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Seema Nayyar Tewari's avatar

Thank you, Ken and Krspeace....

This has come at a time when my mother-in-law passed on at age 92.

A wonderful home cook too...her gobhi, gajar, and shaljam pickle was worth dying for!

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Ken Miura's avatar

Just the Meer mention of Asofoetida (Hing) brings back vivid memories. A taste that lingers on your fingers.

And being arm deep in Turmeric? Wow. Mom must have looked and smelled like the recipe. You don't even need a list, you've got the recipe written in your memory, just like she has. She's cooking the way her Mom did, and her Mom before. It's all written down in memories and senses. If you pay attention.

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Krspeace's avatar

I wish I could find Asofoetida in Nairobi, Ken do you have any clue if it is around?

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Seema Nayyar Tewari's avatar

Found Hing yet?

To put tadka on dal, add a bit of hing and jeera to desi ghee!

Heaven…😋

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Krspeace's avatar

Funny you should ask Seema! Just ordered it today with some other curry powders as well thanks to your donation to the Krspeace fund 🥰 Jeera and ghee I can easily find...that sounds like a fresh dip 🤍

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Seema Nayyar Tewari's avatar

😁It is not a dip…it is tadka for dal…!

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Ken Miura's avatar

Oh yeah. It's found in Indian Grocery stores. It might be under the name "Hing."

Check out Chandarana.

https://www.foodplus.co.ke/

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Mark's avatar

Beautiful Seema, not just gastromancy, but history, memory and nostalgia all wrapped up in a parcel.

I hope one day you manage to unlock the recepie and can pass it on.

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Seema Nayyar Tewari's avatar

Mark, the recipe is in my head. Although difficult to find, homemade vinegar and fresh-processed mustard oil.

That is what creates the zing!

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Mark's avatar

Ah that's good then. I'll be honest so many of the fruits and ingredients in your post I've never heard of, never mind tasted.

I'm very culinarily inexperienced and I've got a very bland palate, likely through a lack of adventureous appetite when I was young!

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Seema Nayyar Tewari's avatar

Mark, come to India then....the vagaries and varieties are intriguing!

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Mark's avatar

I’m not sure if it’s too late to change my bland tastes. Do you have any potatoes 😂

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Seema Nayyar Tewari's avatar

Many variations of potatoes... Sweet potatoes, Arvi, banda, Suran...:)

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V S Uma's avatar

Hey

What a lovable way you have written starting from describing your house/ farm house which we can never even dream off.

And I must tell I too got to taste the pickle while reading this blog.Looks like your mother was a master chef in the kitchen with no one to beat her in her cooking.

Tasty write-up 😋😋😋😋

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Seema Nayyar Tewari's avatar

Thank you, Uma. Much appreciated. Yes, it was a colonial-era bungalow. Now they have stripped it down, cut off all the trees, and built multi-storied apartments. 🙄

Why don't you join this Gastromancy Challenge, created by Ken Miura and Krspeace?

It is a good way to connect with people.

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Indrani Ghose's avatar

So many memories stirred up for me reading this. We had a cashew nut tree which had several ant homes yet we used to raid the tree.

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Seema Nayyar Tewari's avatar

Good for you! 😀

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K.Lynn Grey's avatar

I hope you find the recipe...

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Seema Nayyar Tewari's avatar

The recipe is in my head.

What is difficult is freshly processed mustard oil and homemade vinegar.

😀

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