UMANG'S DOSA AND MY SABUDANA KICHDI?







Umang, my dear ex-student, and, now, a dear friend, is a creative guy… He has been in films-ads-media-related industry for years, now. Presently, he must be shooting somewhere in the southern or northern part of India, I do not know… But, this much I know, that, amidst all his high-tech-and-super-fast-and-man-eat-man kind of life, yes, amidst all his midlife glories and debacles, among all his ecstasies and sorrows, Umang found his ‘mighty happiness’ in a dasa he made for breakfast, this morning… So, he shared his mighty joy with all of us, on his FB Timeline:

“Made a dosa today for b'fast. The first time ever. And it was perfect.
Perfectly round, perfectly crisp and golden. Mighty happy!!!”

Dosa and Idli were the local staple-food for us in South. The batter had to be prepared… Till I was a tenth-standard boy, we had no electricity at home… So I remember helping mom to prepare the batter… It was a giant grinding-stone and, I was really good at grinding! So, that’s one of the reasons why I have these broad, sturdy shoulders! The fire-oven and the earthen vessels, the spoons made of dry coconut-shells… Yes, all this, now, seems to be a life of either another century or adivasis…

Whatever that is... This morning, Umang’s status, instantly, brought a smile on my face… I remembered helping my mom in batter-making (not always though); but, I did not remember telling her, any time, “Mom, the dasas are too good… Perfect… Love you mom… a big hug!”

All these years – I am 59 now – I have taken the dosas made by my mom and wife simply for granted!

Maybe, Umang’s status was meant to remind me and others, “Hey, let’s say it to our moms and wives with a big hug!”

“Tell me, who made the batter?”, Namrata, a friend of Umang, had teased him in her comment… yes, before I could! So, I had this to comment:

“Umang, I am smiling!!! I made Sabudana Kichdi for breakfast, today....
Felt like jumping with joy the way u did! And, yes, feel like blogging too!!!! Love.”

These days, I spend a lot of time watching YouTube videos and experimenting in the kitchen, even though the kitchen, at the end of my experiment, turns into a Mohenjo-daro! But, the whole idea, somewhere beneath it, is inspired by the guilt I had been harbouring in my heart…that, I had taken the dosas prepared by my mom and wife for granted… yes, for almost six decades!

“That (my Dosa) will be the second mention on your blog,” Umang had replied.

No Umang… my Sabudana Kichdi is the second mention in this blog, today… Your Dosa is the first!


GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: Umang Pahwa


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