A spoonful of salt

She welcomed me when I was born..

Her care, her caress and her love...

Her white sari within my little fingers...

Her food full of love ...

Her terms of endearment in Bengali ...

Her warm lap where I would find myself..

Her smile that could make all our lows become highs...

Her presence at home was enough....

She is not missed ....for she still resides in my heart...

As spoonful of salt on my plate with rice and my favourite Monger Daal with Radish...

I still remember sitting beside her in the kitchen while she ate her frugal meal ...always with a spoonful of salt..taking a few grains of rice and eating it with salt ...looking at me with the corner of her eye ...smiling.

Her daals no one can match ....my favourite was the Moong daal with Radish ...always prepared on my visits to my maternal home.

Today , when she is no more can feed us ...I serve a meal that was a treat for me with a spoonful of salt...

Monger Daal with Radish

Ingredients

½ cup Moong daal

1 tsp Salt

½ tsp Turmeric

1 tblsp Oil

1 ½ tsp Whole garam masala

1 no.Dry red chilli

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 no.Green chilli, slit

11/2 cup of Veggies – white radish, pumpkin , carrot , zuchini or any of your choice

1 no. medium sized Tomato , chopped

To Prepare :

1.Dry roast the moong daal . Add water , turmeric and salt. Pressure cook till cooked.

2.Heat oil in a pan , add whole garam masala , dry red chilli and cumin seeds .

3.Add the slit green chilli

4.Saute the vegetables and then add the tomato . When the vegetables are cooked and bit crunchy ,

add to the daal.

5.Add ghee in the end and serve hot garnished with coriander leaves .