Mahanandi

Living in Consciousness ~ Indi(r)a’s Food and Garden Weblog

10 Things I Miss of Mom’s Cooking ~ MEME

Mother and Daughters on a Warm Summer Full-Moon Night
Mother and Daughters on Rooftop Terrace, Enjoying Summer Full-Moon Night with Food and Play

10 Things I Miss most about my amma’s cooking:

Kind and generous
Selfless devotion
Calm assurance
Thoughtful persistence
Naive innocence
Simplicity
Innate strong desire to please others
And of course without saying goes
Stubbornly unyielding, overbearing and irritating

These are the things that I remember about my mom’s cooking. My relationship with my mother and her cooking is a typical mother-daughter food relationship. What it’s not is, all lovey-dovey all the time. Sometimes, I was a demanding daughter foodwise. Tantrums and outbursts from me when I was little were part of her life. Over the years, what I learned about her is she is just like me, a human being, not a superwoman with magical powers.

But I do absolutely worship what she represents, a lifestyle so different from mine and a culinary style so genuinely charming, that’s what I remember and miss the most about her cooking and have been trying to capture in my foodblog. Example is the image below.

Mango dal and rice mudda in a sabudana papad
Pure Love and Affection ~ Amma Mudda (Mango Dal Mixed with Rice & Ghee)

Thanks Revathi for tagging me and to Garam Masala for thinking of this wonderful meme to honor the mother figure in our lives.

My tags: It would be a pleasure to read what Gattina, Evil Jonny and soon to be mom Kay say about their mom/mother figure. As Garam Masala mentioned in her meme, you could list recipe names, food traditions, or anything you’d miss about mom’s cooking. Thank you!

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Zen (Personal) (Thursday June 15, 2006 at 1:56 pm- permalink)
Comments (28)

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28 comments for 10 Things I Miss of Mom’s Cooking ~ MEME »

  1. The list is what it boils down to, isn’t it? When I was a kid, I thought mom is the super-woman but when I grew up I realized that my mom is after all human.

    The drawing is so charming. I assume you drew it?

    Comment by mika — June 15, 2006 @ 2:07 pm

  2. Good post Indira ๐Ÿ™‚ That first photo reminded me of how I loved eating from my mom’s hand. Even as a grown up when I was sick(only then she would listen to me:-) ) I would ask her to feed me making small urulas(as we call mudda(i guess thats what you call those balls of rice) in malayalam). Guess mother’s hands have this wonderful special ingredient that makes food all the more tastier. After marriage I heard from my husband also how as kids they loved eating from their grandmother this way. He and his cousins would sit in a row and grandmother would give food this way to each one. The drawing is good too…Did u do it? Remember you mentioned you have taken up cartoon drawing ๐Ÿ™‚

    Comment by Kerala Girl — June 15, 2006 @ 2:10 pm

  3. It took me a while to realize that about my mom. I don’t know why.
    The drawing was my attempt to capture my childhood.:) Thanks Mika.

    Kerala Girl, I understand completely and feel the same way about ‘amma mudda’. It personifies all the love and affection of mother to me. That’s why I chose this photo to represent what I have been missing about her and her cooking.
    Thanks and yes, I did the drawing.:)

    Comment by Indira — June 15, 2006 @ 2:12 pm

  4. Indira, what a nice drawing. It captures India in its very essence.

    Indira replies:
    You must be kidding.:)
    Thanks Nabeela.

    Comment by Nabeela — June 15, 2006 @ 2:52 pm

  5. Sure, I’ll write about my mom, Indira. Suddenly, these past 7 months, I’ve been missing her even more.

    Indira replies:
    Thanks kay!
    You could express what you feel about her and her cooking because of this meme, kind of self-therapy. What do you say? Thanks again.

    Comment by Kay — June 15, 2006 @ 4:10 pm

  6. And it was lovely to hear more about your mom, Indira!

    Comment by Kay — June 15, 2006 @ 4:10 pm

  7. Oh, I had a tear or two when I saw Amma Muddha in your blog. I remember my mom sitting in the step connecting the kitchen to the small open space where the dishes are done, giving me and my brother urundais ( muddhas) of Thayir Sadam with Vattha Kuzhambu or Saambar. What an unique way of looking a this meme. Thanks!

    Indira replies:
    Symptoms of nostalgia, aahh…
    Moms are sweet generous persons!
    Thanks Thodarumm.

    Comment by thodarumm — June 15, 2006 @ 4:13 pm

  8. Which one of the 4 girls are you Indira :)? Eating food from moms hand,makes the blandest of food tasty!

    Indira replies:
    I am the eldest, third one in the drawing. ๐Ÿ™‚ It’s a rough sketch and first draft. Not good. Next time, I will draw with more details.:)
    I agree totally.:)

    Comment by Sumitha — June 15, 2006 @ 4:23 pm

  9. I can’t believe you wrote that last arrtibute also ๐Ÿ™‚

    Indira replies:
    . ๐Ÿ™‚ Thank God my mother don’t read this blog.
    What are mothers without those 3 essential qualities. I think that’s why we love them that much. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Comment by tilo — June 15, 2006 @ 6:05 pm

  10. Awesome!!! Indira, we are four daughters too and I can totally relate to your narration ๐Ÿ™‚
    Great post !!!

    Comment by Mythili — June 15, 2006 @ 6:53 pm

  11. Like yourself I am the eldest daughter too, although my little sisters boss around a lot ๐Ÿ™‚

    Indira replies:
    What do you know:), glad to know to that about you, Mythili.
    In my case, I used to boss them, sometimes. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Comment by Mythili — June 15, 2006 @ 6:56 pm

  12. Hi Indira,
    Although I read ur blog almost every other day, today I am prompted to comment as a self therapy more than anything else… things i remember about my mum…
    I still think of her as superwoman.
    naive innocence is common to momdom (this after knowing mom, mom in law)
    She rifed up delicious stuff all the time.
    She made most out very less.
    Her hand fed us morsels
    She overwhelemed her guests with her culinary skills
    She handled a job, husband, and us ungreatful kids
    For her it was always work before pleasure..
    So ambitious for us
    So loving and giving
    She was unyeiding to herself and in some ways to us..Also goes without saying
    strict, demanding and sometimes critical
    To me she means shelter security and love unconditionally

    Comment by Rama — June 15, 2006 @ 7:58 pm

  13. Dear Indra, Thanks for the wonderful recipes,which remind me of amma, I’m looking forward for december to fly to India to see her and eat food made by her!!!!

    Comment by Veda — June 15, 2006 @ 8:38 pm

  14. Stubbornly unyielding, overbearing and irritating

    hahaha! I loved that! Sometimes moms are the purest,holiest and in a minute they turn a normal woman! ๐Ÿ™‚ (This is why I love you sooo much,Indira. You wrote that, the real one, when everybody writes only the everybody-wants-to-hear stuff!) :-))

    Comment by L.G — June 15, 2006 @ 9:49 pm

  15. Very nice knowing Indira’s mom ๐Ÿ™‚ Very lovely “10” of our moms… Picture is very apt and looks good too. I remember fighting with my mom for making monotonous cooking, that why she doesn’t make fried rice-hotel kind of stuff, have a verbal war with her every morning for the breakfast(oh..idly..nan,..oh dosai..Nah.. dont you know to make some fancy breakfast stuff..like tht)..this was the case until i got married, but… i know how most of us would answer this question..Well i love her simply and miss her along with her goddess hands ๐Ÿ™‚

    Comment by Karthi Kannan — June 15, 2006 @ 11:05 pm

  16. I’ve only started reading this blog but I’m just amazed at how nice it is! Excellent recipes, I’ll have to give them a try.

    Comment by Robert Nanders — June 16, 2006 @ 1:58 am

  17. Hi Indira
    Man! whatever u have written gets atleast 10 to 20 comments from co-bloggers.Excellent writing yet again!Looking at the pic.and the simplicity it portrays…..to this food blog and the way you write ur thoughts…..you have come a long way!Iam sure ur mum will be sooooooo proud of u if she was reading ur blog.

    Comment by Raakhee — June 16, 2006 @ 2:45 am

  18. Indira,
    I appreciate your honesty in writing the last words in your list. They are so true. I have seen it all around me (and in my life too!) that mothers and daughters also have their share of conflict. A part of the daughter’s growing-up, I suppose. There is nothing too wrong in it either, is there?
    In my meme, I have written 50:50 about my mother’s and my mother-in-law’s cooking, because I really miss my MIL’s cooking too. I think, she deserves the credit, if she has been feeding me lovingly whenver I visited her in the last 5 รƒฦ’รขโ‚ฌลกรƒโ€šร‚ยฝ years of my marriage. After all, she is a mother too.

    Comment by Vaishali — June 16, 2006 @ 7:50 am

  19. Your drawing says a lot. Very well written

    Comment by Krithika — June 16, 2006 @ 8:29 am

  20. Well written,sweet and true !!!!

    Comment by Archana — June 16, 2006 @ 9:44 am

  21. Indira – That was a great write-up about your mom. I have read it thrice already and will go back and read it again! I love your drawing too. And as always your rice, dal with papad picture is as nostalgic as ever.

    Comment by Garam Masala — June 16, 2006 @ 9:53 am

  22. Hi Indira:
    I have been a regular visitor to your site for some time now. I love the senstivity and consideration that goes in each of your blog – whether it’s a recipe or a meme!
    This one in particular touched my heart… captures the essence of mother-daughter relationship. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Comment by Mandira — June 16, 2006 @ 11:07 am

  23. Indira, that was lovely.

    Comment by RP — June 16, 2006 @ 12:36 pm

  24. Indira,

    Amma’s cooking (and feeding) summed up in 2 words is like “Ugadi Pachadi”.
    Sour, sweet, salty, bitter, astringent and spicy all ‘sisters’ in one place, yet none greater.
    [ShaDruchulu or six flavours as we refer to them!]

    Comment by Vidyanath Tirumala Penugonda — June 16, 2006 @ 1:04 pm

  25. Hi Indira,
    Nice write up and absolutely what you said it is showing in your pictures and recipes.
    Vineela

    Comment by vineela krishna — June 16, 2006 @ 1:23 pm

  26. You are all incredible!
    Generous and kind, warm and thoughtful.
    Your comments are much better than my post and thanks so much for taking time to share your love and appreciation of mother!
    Thanks!

    Comment by Indira — June 16, 2006 @ 4:16 pm

  27. Hi Indira,
    Its really heart touching!!…the image u inserted for…Amma Mudda….I went to my mom after seeing this…..Iam really thankful to u …..!! Thanks!!!!

    Comment by sailu — June 20, 2006 @ 11:11 am

  28. […] Once the contents of the mixing bowls are transferred into airtight containers after 2 days the best way to clear the pickle off them is to cook rice and mix it with the remaining pickle in the mixing bowl. Add a dollop of ghee and make Indira’s amma mudda and enjoy ! My grandmother used to do that after she was done with the pickling ! […]

    Pingback by Ammalu’s Kitchen » Menthi Baddalu, Aava Baddalu/Unripe Mango and Fenugreek Pickle and Unripe mango in Mustard Pickle — January 22, 2008 @ 2:15 pm

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