Aritaaku, Aakali & Aavedana - Part 2
Contd...
No, there was no Non-Vegetarian food but I never thought a real mix of all vegetarian food can trouble you a lot. Ever felt you could see vegetarian food from most parts of India on your plate, let me guide you through with my words. The man serving comes towards me and serves a “tandoori roti” and I put up a face like “what the ____”, I felt like saying “Sir this is what I have daily, I was expecting some authentic south Indian food here”, few seconds later come the “paneer butter masala” and I give the same expression. Now, one more person passes by and serves some kind of vegetarian salad (usually taken before you start main course), then one more passes by and throws in few pieces of carrot. By this time I was making up my mind to have the usual north Indian dinner…and just then….comes “Bhindi Fry”, “White Rice” and “Ghee”. Now like a good old veggie boy I start with Bhindi fry, white rice and just at the same time comes a Kannada dish “Bisibelabath” (hope you read it right) and it was hot, I did not even finish my bhindi fry but still my silly mind was pulling me towards it and I take a quite a large serving of the dish. The person pours ghee into the dish and I ask server for chips or pappad (as this a good combo to have it), the persons smiles, nods and goes away. In the mean time I finish the fry and wait for the guy to get chips but another person walks by and serves biryani (supposedly Hyderabadi Biryani) even as I put my hand in between saying no.
Now imagine the small green leaf that I was being served in and three small mountains, one each of white rice (with ghee), Biryani & Bisibelabath. Also to join them were a piece of tandori roti, paneer butter masala, a veg starter dish. Now as if all this was not enough, one more guy turns up and pours Raitha in biryani. Imagine river ganga flowing through different states, ohh yes in the same way river “Raitha” also reached small parts of that roti, paneer, white rice and more disturbingly Bisibelabath. I use a good old rule from the British days “Divide and Rule” policy and built dams with respective food items and avoid further disturbances. I start taking them down one by one starting with Biryani, white rice and I am still waiting for the chips to arrive (for the combo). I wait for few minutes and just then fuming hot white rice arrives again; it was like the fumes from it were talking to me “Baby come on you need to have some more of me… You know I am hot” like a sucker for hot rice I take one more small serving and have sambar (Tamil style) and when I was completely into it comes the guy with pappad (I ask for chips and had to adjust with this now).
With great difficulty I finish the combo item and was done already…….A small feeble voice saying Hello…. people from the bride’s side come with a Kerala sweet dish and serves us all (as we have missed it out in the main wedding in Kerala) and you cannot say no to that. Also add to that the sweet the groom side was to serve (ras malai). I was getting ready to get up and move to wash my hand, my mom asks “did you have curd?” noooo please!!!!! Imagine an orthodox mom persuading and saying “common son it is good for health have it” just to avoid that melodrama there I sat down and took a nibble of curd rice and move from the table. I was controlling myself not to have ice cream but with everybody saying “the butterscotch flavor is very good”, I take two scoops of it and with that finish my dinner, dessert etc etc…Ahhh noooo we say the good bye’s and just at the exit door were being served paan (sweet paan) with that also going inside I was pretty sure I was going to puke at some point, luckily which did not happen but all in all a crazy dinner.
No, there was no Non-Vegetarian food but I never thought a real mix of all vegetarian food can trouble you a lot. Ever felt you could see vegetarian food from most parts of India on your plate, let me guide you through with my words. The man serving comes towards me and serves a “tandoori roti” and I put up a face like “what the ____”, I felt like saying “Sir this is what I have daily, I was expecting some authentic south Indian food here”, few seconds later come the “paneer butter masala” and I give the same expression. Now, one more person passes by and serves some kind of vegetarian salad (usually taken before you start main course), then one more passes by and throws in few pieces of carrot. By this time I was making up my mind to have the usual north Indian dinner…and just then….comes “Bhindi Fry”, “White Rice” and “Ghee”. Now like a good old veggie boy I start with Bhindi fry, white rice and just at the same time comes a Kannada dish “Bisibelabath” (hope you read it right) and it was hot, I did not even finish my bhindi fry but still my silly mind was pulling me towards it and I take a quite a large serving of the dish. The person pours ghee into the dish and I ask server for chips or pappad (as this a good combo to have it), the persons smiles, nods and goes away. In the mean time I finish the fry and wait for the guy to get chips but another person walks by and serves biryani (supposedly Hyderabadi Biryani) even as I put my hand in between saying no.
Now imagine the small green leaf that I was being served in and three small mountains, one each of white rice (with ghee), Biryani & Bisibelabath. Also to join them were a piece of tandori roti, paneer butter masala, a veg starter dish. Now as if all this was not enough, one more guy turns up and pours Raitha in biryani. Imagine river ganga flowing through different states, ohh yes in the same way river “Raitha” also reached small parts of that roti, paneer, white rice and more disturbingly Bisibelabath. I use a good old rule from the British days “Divide and Rule” policy and built dams with respective food items and avoid further disturbances. I start taking them down one by one starting with Biryani, white rice and I am still waiting for the chips to arrive (for the combo). I wait for few minutes and just then fuming hot white rice arrives again; it was like the fumes from it were talking to me “Baby come on you need to have some more of me… You know I am hot” like a sucker for hot rice I take one more small serving and have sambar (Tamil style) and when I was completely into it comes the guy with pappad (I ask for chips and had to adjust with this now).
With great difficulty I finish the combo item and was done already…….A small feeble voice saying Hello…. people from the bride’s side come with a Kerala sweet dish and serves us all (as we have missed it out in the main wedding in Kerala) and you cannot say no to that. Also add to that the sweet the groom side was to serve (ras malai). I was getting ready to get up and move to wash my hand, my mom asks “did you have curd?” noooo please!!!!! Imagine an orthodox mom persuading and saying “common son it is good for health have it” just to avoid that melodrama there I sat down and took a nibble of curd rice and move from the table. I was controlling myself not to have ice cream but with everybody saying “the butterscotch flavor is very good”, I take two scoops of it and with that finish my dinner, dessert etc etc…Ahhh noooo we say the good bye’s and just at the exit door were being served paan (sweet paan) with that also going inside I was pretty sure I was going to puke at some point, luckily which did not happen but all in all a crazy dinner.
:)
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