Over the centuries, food has become a salient symbol of our culture. Food brings us closer, provides fuel to our systems and has also become a way to celebrate our roots. We have often seen our parents, uncles, aunts and even grandparents cooking for us with utmost love and care. Each bite that we take is a reflection of the effort that has gone into its making.
This month, students and faculty members of our Department cooked traditional dishes and shared pictures accompanied by their fondest memory associated with that dish. This initiative inspired a myriad of students to pick up their pots and pans and delve into a hitherto unexplored territory. We received responses transcending regions and we’re absolutely elated to share those here!
Priyanshu Changkakoty, MSc Mathematics
“Assamese Maas Tenga (sour fish curry) is a must every Sunday at lunch at any Assamese household. Alongside some mashed potatoes and stir fried beans, the simple taste of fish blends with the sour tang of tomatoes and lemons to create something extraordinary.
As a young boy, I preferred junk food over home-cooked food until one day my mom asked me to try this dish. Since that day, Assamese Maas Tenga began to grow into me. Till today, there is no dish that competes with the zestfulness of this dish. I call this a mother’s dish because as a mother’s love has no boundaries, the delicacy of this dish has no boundaries too.”
Somya Chibhrani, BSc CME
“Throughout the year we’ve to deal with hard work and perseverance.
The best time comes when we visit our grandparents.
A Sunday, I remember,
On a cold evening of December;
With empty stomach and my one and only mission,
There I went, plodding into my grandma’s kitchen.
Felt like I entered a new world, with subtle savour of spices,
Found my granny cooking my favourite dishes,
Which one to be eaten first? There I felt indecisive.
Tantalised I stood,
Beside my granny as she cooked,
With glistering eyes to her I looked,
She gave me a convivial smile, as if the zeal of the rats in my stomach she understood.
Thousands of memories, hundreds of people I’ve been with,
Read it like a bedtime story we listen,
No memory made so far, was as ravishing as the childhood that was blithe,
That enticing aroma, is not present, even in my Mumma’s kitchen.”
Nishtha Chhabra, MSc Mathematics
“Hailing from UP and Bengal respectively, my parents have grown up eating chaats. Their childhood anecdotes often revolve around this chaat or that.
So one day I watched a couple of videos on Dahi Puri and modified it according to my family’s preference. When my chaat-lover parents took the first bite and smiled, I knew that for a brief moment, my parents were transported to their childhood.
Now my Dahi Puri has become a staple evening snack at home. It’s wonderful how such simple ingredients can come together to create a beautiful harmony on the plate, and perhaps in life.”
Abhilash Sharma M, MSc Mathematics
“My favourite memory of Chakkuli is the day I cooked it for the first time. I contributed to a lot of watch time to the YouTube video of my friend on preparing it, and followed it closely to make it the authentic way. This was despite my mother saying, “You can use rice flour instead of soaking and grinding the rice. That’d save your time!” With the help of my father, I finally fried the first batch, which was inaugurated by Appa himself with a crunchy sound, a smile, and an approving nod. “This is good!”, he said, grabbing two more. I had my phone ready to document my efforts, and the freshly fried Chakkulis started smiling at me from my phone gallery.”
Dr. Tabitha R, Faculty Member
“Looking back, I made a face every time my mother served Idli for breakfast. I would cuss and yell at my mother for making it. Today, if there is one thing I relish for breakfast, it is a plate of Idli. It is my comfort meal that is light and wholesome. It is fermented food that is packed with vitamins and proteins. The humble Idli works with anything by its side. It is the easiest to make and the easiest to have. Why did I take so long to appreciate and enjoy it? A big thank you to Mum for knowing what is best for me and giving it to me all along even when I did not value it.”
Adarsh Dev, MSc Mathematics
“Since my mom is a pure vegetarian, I didn’t get any chance to eat fresh and healthy non-veg food at home. Hence, my dad used to take me and my brother to our grandmother whenever she made hot and spicy non-veg dishes. Among all the non-veg dishes, my favourite was Tapioca and Fish, proudly called ‘kappayum meenum‘ in Malayalam.
Whenever my grandmother called my dad and said that she was cooking Tapioca and Fish, I got excited right from that moment until I filled my stomach and let a burp out!”
Lakshmi Vijay, BSc CMS
“The dish which I cooked is Chocolate barfi. The fondest memory I have with this dish is when every year, during Diwali, my family went to a specific sweet shop to buy boxes of sweets. The shop dated back to the 70s and was one of the oldest sweet shops in the area. There was a whole room dedicated to sweets, an explosion of colour and sugar. For a child walking in, it was a sugary heaven. My brother and I would begin our stealth operation of stealing the sweets once they touched our doorstep. The barfis, pedas and kaju katli were always the first sacrifice to our pursuit of sugar and would hence, be devoured at a faster pace than the speed of light (much to the dismay of our parents). Needless to say, these little joys made this festival more sweet and enjoyable.”
Sushmitha G, MSc Mathematics
“Kadubu is a traditional Karnataka recipe that is made for Ganesh Chaturti. This delicious dumpling is more than just a dish. It holds a special memory in my heart. In my childhood, whenever this dish was prepared, my granny chose to hide it from everyone and give it to me even before it was presented to the deity. Beautiful moments like these show that this dumpling is not just a filling with coconut or jaggery, but a sweet part of my life that will be cherished.”
Dhanush Kumar G, BSc CME
“This is a traditional Onam Sadya. During these difficult times, food has proven to be one of the most important necessities of life. As for me, during the lavish festival of Onam, after decorating the front yards with flowers and lamps, everyone in our family would eagerly wait for mom and grandma to prepare the lavish feast. More than the food, the moments spent with family gives us happiness. We feel loved, cherished and cared for.”
Nayana Avinash, BSc CMS
“This was my first time making cinnamon rolls. It’s definitely one of my favourites as for one, it tastes amazing, but also because it brings me memories from being at the food court in the mall with friends and family and having cinnamon rolls from Cinnabon. Even though it took a lot of time and effort to make, it turned out to be amazing and everyone loved it. That moment itself is a new memory that I get to keep with me for a long time.”
Terrance A, MSc Mathematics
“This image was captured during the month of January, 2021 on the occasion of Thai Pongal. This dish, called Sweet Pongal, was done by me and and my friends. It was such a happy moment for me as I made the dish and served it to everyone. It gave me a self-satisfaction.
Cooking is considered as a stereotype in India. All men and women should cook to break this stereotype in the Indian society. Cooking is a life skill and every human should learn to cook to survive on their own. I believe that a family that cooks together shares a beautiful bond.”
Andrew Raegan, BSc PCM
“A hot bowl of delicious chicken soup and a refreshing Autumnal Equinox. The radiant leaves calls for the end of heavy, humid summer air.
The transition to winter always brings about a case of sniffles. A few sips of warm soup is all we need to unwind and refresh ourselves.”
Sharanya B, MSc Mathematics
“Festival is a celebration of life. As our country is known for its rich culture and festivities, we are enriched with many sweets for each festival. In my childhood, I always visited my grandparents during festivals and that is when all us cousins gathered at one place. Every year on Ganesh Chaturthi, I would get to eat my favourite sweets – Sihi Kadabu and Rave unde (Rava lado) made by my grandma. Today it reminds me of the joyful and precious moments I spent helping grandma in the kitchen.”
Trisha T B, MSc Mathematics
“Kulae putt or steamed sweet cakes of jackfruit/banana is a traditional dish of Kodagu district in Karnataka, nestled up in the thick forests of Western Ghats. Known to greet its visitors with heavy rainfall during monsoon and earthy fragrance from its lush green forests, growing up there was an experience like no other.
Once everyone had satisfied their cravings for the fruit during the season, mothers resorted to making a huge batch of Kulae Putt with the leftover fruit. We often threw ourselves to lend a helping hand because preparing it together as a family is as much fun as eating them!
Now as a grown-up, I miss those summers, the joy I found in little things, the unquenchable appetite I had. I miss being a child.”
Phebe Sarah George, MSc Mathematics
“When I came to India for my UG, I stayed at a hostel in Mumbai. I was keen to explore Mumbai and the various food varieties that were available from across the country. My favourite was the street food, which was perfect for an month end broke hosteller. I loved that in Rs.50 we had pani puri for Saturday dinner with friends at Chowpatty.
But after the pandemic hit, I was definitely missing it. So I thought of making my favourite dishes at home. I started looking for recipes and made them one by one, from pani puri, dahi vada, pav bhaji and misal pav. I preferred eating rather than take pictures, so here is just one of them. I am awaiting the time when everything gets back to normal and we go back to get our street food.”
Ganesh Raj B R, MSc Mathematics
“Like most people, there are countless memories associated with food from my childhood. But nothing else perhaps is as profound as the Onam Sadhya; maybe because it came only once in a year or maybe because I was always fond of large feasts.
Sadhya is one of the best meals in the world. It is the multi-course vegetarian meal served on the occasion on a ginormous banana leaf featuring over a dozen of dishes . I have memories of gulping down mountains of rice with freshly fried pappadums, parippu, avial, erissery and pachadi. The payasams deserve another banana leaf altogether – paal, ada pradhaman and parippu pradhaman. I’m eagerly waiting to have my next Sadhya!! :D”
Kavya G, BSc CME
“Patholi is a traditional Konkani dish mostly consumed as a dessert. Covered with turmeric leaf is the steamed rice batter stuffed with freshly grated coconut and jaggery. This dish is made during Ganesh Chaturthi every year and is absolutely delicious!
What stand out in my memory are all the times when I helped my mother in making this interesting dish and also packing it in separate boxes to distribute it to my friends and neighbours. The best part is when this dish is served hot with some ghee coated on it and I get to enjoy it with complete freedom!😋😋”
Akshita Singh, MSc Mathematics
“Ganesh Chaturthi is my favourite festival.
When the new topic for Tangents of Change came, I was very excited because it was based on cooking. Cooking is my favourite hobby and September being the month of festivities, I was wondering which dish I would prepare.
After getting into college, I have been very busy lately and hadn’t had anytime to cook. So I made this thali when I had one lecture free. It’s simple food – daal-rice-bhaji and puris. But this is my comfort food of all time. :)”
Dr. Smita Nagouda, Faculty Member
“The elephant-headed God of Knowledge and Wisdom, remover of obstacles comes to home with grand celebrations. The front right hand is always raised in blessing, removing fears of the unknown and his left hand presenting modaka. Ganesha promises us sweet fruits of our labours and ultimate peace in our spiritual quest.
It would be incomplete without all his favourite dishes as offerings (Modaka, Payasa, corn Kosambari, Rava Oonde, Karchikai , Chakkali, Bonde oonde, Kajaya, Rice and Palya).
GANPATI BAPPA MORYA!!!!!!”
Anjana P, MSc Mathematics
“I recently made a traditional dish of Kerala – Puttu. It’s one of the most well-known dishes in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and a few other states. When it comes to food, the first dish that people ask a Keralite is Puttu. Though this is a favorite for a lot of people, this certainly wasn’t the case for me.
Until three years ago, I was a person who despised Puttu, for no particular reason. Every morning when I heard my mother saying “Puttu is ready for breakfast”, I would run to a shop and get Maggie noodles instead.
But this dislike faded away one day, almost as a surprise. Once when I was in Kerala at my dad’s place, the breakfast that was served was Puttu. There was nothing else at home and if I wanted to get something, I had to walk for at least 3 km. With all doors closed, I had to eat it. But as soon as I took the first bite, I wondered why I never tried eating it before!”
S Madhumitha, MSc Mathematics
“Being one of the favourite dishes of lord Ganesha, we prepare Modhak every Ganesh Chaturthi. This time since my birthday and the festival coincided, I decided to prepare the Modhak, but I wanted to give it a unique touch. I browsed through a lot of recipes so that the shape and taste would match at least 50% of what my mom makes! The days passed by but my ‘unique’ component was still a big question mark. All of a sudden, I got an idea of making Modhak colorful. I experimented with different fruit juices that could be the source of these colors. On the day of Chathurthi, I started the process and since we usually fast until we complete the pooja, it was a long wait! And the serious challenge was that since Modhak was an offering, it couldn’t be tasted until it was offered to the Lord! But in the end, the result was definitely worth it. It felt wonderful to see that the taste, color and shape turned out exactly as I expected.”
Stay tuned for the October theme!
Have some exciting ideas? Want to get in touch? Drop us a mail at tangentsofchange@gmail.com
Tangents of Change 
Amazing pictures… Agents of change…
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Thank you so much Sir!
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