Everyone was so welcoming, yet she still felt like she was in unknown territory. Their holidays were coming to an end. Soon, they had to go back to work. After spending a wonderful Saturday with the new fam, everyone was looking forward to a relaxed Sunday.
She loved these mornings in the new home. Everyone having light conversations over a filter coffee and South Indian breakfasts. It took some time but after a while, she grew fond of the hot steamed idlis with boiling spicy sambhar, crispy dosas with red hot podis and chutneys. Tomato chutney had become her new favourite.
“What’s your favourite dish?”, her sister-in-law asked in excitement.
“Oh! umm… there are so many, but being a Punjabi nothing beats a classic aloo paratha with a dollop of butter”, she said. In that moment the memory of those Sunday morning breakfasts at home flashed in front of her eyes. Her mother would make stuffed aloo parathas cooked in the tandoor which would be set especially on Sundays at her maternal home. As she took out the paratha from the tandoor, she would put a big spoon of white butter, a portion she would save from freshly churned butter in the morning meant for making ghee later.
“Wow! that sounds amazing!”, she said smacking her lips.
“Hey! why don’t I make aloo parathas for breakfast… if you would like to?”, she asked in a very childlike innocence looking for approval.
“Yes please!”, her sister-in-law screamed. Her mother-in-law got startled. She looked at her newlywed daughter-in-law and gave her an intense look. “Is that even a question?” and smiled. “I don’t remember the last time I had authentic aloo parathas. It must have probably been 20 years ago from our trip to Amritsar right?”, looking at her husband.
“Yes… it’s been so long! But now our wait is over”, his eyes beaming in excitement and making action of rubbing his belly.
“Alright! let’s do this!”, and she got started with the prep.
“I’ll be your sous chef!”, her sister immediately grabbed the potatoes and started boiling them.
“And I’ll make the dough”, said her mother-in-law.
“And… what instructions for me ma’am?”, her husband making a bowing action.
“You are in charge of the chopping”, handing him an onion. “Make sure they are finely chopped.”
“Yes ma’am!”
Meanwhile, she began with making a paste of chilies, ginger, garlic, coriander, and mint leaves. She mixed the paste, some spices and added the onions into the mashed potatoes. She started making balls of the potato mixture and the dough. Making a bowl-like shape of the dough balls, she put the mixture into it and started rolling them out into parathas.
Everyone was in awe of the perfect shape and thickness of the parathas. She put one on the pan and cooked it to perfection. Golden brown on both sides. One by one, she served everyone hot parathas straight from the pan and put a spoonful of butter on them.
“This is heaven!”, her father-in-law and mother-in-law in unison.
“I love you!”, her husband making air gestures.
“This is so yummm!”, her sister-in-law stuffing her face into the parathas.
As she finished making the last one, she also joined everyone at the dining table. “Now you sit and eat in peace. We’ll clean up.”, said her sister-in-law while her mother made some tea.
While everyone was sipping hot tea, she took a bite into her aloo paratha. She was confused.
“What happened? something wrong?”, her husband asked.
“I don’t know. Something’s different in these parathas. They’re not like mom’s”, she said.
Her mother-in-law put her hand on her shoulder and said, “They’ll never taste like your mom. That’s the beauty in a mother’s cooking.” (giving her an angelic smile)
At that moment she realised that from now onwards, no matter how perfect or delicious food she cooks, she’ll never enjoy having it as much as she did of her mother’s.