“We are stuck with technology when what we really want is just stuff that works.” ~ Douglas Adams

Even though I am not a big fan of “Kitchen Gadgets’ per se, I have bought quite a few over the years. Some of which are an absolute essential in my daily cooking while some others live permanently on the shelf, unused and much neglected.

If only my ice-cream maker, juicer, coffee maker, electric kettle can talk…they would probably shout their heart out and tell you the misery of sitting idle for years in dark, lonely and claustrophobic loft of my kitchen 😉

Not so long ago, mornings at home used to be quiet and slow. There was ample time to go for a brisk walk, get fresh vegetables en route, sit back, read newspaper and relax with a cup of tea.

And yes, there was absolutely no temptation to check the social media status, answer emails or to update the blog either.

Five years of online journey and suddenly life has become so fast-paced. I find myself  chasing ‘time’ with thousand dreams each day. Times when I feel how much media causes to miss out on simple pleasures of life.

Whoever said that,, “Media has a trade-off between its usefulness and its ability to waste your time.”

Here are a few easy yogurt based recipes from my treasure of ‘time-management in kitchen’. These recipes make sure that my cooking time is saved without compromising on the nutrient quotient of the food I prepare for my family.

While the lentils cooked, I started chopping the red Amaranth on my cutting board watching the two tiny squirrels play catch-me-if-you-can on the mango tree outside.

As I stood there silent, my mind began to wander and I started reminiscing about my childhood days…yet again.

When in school, I and my brother disliked leafy foods in any form. So much so that our school lunchboxes never saw any vegetables other than potatoes and Okra for as long as I remember.

“Who on Earth loves eating this laal chawli bhaji (red Amaranth) mom. It looks so yuck?” I would make faces in vain after seeing the slimy mass on my plate, hoping that she would stop making the same…someday.

A long angry look from mom and we would continue to shovel that slimy Chawli bhaji without uttering another word.

We spent some quality time talking, reflecting and sharing some of our personal and professional matters with each other. We did more of window shopping than the actual prop shopping as she had restriction to carry the luggage in flight.   

We never stopped talking and sharing food tips all along our way to market much to the chagrin of some shop keepers who were expecting us to do more of shopping than talking 🙂

“I add a handful of black sesame seeds to whatever I cook or bake at home, be it a Sambhar, Rasam, rice, or any Indian subji which takes care of the calcium intake of my family” A tip from her which is religiously followed by me hence-forth.

“Holi – the festival of colours, marks the beginning of spring season and is celebrated for two days. The first day eve begins with a bonfire or Holika dhahan which depicts the victory of good over evil. The next day is the time for playing with colours, greeting friends and sharing sweets with them.” Nostalgia started engulfing me as I narrated them my experiences.
And cooking traditional food during these celebrations could be a great way to stay connected to our roots.  I wanted to make a sweet Empanada called Gujiyas/Ghughra/Karanji/Karachika in India for them to compensate for the fun and frolic that we miss here.

“Look at this pretty Idol of Sarawati with Veena, this one is more than 100 years old, it was passed on to me by my mother. And this white Shiva Idol….a friend of your Tatha’s father (great-grandfather) brought it  from Sri Lanka about 70 years ago.” She wipes the idol gently and asks my son to place it on the ladder specially created for Navaratri festival.

For a change there is a silence at home for long, as the children are sitting patiently next to their grandmother, waiting eagerly for her to open that heavy iron trunk which is rusted beyond repair. I could see the amusement written all over their faces. The trunk which opens up with a creaky noise is like a Pandora box for them with small bundles of memories, moments and untold stories.

Her face lightens up each time she unfolds the fragile age-old clay dolls wrapped in small muslin clothes. I wonder how she never gets bored of narrating the (same) history of each Idol to my children, year after year… 🙂

And I am sure when they hold some of these Idols which belong to their fore fathers, it gives them a feeling of belonging and reminds them from where they came from.

I didn’t give much thought back then, but realized that this is a common topic of discussion among many parents I meet during school hours. “Our children spend years gathering useless information they’ll never use again” is the common complaint from many parents.
“You should always remember that school life does not end just with mugging up lessons and clearing exams. Your school life extends much beyond the backpack you carry, to some of the supportive friends you make for lifetime, creative lessons you learn from your teachers in studies and sports to the self esteem you gain in school.”

Growing up, we rarely had Pasta in our menu. Not that Pasta was easily available in India, it was non-existent in mom’s kitchen. The only recipe I could remember which remotely resembled today’s Pasta was our indigenous Daal Dhokli. Hmm…those delicate stripes of whole grain pasta…err…Dhoklis floating in spicy lentil broth…I would never trade my hot steamy bowl of Daal Dhoklis for any fancy pasta, not in the least.

But no matter how creatively you present these traditional recipes, children are children, they fail to notice.

As your children grow older, your sayings on the dinning table fall off and your food preferences are put to shelf.

‘A good life is when you assume nothing, do more and realize how blessed you are for what you have‘. Come to think of that Food could be a medium to preserve memories, reminisce with old friends and let my life speak! Well, never in my wildest of dreams I assumed that this blog Lite Bite will be a platform to store a whole stack of memories for lifetime to come.

Days pass and memories fade, but the more I cook and write for Lite Bite, the more memories I remember and cherish here.