Grandma and hugs are inseparable. I had a privileged childhood, as almost all my vacations used to be earned in the lap of nature and the affection of my grandma. I deliberately used the term ‘earned’ instead of ‘spent’ because that was the golden time of my life which I will cherish till my existence.
Vacations for us were all about lots of pampering, games, fun and most significantly food. The mouthwatering delicacies that used to peep out of grandma’s kitchen throughout our stay. The authentic curd rice loaded with tempering accompanied by varieties of homemade pickles would always top the chart. The aroma of that simple tempering uses to intrigue the home and our hungry equally. My mom and aunts strived all their life to bring that exact taste and texture to their curd rice same as grandma. But they never succeeded in their attempts and finally gave up.
I remember we use to curiously wait for the pickle to arrive on our plate as grandma used to serve different pickles every afternoon. She uses to spend hours making, blending and preserving those priceless delicacies. Grandma uses to keep those jars ready filled with pickles which use to accompany her and wait for our arrival.
Grandma and her precious treasure use to follow us back home with her blessings and memories.
My favourite is and always be Mango Avakaya. Grandma was splendid at blending those raw mangoes with adequate spices. It took me several years and countless attempts to get to perfection like grandma. But still, I feel there is a chance for improvement and I haven’t achieved what it takes to blend a perfect Avakaya just like Grandma.
I guess she used to blend her love and blessings in that Mango Avakaya that made it irreplaceable and unique.
I keep trying to take forward the eternal legacy of my grandma and hand it over to the upcoming generations.
What is your grandma’s food legacy?