Even though my mom loved her job in the States, one of the things I like best about her not working anymore is that whenever I come home, there’s sure to be some wonderful smell wafting through the house- and into the garage, so I can smell it (and know exactly what it is, for which I credit my commendable food-smelling skills) even before I go in! Coming home to some just-made food always excites me.
She usually makes Indian food, and though when I was younger (meaning just two years ago) I’d get “tired” of eating it, I’ve really grown to love and appreciate it. I take every opportunity to help in the kitchen, constantly amazed by my mom’s apparently innate mastery of countless spices and ability to make great food without even glancing at a recipe, as well as her free, dash-of-this and a handful-of-that style of cooking, starkly contrasting my careful adherence to recipes and meticulous measuring-out of ingredients.
My favorite kind of Indian food to come home to is, of course, sweets. Many people find Indian sweets overly sugary, and most of them really are super-sweet (not a problem for someone with my sweet-tooth, though)! But when my mom makes them at home, she can get the sugar just right. I love the suji kheer she makes with just a few simple ingredients: milk, semolina, sugar, and a little butter, along with some ground cardamom and sliced almonds for flavor. She follows no recipe, and yet it comes out perfect every time (the recipe will probably come soon)!
munchkitchen 