Hiya All
Here I am bloggin my thoughts, ideas, journals and ofcourse my inevitable ramblings. Greatly appreciate you'll stopping by and add comments if you will. See ya!
Here I am bloggin my thoughts, ideas, journals and ofcourse my inevitable ramblings. Greatly appreciate you'll stopping by and add comments if you will. See ya!
Dhal and Chawal Only
Posted 23rd September 2008 at 05:45 PM by Anandchitra
Updated 23rd September 2008 at 10:16 PM by Anandchitra
Updated 23rd September 2008 at 10:16 PM by Anandchitra
My husband had recently traveled to China. I had made international news of this travel with my poem, remember?
No, no, just kidding. Suffice it to say I told anyone and everyone who cared to listen.
During his travel he had trouble with a stomach virus and was not in the best of health to put it mildly.
So with his forthcoming arrival , my son assumed I would cook fancy dishes for him. Fancy dishes in his world means Vegetable Biryani, Vegetable Pulao, Gulab jamun, Vendakai (Okra) curry to say the least. Not in this order. If I were to put it in order it would start with Gulab Jamun. Oh and I dare to forget the most important item being Curd Rice.
He prodded me about my menu plans which I did not disclose to him much to his annoyance.
So on the evening after we picked up my husband , my son shared many news with him , among which he mentioned a feast is waiting for him at home.
A feast carefully thought of by my son and patiently prepared by Mom.
So when we settled down to have our dinner, imagine my son’s chagrin when he saw the “feast”.
There were on the table Rice (chawal), Dhal and Beans curry. Also the must have curd rice too.
That’s it.
My son was obviously upset that I had not taken the time to prepare more food in a much grander scale and that I had let my husband down by preparing simple dishes.
It took me some time to pacify him. He was not convinced by my talk that my husband would rather eat this simple fare any day compared to any of the five star dinners he could get.
Also he did not understand how I could not have cooked food like pulao or mutter panner or biryani. After all his father was returning after a trip wasn’t he?
I did my best to convince my son the goodness of this simple dish and how much more fulfilling and satisfying it can be too.
Meanwhile we both noticed that my husband was “feasting “ with obvious happiness at the very simple fare, thoroughly enjoying himself and before our eyes he finished his feast, his smug face reflecting his contentedness at the sumptuous meal he had just partaken.
My son did not get it at all. Do you?
No, no, just kidding. Suffice it to say I told anyone and everyone who cared to listen.
During his travel he had trouble with a stomach virus and was not in the best of health to put it mildly.
So with his forthcoming arrival , my son assumed I would cook fancy dishes for him. Fancy dishes in his world means Vegetable Biryani, Vegetable Pulao, Gulab jamun, Vendakai (Okra) curry to say the least. Not in this order. If I were to put it in order it would start with Gulab Jamun. Oh and I dare to forget the most important item being Curd Rice.
He prodded me about my menu plans which I did not disclose to him much to his annoyance.
So on the evening after we picked up my husband , my son shared many news with him , among which he mentioned a feast is waiting for him at home.
A feast carefully thought of by my son and patiently prepared by Mom.
So when we settled down to have our dinner, imagine my son’s chagrin when he saw the “feast”.
There were on the table Rice (chawal), Dhal and Beans curry. Also the must have curd rice too.
That’s it.
My son was obviously upset that I had not taken the time to prepare more food in a much grander scale and that I had let my husband down by preparing simple dishes.
It took me some time to pacify him. He was not convinced by my talk that my husband would rather eat this simple fare any day compared to any of the five star dinners he could get.
Also he did not understand how I could not have cooked food like pulao or mutter panner or biryani. After all his father was returning after a trip wasn’t he?
I did my best to convince my son the goodness of this simple dish and how much more fulfilling and satisfying it can be too.
Meanwhile we both noticed that my husband was “feasting “ with obvious happiness at the very simple fare, thoroughly enjoying himself and before our eyes he finished his feast, his smug face reflecting his contentedness at the sumptuous meal he had just partaken.
My son did not get it at all. Do you?
Total Comments 53
Comments
 |  Dear AC, It was very nice...  Loved your words : Meanwhile we both noticed that my husband was “feasting “ with obvious happiness at the very simple fare, thoroughly enjoying himself and before our eyes he finished his feast, his smug face reflecting his contentedness at the sumptuous meal he had just partaken. It was nice and happy to hear about your son's feelings and his love for his father. Nothing wrong about that too..  Ofcourse, you know him better, isn't it !!!  |
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| |  Dhal chawal and curd rice!Dhal chawal and curd rice? - That is sumptous! Only a person who has not had it for several days will know it's sumptousness (not sure if a word like that exists!) though!! But I can understand your son's 'not getting it' as well! AC, that was so well written. It reminds me of the many times dhal /chawal and curd rice with pickle has been lip smacking for me! Sindhu |
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| |  Soul Foodit is: Gowri the simpler the fare the more enriching and nourishing it is. I do know what he likes after cooking for 24 + years.. and both of us relish the simple home cooked meal |
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| | In the absenceof this simple food our taste buds long for it I think Sindhu. Especially after a trip to China its better to have curd rice. These days most cities do have good cuisine and very good food available too. Still when you eat out you would rather come home for the food we cook. Eating at home blends all the flavors of love into the aroma and so adds the homely touch:) |
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| |  My vegetarian version of Chicken soup for the soul!Dear AC, Ask me. When I go to Mumbai, Mom makes my fav combo. That is what puts me off Airline food. The menu is set : Chapattis, Dal, Cabbage Sabzi. Dessert is hubby's choice. Nothing to beat the humble Dal-Chawal at the end of the day. It beats all stomach ailments and also is a vegetarian's version of Chicken soup for the soul. I can understand what your hubby went through in China. As for your son, let him start to travel, even a glass of water from your hands will taste like nectar. Regards, Corallux |
| Updated 23rd September 2008 at 09:18 PM by corallux |
| | That is a really good line!You really had me rolling with laughter with your lines .."let him travel"! Corallux i cannot agree more.. any travel these days which involve the air travel food, one feels the need to have home cooked meal to get all that taste out of the mouth! And China.. not that I have anything against but really one needs some thing that is appetizing and can bring back life into our taste buds.. so simple dhal and chawal or dhal and chappati or all of these and curd rice does the trick every time:) This one's for you  |
| Updated 23rd September 2008 at 10:11 PM by Anandchitra |
| |  Dear AC what a treat -those chappatis! Chapattis/Dal with Raita ( a must in our home) to go with curd rice and fried chilis ( Kuda milagai) will sure rejuvenate any person who returns home from any travel. Most often, I keep a bottle of Vathalkuzhambu in the fridge for the day of return from our vacation. |
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| | special somethinginside the fridge gotcha my friend. thanks Usha for sharing.. me also going to keep vathal kuzambhu and moor kuzhambu inside fridge.. actually planning to do karuvepillai thogayal too.. you know with a pinch of brown sugar.. yum. I think only over the years can we appreciated vathal kuzhambu and chutta appalam! For youngsters all the essentials lie in the fancy names like biryani but for us another story. Again coming back from china I am sure he relishes these so much more:) Here's one for you  |
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| | UshaHow about this?  maybe I will get one and serve this way:) |
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| | Iam for vattakuzhambu,chutta appalam,curdrice anyday........ |
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| | Yummmm!Thanks AC. I will think of you when I have a roti tonight. Love, Corallux |
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| |  Dear Chitra Wonderful write up as usual. STaying in US and talking about dal chawal is really something great. We south indians meal is not complete without thayir chatham and mormilagai or pickle or puliinji. And what a treat u have given for your friends. My mouth is watering. As Corallux said when your son starts travelling he will know. Your posts are too good. Keep on writing and we will go on enjoying reading it. with love and blessings. viji |
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| |   Ac, accccccccccccccccccccccc,..................... ....rombaaaaaaaaa mosam, edhukunu kekareengala ellam FOOD SNAPS potadha pathi solren.........very bad AC, why u all want to tempt others , very bad???...hehehehe...... ook.let me forgive for posting snap of dhal, curry etc, BUT NOT FOR ROTI, do u know AC , i dont know to do roti...... but i love to eat heheheh........so iam fealing jealous to see ur roti's ........Very nice menu AC, even we prefer simple menu after vacation, poor guy, he cant understand all these now |
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| | I get the point.. am not a tubelight.. Lata Imagine me trying to be on a diet and posting such yummy photos.. just looking at them I have gained weight! I am an expert at roti even if I say so myself. Plain roti is really the easiest when you know the knack. I always knead in the food processor.. so many years now. And once you get the dough in the right consistency its smooth sailing.. when I visit you we both can cook together o.k? |
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| | I dont think it matter where you stay home is still where you reside with your loved ones Viji. Most days we just enjoy this very simple food. |
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| | AC.... Super pa. Usha... You have kindled me. So dinner for Tomorrow.. we fry moor milagaai (MW) and will take it with moor sadaam. Lata ... come to my home, everyday dinner (95%) is Chappati (with ghee or oil) and a gravy. |
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| | how sweet of your boy, chithra. He too will grow to understand that home-cooked food is after all simple dal, chawal (and dahi). When my husband first started making trips on work i used to get all worked up, excited and try my hands at new recipes on his return. No comments would follow. One day i finally decided to ask him. He wanted simple saadam, sambar and thayir nothing else. Then I understood why amma made simple 'feast' whenever my dad returned home after a trip. Latha |
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| | GowriLooks like you have given invitation to selected persons only.. point noted. |
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| | Only when you step outto you realise the need and nourishment of home cooked simple foods... its in store for everyone. Latha its interesting to note you tried recipes first and then resorted to the tried and tested staples And when we travel abroad, the fatigue and the strange smell and the different food is enough to make one want plain dhal and chawal and curd rice. With these,one might be said one resides in heaven! |
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| | Clarification...AC... You are always in the list !! Pavam pa... namma lata thane !!  |
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