It’s that time again where I’ve decided to look back at some of my India highlights.
These little postcards were all taken during my last visit in January…
…& can you tell I was feeling the cold?
I think I manage to pull off the ‘Indian-Grandmother-Abroad-look’, complete with socks & chappals quite well!
So, here I share with you a few intimate snapshots of India #3.
My Indian Wake-Up Call
Ever since I was young, my alarm clock in India would consist of a variety of sounds:
-The tinkling of indian rickshaws increasing in frequency and urgency as the school run approached.
-The beating of clothes being hand-washed using the water pump next to the kitchen.
-The faint, but familiar ringing of the door bell bringing the arrival of milk, papers or guests.
No matter how early I would wake up, I was never the first awake at my maternal grandparents house.
The morning would always start long before that.
—
The Indian Veg Cutter
The notion that food should be made fresh for every meal is still prevalent across India.
I’ve attempted to explain the concept to some of my Western friends but only the desis really understand what this really entails.
It doesn’t matter that fridge freezers have the ability to minimise workload –
– ‘Food Should Be Fresh & Eaten As Soon As Possible’
Translation ::
Indian veg, a staple to breakfast, lunch & dinner is needed in huge proportions throughout the day.
And the best way to whizz through all that chopping and slicing?
Enter the Indian veg cutter…!
You’ll find no spiralizers and fancy slicers at my Dida’s [Translation : Maternal Grandmother, in Bengali]
She prefers to do it the traditional desi way:
sat on the floor, resting her foot to balance & chopping veg using both hands.
She’s managed to chop 3 meals worth of veg before I’ve had a chance to even brush my teeth in the morning!
—-
The Indian Tiffin Carrier
Having the opportunity to visit India every year since birth, I’ve been able to witness a lot of progress & change within India.
So far much of what I’ve described in some of these snapshots are memories of childhood & my own Indian (usually, Summer) holidays.
There are of course many things, occurrences that will soon become obsolete, if they haven’t, already.
[The Indian Veg Cutter for one, may become a thing of the past as much of the younger generation opt for more modern appliances]
The Indian Tiffin Carrier, too will most probably be replaced for more ‘practical’ plastic tupperware.
But the image will always be etched in my memory.
—
Lovingly prepared food :
Rice, Veg, Roti
all with its own compartment
ready to be devoured when the time comes
at tiffin [break]
at work
at school
or on a roadtrip
—
The Perfect Break
& After all that morning’s work is done, it’s time for some cha(i)
the way my Dida likes it.
…served on a saucer 
Recipe here (without the masala chai) for anyone interested..!
—
You may also like some previous Postcards from India ::
Snapshots from India : #1 & #2,
—
Until the next time,
Namaste, from Ananya
xo
Facebook | Twitter| Instagram | YouTube |Bloglovin’
The post Snapshots of India #3 appeared first on Namaste From Ananya.
