Chasing Memories, Finding Food & Joy

"There is no sincerer love than the love for food" — George Bernard Shaw

Those who know me well or in passing know that for me, life is “always about the food.” Over the years, I have had so many people tell me they love my food photos, are jealous of all the food I have eaten (I am the same), or that I should become a food influencer (that’s a no!). But one thing that has remained consistent is that for me, food is integral to a life well lived.

However, very few people know (only those who have known me for years) that I inherited this from my mother and paternal grandmother (lovingly called Bapamma or Baps). My mother constantly dreams about her next meal and snack. We joke at home, but know it to be true, that her memory of a day or an event is associated with the food she ate (with the only exception being her wedding day for some reason). She falls into the category of people who “live to eat,” and that translates to everyone in our cute but chaotic family unit. Aside from the societal expectations of a Desi married woman, the only reason she learned to cook was because she loved to eat and got bored with eating the same dish every day. And when Baps moved in with us, she and Mom completely elevated the meal experience at home.

Bapamma, the Don

Mom, the Boss

Their palates matched, and our dining table always had something new and something for everyone. As two women who grew up making the most of little, they ingrained in my brother and me the gratitude for the food on our plate and the willingness to try new things. When Baps was still with us, she and Mom would constantly gang up on my poor father, cooking dishes with their preferred spice levels and all the vegetables they enjoyed, and he tolerated. But they also ensured that he would get his meat quota (cooked by two vegetarians) or ‘sometimes' tone down the spice levels. My mother still does this, and I am now her new partner-in-crime.

If you have ever eaten my school lunches or office lunches (while I lived in India), then you have experienced their cooking and the variety they always sent. When I say variety, I do not mean fancy; I mean the variety of dishes they loved trying and feeding people. Our family has been blessed with recipes from North India during our time in Noida, Andhra dishes and pickles from my maternal grandmother’s kitty, Konkani dishes from Bapamma’s handbook, Gujarati, Maharashtrian, Kannadiga, and Tamilian recipes inherited from close friends and family, Western recipes discovered through cookbooks, YouTube videos, and Instagram reels, and numerous others I cannot count. However, one thing is certain: you will walk away from the dining table only after licking your plate and bowls clean (which is highly encouraged and celebrated).

So, in honor of my two favorite women and our shared love/obsession for food, I dedicate this post to some of the wonderful meals I have been blessed with since moving back home in August 2025.

Sambhar Rice, Green Beans, Black Chana Sundal, Cucumber Peanuts Salad, Papad, & Buttermilk

Two Kinds of Gavar Sabzi, Beetroot, Ajwain Leaves Chutney, & Rice with Kootu

Usal Pav with fresh Mumbai Pav

Ragi Roti with Homemade White Butter, Coconut Chutney, and Radish Salad

Dalitoy Rice with Cauliflowe & Capsicum Bhajiyas

Akki Roti with Coconut Chutney, Homemade White Butter, & Patrode

If you have gotten this far and read my rambling dedication, I have a question for you. Would you be interested in reading a food blog where my friends and I document our experiences with food around Namma Bengaluru, at our homes, and any other places we explore? Note that this is not going to be a side hustle for us because we are all in our 30s with full-fledged careers and well-earned laziness. This food blog will only be for our love of food and hogging! <3

Should I (re)start a food blog?

• 0%Hell yes!
• 0%Nope. Not another one.