DHABA ISHTYLE

After my return from Amritsar i missed the awesome food you get there at those really awesome dhabas (do go to Bhrawan da Dhabba and Kesar da dhaba, for meat lovers visit Haveli and Lawerence Road if u happen to find yourself on the land of Golden Temple)........... Anyways returning to my story, yesterday my cusins took me to the Bittu da Dhaba on the outskirts of the city.

So while we watched the sun set we gorged upon really good food. For less than five hundred bucks we chomped on 4 plates of dal, 2 plates of paneer and pulao and numerous roti's. The companty was good, the food was good and it set the mood for the rest of the day as good.

So paying homage to the lil bit of punjabi blood in me, I assure you that the best way to enjoy food is at a Dhaba.......yup those lit like a bride places or those damp, dark and dhingy food places u see outside the city, on the highways and everywhere in Punjab.........I can't explain how but food always tastes much more delicious in a dhaba than in a five-star hoter.

The quality of the materials used i cannot vouch for.......but the taste is just BRILLIANCE. You can get authentic Punjabi food only at a dhaba........so if you happen to be in Punjab by any chance do not and i warn do not venture into a hotel even by mistake........Instead find out the best dhaba's in town and hop, run and skip to it for some Awesome food ever.......

FOOD FOR THE SOUL

I have been cribbing a lot lately. My friends can vouch for it. Everytime they call i keep telling them that am about to drop dead due to boredom. How nothing ever happens in my hometown. How i stay lethargic throughout the day.....blah...blah...blah. Man, have i complained some. But this post is not about that.

Instead, it is about something almost contrary to my complaints. You see, i had been feeling so sorry for myself that i had started missing the sweetest of things. But, today was different. Today i paid attention to the beautiful gesture made by my grandfather (Daddiji). Tonight I had dinner with him. On menu was morning's vegetable- kofta aloo, Three chapatis- 2 for him and 1 for me, three papads and four slices of mango.

We sat down and talked about the heat and monsoon while eating. Halfway through his dinner he tore his second chappati into half and kept it on my plate. I protested but he looked like he'll be more hurt if i returned that small offering. So i accepted it and we started eating again. half a second later he divided the kofta on his plate and gave me the second half. I smiled my thanks to him. After finishing i got up to get water. Upon return i found mango slices on my plate.

Now, for many this incidence would hold no interest. Many would wonder what was here to post. But, to me the whole thing was so very special. This was by far the best dinner i have ever had because it satisfied my soul as well. I never realized that how much my being here meant to my Daddiji. Sure it means a lot to my parents as well but the thing is when i leave my parents have each other to hold onto. With my Daddiji, though, its like letting your only friend go. And so coming back here is almost a reunion of friends with him.

The time i spend here with him will be the only time he'll be animated and talk about all the random and the important stuff till i return again for holidays. The time i spend here is the only time he'll sit past his bedtime just because we were debating or pondering over something. The time i spend here is what he shall replay again and again when i leave again.

The food today was ordinary so was the conversation but the gestures were just so touching and the gentle affectionate expression his eyes held manage to make my eyes go all misty. So, however boring these three months might prove to be, the time i spend with him shall be the highlight of each day, the moments that i shall cherish close to my heart and the reason that i shall account to myself whenever i question "What the hell am i doing here?" I am gathering food for my hungry soul.

MASALA CHAI AND MAGGI

So i am done with my assignments, projects and exams for this semester. Am a free bird except that my friends are still slogging. And that frankly is very irritating. We leave here in a few days and do not meet again for some three months. So, all i wanna do is go crazy, have fun, have walks and talks sessions with them and basically enjoy these last few days in their company.


Instead of which I am the only one here going "bounce, bounce, bounce" and the others are giving me black stares, especially my generally/really sweet and innocent roomie, Devaki. But, that deters me not. The more they stare, the more I irritate them. Yes, I have been irritating Devaki for some four hours now, but even that is fun no more.

Four o' clock at night. I m still awake giving my roomie company(evil grin) while she studies. Then we see everyone( Monica and Tharini, namely) making the half cooked variety of Pazzta and Maggi. Our stomach rumbles, we decide we'll have tea. Tea it is. But, only tea. Nah.... from somewhere a pack of chocochip cookies comes up.

But its Maggi we crave and Maggi it shall be. So we start making our own kachcha pakka Maggi. Suddenly, Polomi from across the room, mind it, pings and asks if we have food. Being the generous souls that all hostlites are, we invite her to share our Maggi. The next room door opens and Monica comes out with the weirdest, soupiest pazztaa ever. She even adds Maggi to it and everyone pretends to like it.


We chat for a while. Everyone shows me attitude. Its not my fault my exams are over, people. But, I keep mum, after all these sleep deprived souls have to live with the fact for another three days ( i.e. seventy-two hours, guys). They all leave, my chai is stone cold and my share of Maggi is all lumpy, now. But it does not matter. Because despite of the fact that the countdown for our departure is set, I've just found a beautiful moment amidst its tick-tocking. A moment worth cherishing and writing about because this has been the most amazing pre-dawn snack I have ever had.


P.S. - Mukta bless her soul, has promised to bring vadas and dosas from Reddy's for our breakfast by six. I'll let you all know if she did finally for once in her life come on time. She won't.......


P.P.S. - GOOD MORNING