Story Behind Recipes

Don’t you think it is true? Most of us have some story behind our favorite dishes. Most of the dishes I make have a story behind them. This may sound silly but this is the fact. My grand kids will vouch for me saying our dadima is full of stories.

We all have some dishes we have enjoyed and admired. It makes a difference where and with who we dined. The presentation can inspire you, and that becomes the story behind that dish.

I remember my first lentil dal I made: I used at least double the salt yet still my dad enjoyed it. I rolled my first roti into world map shape and my mom smiled and complimented it saying that was a piece of art. I gave the same compliment to my granddaughter when she rolled her first roti at five years old. She loved the idea of a world map. When my boys were young, I would make them puries; when they saw the puries being puffed, their eyes opened wide and they had so many questions. This happened every time they saw the puries, for I never came up with a good answer to satisfy their curiosity.

Bengali Rasgullas are my favorite dessert. They are made with homemade paneer: round paneer balls soaked in sugar syrup. This is a delicacy from the state of Bengal. I will say one can never go wrong with this dish. When I was first learning to cook Rasgullas, they would turn out hard, not the right shape, or break in pieces. I learned quickly how to fix this, making them into different desserts in whichever way the imperfect Rasgullas would allow. My friends would ask me for the recipe. I tried explaining, but no one believed me. I decided to serve them differently and each time they were a hit amongst my friends.

The bottom line is to enjoy your creation!

I think I take every incident in my life as a story. Life is easier and more beautiful that way for me. It puts a smile on my face. Many of my viewers will ask how to make a certain dish restaurant style, but I like and enjoy simple home-made food. I don’t even try to make restaurant style, but it does not mean I don’t get inspired when I see some dish that is eye-catching; I will always see how I can make such a dish in homemade style. That’s how I came up with the recipe for Taco Samosa: I saw it made in the restaurant and then I put my own twist to it.

A recent recipe I have cooked is Gulab Jamun Cake. My daughter-in-law wanted me to make it and asked me to add my own twist. I googled for the recipe; I was not happy with any of them, so I decided to create my own. After a few attempts to do so, I was very happy with the results.

Sorry! I am the last person who can follow the recipes. It is strange then that I want you to follow mine. I enjoy it when I read the comments where you have made your own changes to the recipe. When we go out for dinner, visit friends and family, go to restaurants or I see some magazine that has a beautiful looking dish that catches my eye, I want and will try to make it.

I think cooking is an art; instead of colors, you play with ingredients. Painters are inspired by something before they paint. I see cooking in the same way.