1...2...3... Instant Chickpeas!

The smoky scent of roti on a cold winter night reminds me of our kitchen in India. As the roti delicately puffed up on the brick oven, I would forgo the niceties of the dining table and squat on the floor next to the glowing coal fire. Maa would serve the roti with a steaming bowl of chicken curry, reminiscing about her childhood.



Food is a delicious way to connect with the family and stock up on warm cozy memories.

My eight and twelve year olds love to cook. During summer vacation, we try to put in few hours of cooking every week. Anna came up with the idea of a book of “Mamma’s Recipes” which would be handed down through generations, with naturally a preface by the great lady herself! Initially I was not so optimistic; I mean I am no Cordon Bleau, or even a Rachel Ray, not anything close to their high standards, but Anna and Pia’s animated and hopeful faces tugged at my heart.


We had a composition book, a can of chick peas and I was all ready to hand down some glorious recipes to posterity! The preface went as follows:

“Hello Girls and grandchildren, and great great grandchildren to come,
I learnt to cook after marriage. In my mom-in-law’s house. On being asked to cook a special dish I would sneak over to my closet, take out a cookbook and try the recipe. Most of the time though, it turned out to be… something very un-Rachel Ray! However, I want my girls to be smart, sophisticated, and ready for everything in life. The ability to cook yummy stuff easily will make you confident. It will not only give you satisfaction but will bring happiness to the palates of others.
So let us start today,
Lot’s of love,
Mamma
2007”

The recipe for “1…2…3… Instant Chickpeas”, for busy moms & kids (under supervision)

Ingredients:
1 large can of chick peas
1 tsp. of garlic paste/ powder
1 tsp. of ginger paste/ powder
1 Tbs. of olive oil
1 Tbs. of tomato ketchup/tomato paste
1 cup of water
1 tsp. of fresh ground black pepper
(Optional: coriander leaves)
Salt (to taste)

Directions:
Drain the can of chickpeas and rinse them out.
Heat the olive oil on medium heat and stir in the garlic and ginger paste for 15 seconds. (Be careful if it’s garlic or ginger powder. Stir only for a few seconds).
Pour in chickpeas, add tomato ketchup, black pepper, salt and stir.
Pour in water after 6-7 minutes. Let it simmer.
Turn off the stove after another 10 minutes.
Garnish with chopped coriander.
Enjoy!

Email to Anna: Memories

(I try to give a bit of myself to my kids every day & I send them occasional emails with details of my life they are unaware of. 


Actually it had started this way.....On an impulse I had sent a short letter to my nine year old and was pleasantly surprised when she said that she had enjoyed and saved it too! )

Hi Anna,

I grew up in a small town in India, the landscape defined by a river flanked by grey mountains, and miles of rolling fields.

The Europeans used to live here before and after the Indian independence, and they largely contributed in making this town so picturesque. The red roofed neat bungalows, the white apartment complexes, the wide tree lined streets, the clean sidewalks, the green parks..... I always carry the images with me.

Parts of our town was fenced off from the surrounding areas and villages  and the other parts with an invisible fence – our minds! The residents had a border rule; they mostly interacted among themselves and knew each other by names, as if we were part of an extended family. They came from all over India but made this little town their home till they retired. Then they either settled in a neighboring city or returned to the places they originally came from. Our entertainment and friends were all within this small world, the outside came into our lives when we went to a theater or the mall or on vacations.

The children traveled to distant schools by bus, the girls went to Loreto Convent (we celebrated the school centenary in 1977!), the boys to Saint Patrick and Saint Vincent. At school too we were cocooned from all the harsher elements of life, studied with the same folks from kindergarten through high school, mostly from similar backgrounds. And we had a lot of fun growing up. Usually after high school the youth moved to the cities in pursuit of higher education, ready for a new life but keeping this small town in their hearts.


 Even now, after years abroad or in different parts of India we try to retain a connection to our town by sharing memories or meeting up with old friends. 



Someday soon I have to take you to Loreto Convent for a visit, let's plan.

Bye for now,

Love,

Mamma
(Summer 2005)



Dear Anna,

Loved visiting your class today. You answered well, I'm so proud of you. You remind me of my school days and what fun we used to have.

In tenth grade our bio teacher was a Ms. Durairaj, a wonderful person really but very strict. We were rather scared of her! In one of her classes, Nivvy and I forgot to bring some instruments for dissection, and were asked to leave. Both of us were prefects. Nivvy was the head girl and I was the Tagore/ Blue house captain. We stood outside the class looking rather foolish, totally humiliated, while the 6th, 7th and 8th graders were passing by with knowing smiles! So we decided to do some walking around the school, pretending to monitor the junior classes. We were pretty sure that Ms. Durairaj would not open the door to check on us. But then who should we meet but our headmistress, doing her rounds. She guessed what we were up to, but fortunately had a soft corner for us and just passed by with a mild warning!

So you see, your mom was bit of a scamp too!

Love and hugs,
Mamma
( Fall 2005)

Email Continued: Bonding with your Child

Year 2005



Hi Anna,



A little more of my life in India. We had a small library in our town with a nice book collection. It was nestled in a bungalow and had a reading room near the entrance. Twice a week I would walk to the library to get books because I loved to read just like you. Often we would meet friends and linger, but your grandpa's rule was to be back in the house before the street lights turned on.



The children of this small township would display a hand-written magazine called "The Brook" (named after a poem by Lord Tennyson), in the library every month. Our writings - poems, stories, jokes, paintings and an editorial were written on a large sheet of poster paper, and hung in the reading room of the Library. The boys and girls took turns in publishing the magazine.



One issue of the magazine however created a rift between us. Well, the girls had described a few of the boys in a poem without naming them, as though they were very naughty puppies. But the boys were furious and stopped speaking to us. In the next issue of the magazine they wrote a poem titled "Little Minds That Think Little Thoughts", aimed at us! Silly stuff, but it took a while to patch things up.



So things that you feel are funny might not always be so! And with friends, misunderstandings happen. But everything works out in the end. Got to rush now, Lucy is due for a shot at the vets. Love you always, more than the star, the sky and the sun!!!!



Mamma

Letter to the first grade teacher, 2007

Sept 2007

Hi Ms. X,

It is easy for a naturally partial mother to describe her child, but yes Mia has her moments, though the good ones far outweigh the naughty.

Mia loves to watch TV, and since TV time is restricted to Fridays and Saturdays, we have to live through tears and theatrics before the sunny smile comes. “The Cheetah Girls” scare me! Are they good influence ??

Also, did I do the same things like posing in front of the mirror or raiding mom’s makeup box or dripping my nail with garish nail polish? Well, the love of Mia’s life is fashion in general. All my lipsticks land up in her closet and I face occasional rebellions when I do her hair in the morning. But a little praise or a tickle in her tummy eases my life.

She is a strong individual. Even her ten-year-old sister finds it hard to boss her unless a bit of blackmail is used! I had asked Mia why she was unwilling to use her given Indian name in class (it means “unique/ unparallel”), and she replied that though she loved her name she was sick of the incorrect pronunciation. She has opinions and views which occasionally tend to upset us!

This summer she learnt how to cycle all on her own. It goes for swimming too. Since school started she has been waking me up and practically the whole family at 5:30 a.m. every day!

Kindergarten was difficult for Mia. However on Mrs. Y’s recommendation we have worked with her during the vacation, to boost her level of studies and confidence. On the first day of school Mia asked her daddy if she would be able to keep up with the work in class. And then with a very knowledgeable look she said “life is not easy for a little kid”! She has a diary where she scribbles stuff; mostly about how much she loves an imaginary puppy and us.

She had a bit of an identity crisis in kindergarten, and for some months wanted me to be a blond haired-blue eyed mom! Some heart to heart chats resolved the issue.

Since school started she tries to read books on her own.  enjoys the poems I One of her favorites is “The Owl and the Pussycat”. She is bilingual. Occasionally I read to her poems by R. Tagore (an Indian Nobel laureate), so that she is aware of our culture and literary works.

We are trying to wean her away from princess stories for which she has a big weakness, but dolls and Barbies are still favorites. Currently “High School Musical” is at the top of her list replacing Disney movies, though she still idolizes The Little Mermaid. In the evening she plays tennis with grandpa, I am still not sure if Sharapova’s skills or looks or her glittery black dress at the US Open has influenced her!

Unlike my other 5th grader Mia enjoys eating!! ….On the whole she has a sunny nature and enjoys playing with friends. She loves dogs and even a little bunny that chewed up my gladioli plants! She puts her heart in whatever she does, lots of emotion, exuberance and smiles; sorrow involves noisy tears!. I do not know how she is in class but at home she is becoming quite a little chatterbox. When I listen to some of the conversation between my two daughters I realize how much the world has changed since I was at school!!

With warm regards,

Nina