Roti and mixed-veg! Again??!! I would make a disgusting face followed by a 'yuck' of 140 decibel when my mother served me the same dinner two days in a row despite the fact that the other five days had chicken masala, chicken biriyani, paneer makhani, kashmiri pulav and navratan korma on the menu, everything customized to suit my taste!
Needless to say that my mother loved to cook for me and I hopelessly misused this privilege far more than the minister who exploited his privileges to end up in a 80 crore scam (small amount haan?? guess, he could not exploit it to the fullest!). I was a spoilt kid and definitely my demands for the lavish cuisine continued to be one of her royal pains till i left for college! She made the best but I would find a reason to complain!
First day in college, before leaving for classes in the morning I noticed that the menu at the hostel dining room read 'chili chicken' and 'veg-korma'. The day was hectic but the menu for the night kept my spirits high! I even skipped my evening snacks to reserve some extra room for the chicken (back then I was a voracious-rapacious-carnivorous homosapien). Clock struck 9 and I was at dining room only to find that the much awaited 'chili chicken' was a disaster. I don't even want to talk about the 'korma'! If invited, I am certain even the severely starved people of Somalia would have outright rejected the offer! I was horrified, as horrified as the teenage girl who was left alone in a Dolby Digital theater and made to watch 'the exorcist', 'bhoot' and 'Akshay-Anil-Nana-starrer-Welcome' back to back (you can surely count on the last one too!). I missed my mother's dishes!
Before coming to US the only thing i knew to 'cook' was maggie (most of the time had to be satisfied with the half cooked one). I once made upma too but then i guess the half burnt, salt less broth won't qualify. My room mates were supportive. Either they gobbled the food I made, with a big glass of water else they made sure to have their dinner outside on days when it was my turn to cook.
I miss my mom's 'masala alu' every time I shove the half baked potato curry down my throat. The frozen roti can never make upto the 'fulke' she used to serve me hot. The 'tofu' is not even close to her 'chili paneer'. Standing in the Subway queue to place an order for a cold six-inch sub stuffed with few slices of tomato and jalapeño, after having the same leftover curry for four days in a row, twice a day makes me realize what a snub I was. If only I can make it up to her!
Needless to say that my mother loved to cook for me and I hopelessly misused this privilege far more than the minister who exploited his privileges to end up in a 80 crore scam (small amount haan?? guess, he could not exploit it to the fullest!). I was a spoilt kid and definitely my demands for the lavish cuisine continued to be one of her royal pains till i left for college! She made the best but I would find a reason to complain!
First day in college, before leaving for classes in the morning I noticed that the menu at the hostel dining room read 'chili chicken' and 'veg-korma'. The day was hectic but the menu for the night kept my spirits high! I even skipped my evening snacks to reserve some extra room for the chicken (back then I was a voracious-rapacious-carnivorous homosapien). Clock struck 9 and I was at dining room only to find that the much awaited 'chili chicken' was a disaster. I don't even want to talk about the 'korma'! If invited, I am certain even the severely starved people of Somalia would have outright rejected the offer! I was horrified, as horrified as the teenage girl who was left alone in a Dolby Digital theater and made to watch 'the exorcist', 'bhoot' and 'Akshay-Anil-Nana-starrer-Welcome' back to back (you can surely count on the last one too!). I missed my mother's dishes!
Before coming to US the only thing i knew to 'cook' was maggie (most of the time had to be satisfied with the half cooked one). I once made upma too but then i guess the half burnt, salt less broth won't qualify. My room mates were supportive. Either they gobbled the food I made, with a big glass of water else they made sure to have their dinner outside on days when it was my turn to cook.
I miss my mom's 'masala alu' every time I shove the half baked potato curry down my throat. The frozen roti can never make upto the 'fulke' she used to serve me hot. The 'tofu' is not even close to her 'chili paneer'. Standing in the Subway queue to place an order for a cold six-inch sub stuffed with few slices of tomato and jalapeño, after having the same leftover curry for four days in a row, twice a day makes me realize what a snub I was. If only I can make it up to her!
3 Comments:
Mom's the best.
Anyways I also had the pleasure of aunty's cooking (The KGP trip) - she is an amazing cook.
I also feel you actually should love cooking else u are doomed - I am cooking for myself since 2 years and enjoying it.
Tu aa India tere ko kabhi khilata hoon - I dig Anthony Bourdain shows - watch them - cooking can be fun.
Subway I liiiiiiiiike.
Tu kya veg ho gaya hai?? Dhikkkaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar hai.
Keep up the good work and plaese learn to cook. It helps.
no doubt mom's food is d best on earth.... wish we cld realize the worth n appreciate it when she was around...
but cummon dont be modest... u 2 cook well... ive tasted ur paneer.... though not as good ad POT POURRI.... it definitely is oasis in a desert...
ur blog is getting interesting by d day... good going...
wonder wt ur next onez gonna be?????
No doubt we all miss a lot of good things around. It's only now we realize that we have actually had the privilege of enjoying a lot of good things back when we were young coz parents knew that once we are on our own - 'phir bhagwaan hi maalik hai' ;)
Still, the chhole masala curry was great. You stand no chance with some people (like yours truly) who still do-not-know a lot about cooking.
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