When I am feeling homesick, it is mostly because I am deeply missing the comfort food that my mom cooked with compassion and care…
I am feeling a bit homesick today and I have no qualms about accepting the truth that it is only because of homecooked food. At times, I really miss my mom for the goodness-infused, comfort food she made for all of us at home and now that I have been living away from home for almost seven years, I completely realise how invaluable it was. I could never thank my mom enough for taking care of us with so much love, compassion and dedication.
It is a beautiful feeling when we visit our parents after months and years and listening to them worrying about us genuinely and complaining that we don’t eat properly, is a blessing. Somewhere, deep down the heart, it touches and leaves an indelible mark, because that is when we are reminded that there are our parents who will always be thinking about our wellbeing. It suddenly embalms our tired, love-deprived souls that have been wandering in search of compassion for months.
Food shares a very strong bond with our memories and emotions. I haven’t eaten anything worthwhile since morning and all I am reminded of is that modest aloo matar ki sabzi which my mom used to make for dinner quite often. I never quite appreciated my mom for her recipe when I was a kid living with her, but today, if there is anything that can comfort me is that same preparation.
When it was twilight, me and my brother would return home after playing with our friends in the colony and mom would be after our lives to complete the homework. We would switch on the television, put on some cartoons and open our notebooks to complete the work and mom would keep on shuttling between the kitchen and the living area, managing the dinner and keeping a check on our work progress.
Occasionally I would stand along with her in the kitchen, trying to memorise her recipes and the way of cooking. Aloo matar ki subzi is one of the easiest and quickest preparations. First, you need to chop some potatoes in small dices, cut some tomatoes in fine cubes and take out some peas and wash them properly. In a cooker, heat some oil and crackle hing and jeera. Throw in the tomatoes and sauté for a while, till they turn soft and can be easily mashed with the ladle. Add potatoes and peas and fry for sometime. Add all the masalas like turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt and mix well. Close the lid and wait for two-to-three whistles, after which, your vegetable will be ready to be enjoyed. It tastes best along with plain parathas and if you have coriander chutney as a condiment, then nothing like it. Go home and make it if possible and remember me when you eat it. I am missing it even more!
