MID DAY MEAL
Generally, it is not easy to prepare a meal for more than 100 people a day, the manual way. During normal times, Midday Meals are offered 3-4 times a week within School Premises of PANKH. Elaborate cooking arrangements are made beforehand, viz. selection of large cooking and serving utensils, pressure cookers and gas cylinders.
To say the least, it means arranging cereals, vegetables, spices and oils beforehand. Water for cooking, cleaning and drinking purpose is arranged previously. Then comes preparing and frying more than 400 pooris and papads; cleaning, peeling and cutting of 10 kg of potatoes, and other fresh vegetables. And then 5 kg of rice, 25 packets of milk to prepare rice and kheer; Green peas and paneer is used in sabzi and pulao. Again, if it is rajma or chholey, it has to be soaked previous evening.
Remember, the cooking has to be completed by 12:00 noon, the children fed probably in 2 batches – meticulously so that there’s least wastage and clutter. Parcels are packed and delivered to the kids to take back home. Lastly, all utensils are cleaned, and the eating and cooking spaces cleaned up.
Dustbins are used for proper disposal of wastage. Wherever required, refrigerators are used – even for leftovers, which are consumed very next morning. There’s hardly room for errors and mess as it involved feeding little children. Only organic pattals, katoris, glasses and spoons are used; we don’t use plastics…
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