Nothing Like Mom's Cooking

Is Mother’s Day the only day I feel gratitude for my mom?

Certainly not. But I am glad there is a marked day that reminds us to pause and remember the time we have spent with our moms, to express gratitude for the countless years of their hard work, and to recall the sacrifices they made in bringing us up. As I look back I feel thankful to my mom for making me a strong and independent person. Whenever I fare well in tough situation, I feel thankful she never gave me ready solutions instead the guidance to find the answers myself. She gave me the strength to face adversities and reassured me that I had the power within. I thank her for teaching me to believe in ME.

39 years back when she got married to my dad and moved to a big city, I am pretty sure she felt overwhelmed and lost. She had no phones to call and consult her parents. She faced life on her own; to fall and get up and to find the answers herself. She adapted to the life in a big city, she made new friends and became popular amongst them. She broke the barrier and stepped out to be the first working woman in our family – as a school teacher. She grew up to be the favorite of hundreds of students she taught over the years. She retired last year and is now a doting grandmother to my two daughters. She pampers us with her great food and cracks us up with never-ending jokes. My fondest childhood memories are those of delicious food my mom cooked, be it complex and flavorful curries and biryani, or simple everyday dishes such as dal and vegetables. Everything she cooked was magical. My favorite is Kadhi. A very simple preparation yet amazingly delicious. Here’s her recipe of Kadhi-pakora which tastes best with rice.

Ingredients - For Pakora

· 150 gms besan (gram flour)

· A pinch of asafoetida

· 1/4 tsp cumin seeds

· 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

· 1/4 tsp red chilli powder

· 1/4 tsp salt

· 1 tsp refined oil

· 1 tsp curd

· 4-5 tbsp oil for frying Ingredients For Kadhi

· 2 tbsp besan (gram flour)

· 400 ml curd (preferably sour)

· 2 tsp refined oil

· 3/4 tsp turmeric powder

· 1/2 tsp red chilli powder

· 1 tsp salt / or to taste

· A pinch of asafoetida

· 1 tsp rai (mustard seeds)

· 1 tsp cumin seeds

· 7-8 curry leaves

· 2-3 whole red chillies, dry

Steps

For Pakora

· Add the spices and about 50 ml water to the gram flour and form a paste; then add 1tsp oil along with the curd (adding the oil and curd will make the pakoras softer) - mix well

· In a wok, heat the oil; with a spoon or with the hand dribble small blobs of the paste into the oil and fry till golden brown· Keep these aside (you could eat one or two, if you're tempted!!) Steps

- For Kadhi · Beat the curd in a large bowl; add an equal amount of water and mix well · In a separate bowl, mix gram flour with little water to form a paste and mix it with the curd (wetting will ensure that the gram flour mixes evenly with curd) · In a bowl mix asafoetida, turmeric and red chilli powder along with about 1 tsp water to form a paste · Heat oil in a wok and add rai and cumin seeds; once they splutter add the paste (asafoetida, turmeric and red chilli powder paste), add the curd and water mixture and bring it to boil at high flame, stirring continuously · Add the pakoras and cook on low flame for next 15 minutes · Serve the kadhi · For 'tadka', heat oil/ghee in a wok, add curry leaves, mustard seeds, whole red chillies, switch off the gas, add a pinch of red chilli powder, top the served kadhi with this tadka (you could also add about 3-4 finely chopped garlic cloves in the tadka for a distinct taste)

Editor's Note: Thank you, Ishita for that wonderful note and yummilicious recipe! Here's wishing a Happy Mother's Month to your Mother! For more of Ishita's mouth-watering recipes, head to her blog here. For more from inspiring mothers like Ishita, follow the Times of Amma on Facebook and Instagram.