Food On My Mind
With a steaming hot cup of tea in one hand and sandwich in the other, I was about to eat my breakfast, when my mother-in-law called, “what should we make for lunch?” I was like, ‘uh! I have not had my breakfast yet and lunch already.’ This was my story every day after my marriage. In a few days that I had been married, I realized it was not an easy job to be a homemaker. It was a constant effort to be calm and composed.
In a Punjabi household food is always on your mind. At breakfast you start discussing lunch, at lunch you are so bothered about dinner. Every time you just gobble your food. In my parents’ home, I never cared much about food but the first time I visited my parents after marriage, I realized it was the same story there. I promised myself that I will not fall into this vicious circle. Easier said than done. After more than thirty years of married life, I am confessing that food is on my mind 24x7. The biggest question of my life is “What to cook?”
Couple of years after marriage, I learned to cook Chinese dishes. One Sunday, my husband was out for some work, so I decided to give him a surprise. I boiled the noodles, grated the carrots and cabbage, cut the onions, beans and what not into shreds with my knife as I did not possess food processor in those days. It was a tedious job. Then I deep fried the Manchurian, made the gravy by using chilli sauce, vinegar and soya sauce. I made vegetable noodles and paneer Manchurian. I fried the boiled noodles for making American choupsey.
By lunch time, I was ready with all the dishes. The aroma of freshly prepared dishes was filling the whole house. Kids were elated. My husband did not say much, so I assumed he too must have liked the pleasant change. I was satisfied and happy for having bought a change in our food habits. That was my biggest mistake. While having evening tea my husband complained, “I had to fast today, so prepare something good for dinner.” ‘Oh my God! The chicken had lost its life and here the eater was not even satisfied.’
That day my mother-in-law’s tip came to my rescue. She had shared my husband’s secret once. She had told me, “If ever you feel like he is in a bad mood, make simple dal, boiled aloo jeera and paranthas.” I followed her advice. ‘Voila! He was more than happy.’
After a hearty dinner he seemed to be in a very good mood, so I brought the topic of lunch. I am not sure about how I felt when he replied, “Dear that was not lunch, you just prepared snacks. I cannot fill my stomach with snacks.” I learnt one thing that day, ‘A Punjabi can’t go without dal and chappati even for one meal.’
Glossary-
Dal: cooked Lentils
Aloo: Potatoes
Jeera: Cumin seeds
Paranthas/chappati: Flattened whole wheat bread