible only in restrooms which sometimes does runs out of handwash, or paper towels to avoid touching restroom door with bare hands, as like public restrooms, even some Gurdwara sangat simply rinse with water/ or don't even wash after getting out of toilet.
My sincere apologies for deviating from topic, but I would like to know what is following correct rehat maryada with regards to personal hygiene before sewa of Guru Sahib.
With regards to aroma of Sikh cooking, to me that would be bliss to know there is Sikh neighbor, having lived almost all my life around non-Sikhs, to not know (even so late in life), about Gursikhi, but with Gurujio's kirpa, and His Gurmukhs from this site, I am learning
Bhul chuk muaf
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa,
Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh