A Journey From ‘Disastrous’ To ‘Delicious’

The past eight months in Bhubaneswar have been a refreshing journey of all sorts – a journey filled with new discoveries and realizations. There have been so many things which I thought I could never ever do, which I actually did – and which have become a part and parcel of my life now. For instance, the very practice of ‘blogging’ was never in the ‘Things-To-Do’ list … I never thought I would have the patience to sit down and write about random happenings in my everyday life. But here I am, updating my blog on most Saturdays To this ‘Things-To-Do’ list, also include Morning Jogs and Photography too. These were things which had no connection whatsoever to my everyday life I guess the New Year has indeed given birth to a new me

This blog describes another one of those U-turn journeys … and is dedicated to all those (mis)adventures in the kitchen !!!

One thing which I considered myself to be absolutely completely ‘Ek Sau Pratishat’ useless was in COOKING. Simply put, I would prefer lazing around while somebody else did all the cooking and I did the ‘eating’ part So as to make a significant contribution, I would clean the dishes after each meal (most times, with the ‘Not-So-Eager-To-Scrub’ expressions on my face). My mothers’ only fear while I was inside the kitchen was the fact that I might get an ‘All-Of-A-Sudden-Brainwave-From-Nowhere’ to cook, and in the process blow up the entire kitchen !!!

I knew minimal facts about how to cook (And what to cook) Amma had taught me how to make rice, curry and Maggi noodles (the ultimate savior) There was a time when Amma was away for a week, and I used to make Maggi noodles everyday just to make sure I did some sort of ‘cooking’ in the kitchen. I was just a bit too lazy to even lift myself up, go to the kitchen and cook. I was more than happy in buying readymade fat-filled junk food from bakeries and happily gorging on them.

To prove my ‘Ek Sau Pratishat’ useless-ness in cooking, here is an incident which took place a long time back. One day, I expressed my interest to prepare fruit milk shake at home. I think it was a banana or orange milk shake … I am not sure which one it was.  And I knew the process which had to be followed. I carefully ripped open the milk packets with adequate care, filled the mixie with fruits and sugar and bournvita powder. All this while, I was making sure nothing spills out onto the kitchen floor or on the tables. After adding these ingredients, I turned on the mixie… only to find the pulpy mix of milk, fruit and bournvita splash all across the kitchen walls, floor, table and onto my T-Shirt. In the ‘josh’ of making my very own milk shake, I had forgotten to fasten the lid of the mixie !!! I had to spend a good part of my day cleaning and scrubbing the kitchen clean

Another incident took place which reaffirmed the fact that I had attained the heights of “Good-For-Nothing-ness” in preparing food. This time, there was no cooking involved. Imagine !!! All I had to make was a bowl of cornflakes. The milk is boiled, the packet of cornflakes is ready … All I had to do was pour the milk into a bowl, add cornflakes and add the required amount of sugar and stir to mix the contents. So, I pour the milk and put a spoon in it. I added cornflakes and sugar. And for some reason, I went out of the kitchen. When I came back, the spoon had melted in the heat and had become a twisted piece of plastic. What’s worse, it was stuck to the bowl. Amma and I still have a great laugh over this incident

Now let me fast forward to ‘Right Here, Right Now’ !!! In the past 3-4 months, Pankaj, Zeeshan and I have taken to quite a bit of cooking. Since breakfast/ lunch is usually taken care of, we concentrate our efforts towards ‘cooking’ up a fine dinner. It’s usually Pankaj who does most of the cooking though. And, I am the second-in-hand But, I have stood to gain loads in this manner.

This time I wanted to learn how to cook … and more importantly, I really wanted to cook good food. It all started with a simple cup of coffee. And in that process, I re-learnt how to turn the gas on, how to boil milk and how to make coffee. And what’s more … Pankaj and Zeeshan loved the coffee which was prepared. And the smile which erupted on my face when I got such wonderful response, was way beyond comparison.

And that was just the beginning

As of now, I can cook/ make:

1. Rice
2. Aloo Paratha
3. Kheer
4. Kadi
5. Dal
6. Pulao
7. Sabzee
8. Gobi Pakoda
9. Paneer Pakoda

I could have never imagined that one day I would cook all these dishes. It does feel nice when you can proudly proclaim that you can make food and also eat it without making those ‘Not-So-Eager-To-Eat’ expressions !!!

Looking back, I think there were two major factors which played a significant role in this ‘Disastrous’ to ‘Delicious’ journey.

1. The Eagerness To Learn New Things: At Bhubaneswar, I was more keen on learning how to cook. I used to look forward to the evenings when Pankaj and I decided what to cook and what to purchase from the market. I think, finally, it is all about how eager you are to learn these new things.

2. The Conditions Of Living: During those early times, I was living a comfortable life at home. Hence, I was least bothered about learning how to cook. NOW, I am indeed staying a happy and comfortable life. However, life wasn’t all that good in the ‘foods’ section. I would rather cook good food (the way I want) – rather than eating food outside and ending up with an upset tummy !!!

I indeed hope you enjoyed this journey as much as I did

Cheerio

The Sheikh