Saturday, August 06, 2011

Sambar, Chutney & Dosai!


So we say, the best Indian food is found at home. Always. I'm touched and thrilled that the lovely P invited me over for a homecooked lunch!

The cooking of the dosai began. Stirring the batter and ladling it into the heated pan. Then we waited for the dosai to form, piece by piece. Of course I didn't offer to help with the cooking. Not risking any burnt food or holes in the pan, or blowing up P's kitchen. Beautifully shaped, fluffy and hot, the dosai was delicious. Nicely grounded and fermented.

Along with the dosai, we had sambar and coconut chutney. Ooh that chutney was yummy! I didn't realize it was coconut chutney. I thought it was raita! I keep thinking of chutney as jam-like, or possessing textures of tomato, coriander-coconut or besan chutney. Instead of the pathetic watery sambar we get at commercial restaurants, P's version was more robust and filled with hearty dollops of stem and root vegetables.

Between a refreshing chilled glass of freshly blended watermelon juice and sweet crunchy peaches for dessert, P forbade me to do any sort of washing. Rinsing was allowed. The dishwasher did the job. I even got to tapau the rest of the sambar home for supper! WOOTS.

Conversation with P is always awesome. Many insights gleaned from another thoughtful and well articulated perspective. Wide scope and breadth of topics covered. Remembering she's also an excellent educator, I thought wryly to myself, why didn't I have this sort of teachers in primary or secondary school? Those teachers then, kept telling me that I shouldn't write compositions about people dying, zombies or vampires; that I should talk about about cheerful things like....at the playground. Instead, I meet the memorable, creative and amazing quirky tutors only at tertiary level, educators who let my mind roam and write a story about the politics and governance within...Hell and Purgatory. :D

Such a splendid afternoon. Such generosity. What an absolute treat.

5 comments:

Lady J said...

Such a wholesome Indian meal ;) looks yummy!

notabilia said...

You are so welcome. I apologize for the misshapen dosa. (And now I've added tapau to my vocabulary. #AdventuresinSinglish)

sinlady said...

oh wah! P is a true virtuoso with food that calls for skilled hand work :)

Dawn said...

The food looks awesome :)

imp said...

LadyJ + dawn: Very! My favorite sort of food!

notabilia: it's not misshapened. :)

sinlady: she's got practice and very skilled!