22. THE TASTE OF TULU NADU-2: (q.v.21).

We were discussing about Taste. My grandmother (Doddamma) was a great cook. She would make the cumbersome, tedious, daily cooking headache into a lovely hobby. Once upon a time she told me this story. There was a poor lady. She had five children. Feeding them was very difficult, because she had little means of income. One day somehow she cooked rice. But there was nothing at home to prepare ‘sambar’(Curry). While she was pondering what to do, a well-to-do lady, who was passing by, expressed her long bothering doubt. “Your sambar always smells great, what is the secret?” The poor lady thought for a while and answered. ‘It is a secret, promise me that you won’t tell anyone”. Inquisitive lady got more curious and said, “Promise. I won’t tell anybody”. Lady-No.1 let the secret out and said, “It is because of the magic stone”. Lady-No.2 never expected this answer. “Will you please demonstrate?” came the request.

Lady-1: “Why not?, in two minutes I’ll be at your home!”.

Lady-2 hurriedly went back home to receive Lady-1. Lady-1 took one vessel to prepare the “sambar” (that day, that was the only ingredient she had at home), proceeded towards the house of Lady-2. On the way she picked up a nice looking smooth pebble of the size of a paper-weight.

Lady-2: “Oh! You came. Have you brought the magic-stone?”

Lady-1: “Yes.” [She cleaned the stone thoroughly and handed over to Lady-1].

Lady-2: “Lovely!, but it looks ordinary”.

[Lady-1 did all the necessary initial preparations. Now we are in the next scene, where the magic stone was dancing inside the vessel in the plain boiling water].

Lady-1: “Give me a few chillies- just to make little spicy”.

Lady-2: “Is it done?”

Lady-1: “Yes, almost!, Do you have a little tamarind?”.

Lady-2: “Yes please, what else do you need?”

Lady-1: “Nothing!. If you want it little thicker, you can add a little dal”

Lady-2: “Let it be thicker” [ Gave a little thoor dal]. “Don’t you need any vegetables?”.

Lady-1: “It is optional, what do you have?”

Lady-2: “I have a few beans, a few brinjal, and tomato”.

Lady-1: “That would be fine”.[ In between, she continued stirring the mix].

Lady-2: “Is it done now?”

Lady-1: “Of course yes!, only a little salt to taste”

The sambar was done. All along the magic stone was rattling inside the vessel. Lady-2 tasted the sambar. It was tasty, nice smelling and Yummy!.

Lady-2: “What do you do with the magic stone?”

Lady-1: “ You just take it out and throw it away”

That day Lady-1 had enough to feed her children. The moral of the story is – the taste is relatively simple-but you only have to know how to blend different ingredients.

I remember some more details about this magic stone. Let us continue discussing……….