{Pickled} anecdotes

I have many vivid memories of my great-grandmother with whom I chatted for hours at a stretch when I was a child. She wore soft cotton sarees and had a beautiful long plait; the plait that remained graceful till her last breath. At that time we made everything at home and the most authentic delicacy that came out of our kitchen was the green chilies pickle, londcha as we call it. It looked the tempting green, a shade no watercolors or oil colors can ever achieve and the deceptive spiciness it boasted of, made it even more special and intriguing. We children were given small portions of it but infact it wasn't as spicy as it seemed to be.

Every morning my great-grandmother would sit at the dining table as our pet dogs would hover around her. Her plait would gently move in the clean breeze that ventilated our house. I would keep running around her as well and every time I would cross her, she would give me a bite of toasted bread with homemade white butter, dipped in this delectable Mirchi cha londcha, ‘green chilly pickle’.

She was a very bold woman; tall, thin, audacious and singlehandedly ran a huge store in Mumbai during British India. She fluently spoke Gujrati and what amused me always was that she drove a car when she was young and her stories of how she managed her home when her husband was involved in the freedom movement. These anecdotes always made me look upto her.

So here’s my version of the recipe of the pickle and now you would know why I call it to be so close to my heart. I would recommend you to have this pickle with toasted bread and fresh butter; preferably homemade.

Spices and flavors evoke many memories and perhaps that's why I enjoy cooking. Its a journey with our mind and hence every meal is special. Today's blog is special since its my mothers birthday.

What recipe evokes your nostalgia? Have a warm weekend!