So, after the lull, comes some excitement to write. I am reminded of those days when I was unemployed, after the submission of my thesis and used to stay at home with my parents. Every now and then, I was buzzing with some thing or the other to write. Many a times , I chronicled my baking adventures. Today brings back a similar whiff of the bygone days.
A few days ago, when I woke up in the morning, I checked my phone. There were a few messages on whatsapp. One of the messages said, "I had Maal pua and it was awesomeeeee.." The word Maalpua got stuck in my head since. It is such a beautiful word, more so because of the taste it automatically brings to the palate. I usually associate Maalpua with Holi. That is because my Mother makes deliciously delicious Maalpuas especially on Holi. This time I had not gone back home for the festival and so maybe the craving for having it was even more prominent.
The very same morning, I asked my eldest sister the recipe. She told me about the recipe but suggested not to try it on my own. The process is a little too messy if not properly done. And knowing how clumsy I can be, she advised me to try it at home under their supervision. Well, all motivation depended on whether I wanted to make them or not. The day passed. I got busy here and there and wasn't feeling very sure to undertake the cumbersome process.
In fact, now that I am writing about it, I think of the day. It wasn't a couple of days ago but it was yesterday. Funny I have become to not remember the days. Well, it doesn't really matter. So, today in the morning I had completely forgotten about it. The mundane office routine had let the idea subside somewhere within me. However, when I came back, it found a small pathway to resurface prominently. It was also because (as I now think about it) my mom had said that maybe I could make it after coming back from office. Well, not a very shining prospect. After office, it is time to play tennis atleast for an hour. And then comes the heavier task of making dinner, And after that, I just do not feel like spending time cooking. On regular days, I have dinner by 9: 30 max. So When I came back, my feet were hurting bad. I just wanted to relax a bit, which I did. In the meanwhile, my mom called. She asked about my dinner plans. Generally she gets worried about my eating habits. She knows I can get a little lazy and not take care of my food. So, she mentioned how I should be regularly eating Daal, coz that is one of th eonly source of proteins for us vegetarians. I nodded and then I asked her again about the recipe. Well, any recipe can be found on Google these days, but when it comes to certain things for which you have string emotions/affections then Google turns out to be too impersonal. So, my mum clearly stated that I take small quantity of ingredients as I was going to be making it for the first time. She gave me the details of how to be making Maalpuas. We talked for some more time and then hung up.
A little later, I had a slight change in my dinner plan, where earlier I was only going to make Lauki, I decided to add chana daal to it. I ate dinner around 10. It got a little late today. But that did not deter my enthusiasm for my next cooking venture. This is a complete anomaly. Well, I guess the strength of the taste of Maalpuas made by mom that kept surfacing on my tongue was the driving force. So, here I was on a slightly deviated path from my regular routine. I took out the ingredients in small quantities, thinking of how small the quantity actually was. Well, small quantities took about an hour or so to be completely done. I got reminded of how my mother would be in the kitchen for a few hours when she would be making Maalpuas on Holi. But she never complained. She liked it I guess as we were all great fan of her Maalpuas. She would lovingly bear all the heat, all the effort that goes into its making.
While I was at it, I kept on thinking how would it turn out to be. I just tasted one. And I have to confess, even though the look of it is just average, when I had it, it tastes almost the same as I have the memories of it. I am glad. That is an understatement. I am elated. Is there a sense of achievement? Yes, a little. I feel happy that I have managed to make Maalpuas in my first attempt that taste delicious. Well, this is my opinion. Let me see, what others have to say about them. I am very positive.
