Tangy Nostalgia

Lazily going in the kitchen and thinking what to make here in Tokyo I suddenly feel an urge to eat Sindhi Kari, my mouth watered when I went back in time thinking about those sunny afternoons when I, with my three sisters used to gorge upon the tangy Kari poured on a heap of rice. Sitting on the floor in the middle of our big verandah we fought for every potato slice in the curry as we all loved them the same. My mother used to serve us one by one knowing which veggies each of us liked. Me and my eldest sister were given more Imli ka pani to pour in it as we liked the Kari to be more tangy. Yummm I go thinking about it.

I remember how I used to come back from school and excitedly ask my mother about the lunch, knowing that Mushrooms were what I hated I got embittered and didn’t talk to my mother the whole day. The next day my mother would make me the tangiest ever Sindhi Kari as if compensating for the previous day’s loss. My Dadi Maa lovingly made it for me on days she would know she needs to pamper me.

My eyes water thinking about those golden days. Today, when I stand in my kitchen, all alone in the house wanting to get pampered as did, I get an inspiration to taste those sunny afternoons in the mouth full of Kari. I excitedly cut all veggies one by one; potatoes, drum sticks, lady fingers, cauliflower and collect some green peas. I put some Imli in water to use it later. I decide to put my pressure cooker on flame and proudly put some oil and mustard seeds thinking how I still remember the recipe so well from the days I observed my mother making my favourite meal. Putting gram flower and stirring it, the wonderful fragrance again takes me back again to my mother’s kitchen with me sitting on the kitchen slab and chatting with her asking `how brown the gram flour should be?` And my mother telling me, `dark brown but not black. You need to be careful.` Just when I come back to my dish and see the perfect colour to add spices and water and veggies to let it boil with all Imli water. Waiting to taste it thinking how nostalgia would taste and which other memories will it bring with it?

Thinking to myself about `The great Indian kitchens` and there fragrances. How we relate every beautiful moment with perfect dishes, different for each occasion, each festival. The food itself creates the festive mood. Holi approaching I really look forward to making my favourite Gujia and Jalebi with Rabri. What a present in the present! Well, I think even present has two facets, one that you live in and one that you relate your past to. The later one can sometimes be totally beautiful when you live in nostalgia. Doing the same thing today, but, living the beautiful moments of past. How beautiful is that. Lost in my reverie I hear a door bell and startled go to unlock, I see my husband’s soft face. With a smile, I wait to serve him my favourite dish but today on the floor.