What kind of a title is that eh? Few more lines would make it all clear as to why it's so apt!
Taking a U turn to the day where it all began.
Considering our oh-so lenient upbringing we were always game to introduce each other with new/weird/interesting stuff, be it people, culinary traits, cuisines etc all the time. They often say you learn a lot from your elders and if God is kind you are bestowed with siblings too. And especially it's the eldest who for the obvious reasons is the ONE who the juvenile, dorky( that being me) looks up to. Guess what i was doubly blessed i had two of em'.
My eldest one was all for food and what was food without a dash (in her lingo overdose) of spices, so much so that she to this date enjoys being known as the "Chatori" a.k.a lover of spicy food. While my elder one was a rather sartorial mix and earned the title of "Padhaaku Chatori"a.k.a. an intellectual foodie for whom it was all about food for thought and vice-verse. And as for me i was the shy mix of both i guess who pranced around everywhere including the kitchen looking for something or the other spoil which made me the "Sharmili Chatori".
Our family was heavily into evening knick-knacks mostly healthy stuff. The responsibility of it all was never fixed, though most of the times it would be our Maa and on some occasions it would be my sisters. Apart from the regular snacks prepared and served to us there would be those breezy summer days when out of nowhere i would jump off my study chair and relish the yum affair. When i was small i'd often remember getting to hear that why go out and try a delicacy which might be not so hygienic when it can be prepared amazingly better at home. With a statement so strong and well, almost convincing who would have denied.
That's right the gate to the hygienic culinary experiments opened up. Initially i have to admit it was more of trials and errors and endless salt tasting sessions but we soon graduated from being a family who would relish street food to a family who admired, indulged and enjoyed all sorts of snacks that we knew came from nowhere but our warm cute kitchen.
Apart from the regular trips to all parts of India off and on my Maa chose to concentrate on Gujarat, parts of South India, and up North to be precise. Oh just so you all know these frequently taken trips were mostly culinary.Our kitchen witnessed n array of mouthwatering delicacies and evening snacks ranging from Pani -puri, Papdi-chaat , fried chops, noodles to eclectic sweet savories.
Everyday it was like an all together different experience for us all. And then there was this day when we accidentally tried preparing what we knew only existed and (not to forget was) invented, savored, loved by the warm Bengali's most of whom where peppered generously in our neighborhood...yes "Jhaalmudhi"! Jhaal in Bengali means spicy and Mudhi or puff is to rice as popcorn is to corn.
And once the Jhaalmudhi mix was tossed and turned with all the final ingredients my sister would quickly use her minced potato clad spicy hands instead of a spatula as we believe it all added to the authentic taste.
The final act would include me jumping off to my parents and my big sister and serving them their respective Jhaalmudhi cones quantities of which i used to minutely observe. The trick was to polish off the Jhaalmudhi right-away before it turned soggy as the mix was coupled with tomato, chilli and other spicy mixture. Once i was done with them it used to be just the two of us who were left to relish the amazing experience without any disturbance.
Though i should mention often we would end up in a sisterly banter regarding who should earn the biggest cone but it was all so worth it.
