Maithily's Scribblings

In these twelve years of marriage, as far as my memory stretches, my husband has never once told me what he wanted to eat. Never asked for a special dish. Never made a request. But on 10th February 2026 , something changed. For the very first time in twelve years, he said he wanted to eat green gram gravy. And I don’t know why… but it felt so incredibly special. On one hand, I was already running out of ideas about what to cook. And on the other hand, this man — the man I love so deeply — had finally asked me to make something just for him. There was no grand celebration. No dramatic moment. Just a simple request. I hurried into the kitchen with a smile I couldn’t hide. I prepared the green gram gravy with extra care, and for a change, I even made urad dal rice — something I was trying for the first time. The entire process felt different. Warm. Meaningful. Personal. It wasn’t just about cooking. It wasn’t just about food. It was about being needed. It was about being asked....

It feels strange to even write this in the past tense. I am a below-average cook. I say that without hesitation. The curries I make taste good not because of my skill, but because of a secret ingredient — a special chilli powder. But this wasn’t just any chilli powder. It was formulated by my father-in-law. Ground in his own mill. Packed in his own shop. Made with precision, patience, and pride. Traditional South Indian Kulambu milagai podi,  but to me, it was simply mama’s masala . After I got married, I never worried about buying chilli powder from outside. All I had to do was make one phone call. “Mama, milagai podi venum…” And he would prepare it fresh for me. My brother-in-law Suresh would carefully pack and courier it. If someone travelled from Cuddalore to Mangalore or Chennai, I would request them to bring a packet. It travelled across cities with me like a silent family member. I must thank my father-in-law for this — whether I learned cooking or not, his masala n...

My daughter studies at Kidzee, Sayajipura, Vadodara , and one thing I truly appreciate about her school is the emphasis on healthy food. Over time, she has naturally adapted to Gujarati meals, and as a mother, that makes me incredibly happy. Once a month, the school celebrates a home feast —a day when children can bring healthy food prepared at home. Every month, I try to make something thoughtful and nourishing. In the past, I’ve packed her kolukattai, paniyaram, poori , and a few other homemade delicacies. But this January, I wanted to do something different. Something colourful. Something fun. The night before the home feast, my daughter and I sat together scrolling through YouTube, hunting for cooking inspiration. After watching several videos, we finally decided to try a healthy, vibrant idea inspired by this video: 👉 YouTube inspiration : https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=7kToQQB1jj0 We made purées using spinach, beetroot, and carrot , and used them to prepare the ...

Today is my favorite festival, and I prepared sweet Pongal—a traditional dessert from Tamil Nadu made with rice and jaggery. From cashews to cardamom, the combination of rice and jaggery makes the preparation of sweet Pongal too tempting to resist. As the name suggests, the Pongal festival is celebrated by preparing Pongal (a sweet dish) at home. It marks the significance of the harvest season and is dedicated to worshipping the Sun God. Sweet Pongal is made with freshly harvested rice, ghee, jaggery, cashew nuts, and more. Sweet Pongal, also known as Sakkarai Pongal or Chakkara Pongal , is prepared in every home across Tamil Nadu during the Pongal festival. Here is how I prepared the sweet pongal Cooking time: 60 minutes Serves: 2 Ingredients: Raw rice - 200 grams Jaggery- 400 grams Water - 2 cups Milk - 1 cup Elachi - 5 pieces Cashew - 10-15 Ghee - 100 ml Saffron ½ gram The method of preparation Take a thick-bottomed pan and boil water. Add ...