As a mom I love to cook for my family. Whenever we make new recipe it always remind me of my father because he was foodie and he loved to eat varieties of food. But the condition is it should be delicious 🤤 My love for cooking is because of him. My regret is I was unable to feed him varieties of food as per his choice.
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| PS : Pinterest |
Dosa is not our family food. Our family means my maternal family. When I was young and high school students very few times my mom made it. I don't have love hate relationships with dosa. But my mother didn't like it to make it or to eat.
Why?
The answer is my father. Yep! He was the person who wanted everything perfect in his meal. Whether it is salt, oil, masalas, crispy or softness, he wanted each tiny thing perfect.
And my mom is not Sugaran means not a trained cook. She barely managed to make three meals in a day with such a complaining husband. 😁
(Dosa is the recipe which reminds me of my late father and Shaila Kaki - my neighbour.) 😍
Shaila Kaki is the one who made the perfect dosa. When I was working girl we shifted to a new place. We had beautiful and sweet neighbours Shaila Kaki. She always made delicious recipes and gave them to her Kaka which means my father.
And my father loved to eat dosa from her hand only. She used to buy a readymade mixture of dosa batter and had a non stick pan on which she made a very thin and crispy dosa. According to my father dosa should be thin and crispy and should be big.
And so that I learnt from her how to spread the dosa mixture on the pan. At that time I didn't like to cook meals at all. But after watching Shaila Kaki and her food experiment I started to have an interest in cooking.
My father passed away. It's been one year. Whenever I make dosa it reminds me of my father.
🥹 After my marriage I used to make dosa whenever I visited my father. He always said, you people can't make dosa like Shaila Kaki and I argued a little bit and fed him 😜
🥹 In last three years we had video calls most of the time. Whenever I made dosa I purposely called him, showed him that I learnt to make perfect dosa as per your expectations and he laughed.
🥹 Though I use non stick pan or iron pan. Though I made perfect dosa but my Father never gets satisfied while eating it.
🥹 I remember, Shaila Kaki shifted to another place but my father always compared our dosa with Shaila Kaki's dosa and never satisfied.
Finally at this age at 40 I understand making dosa is a speciality of Shaila Kaki. I accepted my father loved her dosa only and we both sisters can't make it as per his expectations.😑
I accepted there are very few dishes which my father loved to eat. Dosa, puranpoli, dry fish and Mutton related all dishes which require an experienced hand and I am still in the learning process.
These foods and memories bring tears in my eyes and the quarrel I had with my father brings a smile on my face.
Sum up :
Moreover I can say the beauty of these food memories transport me back to the time we spent with my father and family. And now we are only having those memories.
I am missing my father with every food that he loved.
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I am participating in #BlogchatterFoodFest 2024 by #Blogchatter
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This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Dr. Preeti Chauhan
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Follow MemoryFlies on SM
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Not that I'm a good cook, but it saddens me that I couldn't cook anything for my father as he passed away when I was almost 12. He was a very good cook. Tight hugs to you! Especially when you make your dosas.
ReplyDelete💜💜 thank you Cindy
DeleteWhat a sweet way of remembering your father. Food is such a nourishing part of our lives.
ReplyDeleteYes Ambica
Delete
ReplyDeleteThis post brought back so many memories! It's amazing how a simple recipe can transport us to moments shared with loved ones. Thanks for sharing this beautiful story—it reminded me of my grandma's special dal, cooked with love and care. 💖
Food memories never fade away
DeleteThe father-daughter relationship can't be described in words. My dad is also a great food lover and a great cook. I remember that he used to cook all our birthday meals, from fried rice to chili chicken , and still, when we visit home, his mutton and fried rice are permanent. Lovely memories.
ReplyDelete💜💜 our father are special for us
DeleteI absolutely agree with you that there are few dishes we all love eating when made in a specific style and that too by a specific person. Give same ingredients to cook same dish to 2 people, both will taste different someway or other and that the cooking style or touch of hands that gives unique flavour to it. I can cook Payesh/Kheer or chanar kofta following my mom's steps, but still the flavour in the payesh and kofta made by her - Honestly I can never achieve I understood that.
ReplyDeleteEvery one has own speciality
DeleteIt's so sweet that you tried to make your foodie father happy by trying your hand at making dosa. I agree it isn't the easiest thing to do although it looks like it. Perfect or not, am sure he's smiling looking your efforts now!
ReplyDeleteYep.
DeleteDosas are a favourite in my home, like almost all South Indian homes, and I understand your father's desire to get the perfect dosa! Memories such as these are heartwarming indeed!
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeleteAww, never mind the dosas. At least you tried making them as per his liking. And as they say, some dishes become a signature dish of every cook, maybe this was Shaila kaki's. Sorry to hear about your father's passing but I'm sure you made me happy in other ways and in the best manner you could. Sending you hugs!
ReplyDeleteThank you Manali
DeleteAwwww... Hugs to you Neeta and sorry for your loss. I can see that your dad was very particular about his pallette and he knew what he wanted and how. And I am glad that u learnt to make the perfect dosa. You have become an accomplished cook now... Proud of you☺️
ReplyDeleteHaha.... Home cook. Kaveri
DeleteMissing someone you love is always hard, but food can be a beautiful way to keep their memory alive.
ReplyDeleteYes , you are right Felicia
DeleteI am sorry for your loss. Yes, cooking/sharing meal can provoke a plethora of memories. Fathers tend to be finicky about food. I had seen my grandpa and am seeing my Dad paying heed to little details.
ReplyDeleteSome dadas love details
DeleteWe all have certain foods that remind us of our loved ones. My husband used to love aloo gobhi. Best is to keep the good memories close to us. God bless you, beta.
ReplyDeleteThank you Madhu Mam
DeleteTrue. Food brings back wonderful memories. Whenever I eat anything fried like bhajis, pakodas or any sweet mother it reminds me of my mom. These memories are very precious.
ReplyDeleteVery true. Memories are precious.
DeleteSo touching my dad used to make lovely cakes for christmas and I did inherit his talent but I was unable to make one for him. But then I think that's life
ReplyDeleteOhh... Yes that the life. Don't regret dear.
DeleteTight hugs, Neeta. Some food memories are bittersweet. My father loved some quirky food combinations that I seem to have inherited now too.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jeet
DeleteYour post is peppered with emotional recollections and hearty with your father's memories. My father also had propensities for certain foods and their preparation to annoy my mother. :)
ReplyDeleteOhh... Poor mothers 😭 Memories always there with food
DeleteWe remember our near and dear ones even from their smallest of habits. Loved the way you paid tribute to your father through this food post.
ReplyDeleteThank you Aditi
DeleteSuch a bittersweet article where a daughter-father bond is truly reflected by the help of dosa. Stories like this make me appreciate my parents more everyday. - MommyWithAGoal
ReplyDeleteA lovely memory, and food has this power to just transport back in time to that moment. Hugs to you dear, losing a parent is the hardest thing.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how our memories of loved ones are often linked with food stories. This was a heartwarming story.
ReplyDeleteNoor