Confessions of a glutton

(Originally published on December 13, 2008 at 3:37 p.m.)

The plates, sparkling clean, are inverted, and they stare upwards, their mouths open. The glasses are subjected to, and they do, the same. The vessels with the steaming pappu (Dal, in Telugu), the delightful baingan ka bharta, and the distinctive palak paneer, and of course, rice, come in, and are carefully placed on the little stands, so as to not bother the delicate tablecloth. As the food starts getting served on everyone’s plates, I look up to notice Big B’s absence on my side of the table in the now almost set formation. The delectable aroma of the bharta, though, distracts me, and, having washed my hands a few seconds ago, I set my sights on a wonderful dinner, which is to be finished by curd-rice, with a most delicious combination with achaar (pickle).

This dinner is one week into the holidays. Plus, the food’s nothing distinctively Andhra, or even South Indian for that matter, apart from the dal. So, a blog post on that? For me, this dinner was, after a long while on our dining table, for a change. OK, looks like, I’ve got some background info to give now...

Mom’s in NTPC, and we used to live in the quarters, till I finished Class 10. The township is almost 40 kilometres off the main city of Vizag, and my brother’s college, which he was joining then, is a further 15 kilometres away. (I hope I’m not mixing up my tenses, here) So, we shifted to the city, on rent, where Mom and Dad would shuttle to their respective offices daily, Big B to his college, and me to my coaching classes- a five-minute walk away. But, most of our essential furniture, to this day, remains in the NTPC house, where Mom has to stay whenever she’s got her duty.

Well, I could’ve just said we live in two places, and this is where the dining table (and a 29-inch TV!) is, but I guess it’s clearer this way, and by now, I guess you know that I like the longer ways out! So, our dining table is in NTPC, and we’re here, too, minus Big B, who’s gone to play in the University Nationals Tennis in Vellore. Let me tell you, as stupid as it sounds, it’s two totally different things eating at the dining table with the idiot box a room away switched off for good, and eating otherwise. And, this experience is much more wholesome. For me, the best part about eating at home, apart from the run-of-the-mill reason- Mummy ke haath ka khana- is eating by hand, or not using spoons (I hope I got the phrase right). I always add a particular anecdote when I’m telling this to friends. Akshay Khanna was on this eatery show on a news channel one Sunday, and the anchor was surprised to see him, eating by hand. He replied, “Eating is an experience, that should satisfy all the senses- you see the food, you smell it, you taste it, you can hear yourself eating it, and the sensory experience is complete only when you feel the food with your hands.”  I have this unexplained sentimental thing for not eating by hand at the insti- I guess the food there isn’t exactly what I’d like to experience too often! But, at home, every single time the food slides down my hand into the mouth, I feel grateful for these wonderful moments!

 

Speaking of moments, I’m reminded of my wonderful plans for the blog, and I plan to release them later, but assure every jobless soul reading that I’ve got loads to offer for the rest of this month, even after 4 posts this month- almost like, leading up to a grand first bloggiversary! So, regular readers/torturees, rejoice/wince! I guarantee at least a few more posts, a few more insights and opinions, whines and winces, revelations and somnambulations  (if there’s a word like that), till the end of this year, hopefully!

 

Signing off, with a short post, for a change!

 

P.S. – I hope jobless is not taken literally. Please. It’s just a slip of tongue, or rather, slip of index fingers.

 

P.P.S. – Full respect to those who use spoons when eating rice, or those who eat only rotis for meals, but, honestly, you’re missing out on something!

 

P.P.P.S. – By the way, the place where I am now, doesn’t have an Internet connection, either, as said in the previous post, and which explains the time and date at the top of the last two posts.