Magic Moments

Khao Suey Yesterday we fried Vadas - fritters made out of rice and urad dal batter, mixed with chopped onions, chillies and coriander leaves. It was so yummy. Apart from some minor oil splashes in the mini wok, due to accidental presence of water in the ladle, there was no incident. And I fried a lot more vadas later in the night, soaked them in water, to make Dahi Vadas . Yum! I love this summer food. Reminds me of multiple summer vacations at home. Today morning I spluttered some mustard seeds and cumin with a dry red chilli and mixed it with dahi, chopped coriander leaves, and ground roasted cumin powder. The dahi vadas were mouth watering. And the sambar the day before - sour and spicy - loved it! Dahi Vada Just Vada Today I made Thai Green Curry . Of course procuring the Thai herbs was a challenge, so we decided to substitute with a ready-made ‘Thai Green Curry’ paste. Fried that in oil, put water and simmered, then in went the veggies - mushroom, tofu, carrots, capsicum, lots of...

We are sentimental fellows, and are proud to be so. Food, apart from being a need for survival or a delicacy to satisfy or pamper our taste buds, is an emotional indulgence. We attach foods of different kinds to uncommon situations, and numerous memories. That is why it is said that certain flavors, certain tastes are potent enough to bring back the days past, brew a recipe of nostalgia, and refresh the old pages of life. Some dishes remind you of an old pal, and some, your native land. As the competitive world has made us too busy to stand and stare, or to make a call, we take the liberty of missing our near and dears while eating. Deny it as much as you will, but food is a part of our reminiscences and recollections- be it savoring a friend’s treat or trying a new cuisine. Cotton candy and lollipops define childhood, as ‘makke di roti’, ‘sarsoon da saag’, ‘idli aur dosa’, ‘pakhala au macha bhaja’ relate to home and a mother’s handmade finger-licking-worthy items. ...