serenelightgs

As I reminisce about food, I remember my parents who introduced us to the world of food. Many years have passed by, we have moved to different places, but the food connect is still there. Going home sitting together to eat a meal brings back memories.

The sizzle of the dosa on the tava, the freshly ground red dal chutney smeared in intricate circles, the sunny yellow potato pallya placed as a filling and the dosa being folded over. Not to forget, the way fresh coconut was broken on a stone, the water collected in a steel tumbler and in no time, it would be gulped. The coconut would then find its way to chutney with coriander, mint and given the thadka of spluttering mustard seeds, crackling curry leaves and red chillies. The freshly made hot dosa was served on a plate with seasoned coconut coriander chutney. Dosas were served one by one till we would say “we are full.”

In summer, running on the terrace where mats were placed sun drying the red chillies, dhaniya, wheat, rice was fun. We would fly the kites or watch the colourful kites and suddenly there would be a “kite fight” cheering one another. Sometimes we would be lucky to even get a kite on the terrace. The dried ingredients finally would be packed in containers. We would go to the mill on our cycles with the containers and wait for our turns to put the ingredients in the miller. Once it was fine, approved by the feel on the fingers, it was filled in the containers and taken home.

Peeping into the kitchen or most of the time, being drawn by the aroma of the food to the kitchen to see what is being cooked is the essence of our kitchen. The happiness of taking a fried jamun before it goes into the sugar syrup can never be replaced. The magical atmosphere of cooking entwined with conversations, and the joy of eating food together is a soulful story being woven nourishing us in every way and making us smile, it’s truly beyond food.

Dr. Geetha Santhosh