Mummy, Meatballs and Masala Rice
Mummy, Meatballs and Masala Rice
My love affair with food began long, long before I learnt to cook. My earliest memories are that of my brother Kenny & I in the kitchen with Mummy, watching her as she dished up dish after dish of absolutely wonderful food- Biriyani, Mashed Potatoes, Meatballs, Masala Rice, Coconut Rice, Macaroni, Noodles, Roast Duck, Vanilla Pudding, Meat Patties, Cutlets and many more. Our Dad would always tell her ’Gladys, please don’t say ball curry, it’s embarrassing. Say Meatballs or Mince !”. And we would wonder why she would sheepishly smile in return! Meatballs were always served with Masala Rice. Sometimes it would be Coconut Rice and at other times it was with Kichdi. Learning to mix and match dishes is an art that Mummy had mastered to perfection. And she effortlessly passed on her skills to us.
Once my brother and I gobbled all the hard-boiled eggs in the wink of an eye when Mummy went to supervise the laying of the table. She just laughed it off and served the rice without the garnish. We loved being in the kitchen because we could surreptitiously sneak various tit-bits while her back was turned. Maybe a meat ball, a boiled potato, a cutlet, some jam, a vada or two.
She was extremely passionate about her cooking and insisted we all learn how to cook. We had to take turns during the holidays to make breakfast, lunch, tea and other activities related to cooking. We learnt that one of the greatest pleasures in life is to never stop learning about good cooking and good food. To this day cooking is my therapy.
Everything was made at home by my mother. She studied Home Science and International Cuisine and entertained family and friends as a young married wife. We ate incredible food while growing up- both traditional and international- things like Kori Rotti, Moli (Clams) or leaf-wrapped kottige idlis, neer dosa, a classic Mangalorean dish teamed with Kundapur Chicken Curry, Mangalore Buns, Fish Fry, Holige, Beejada Sukka (Cashew Nut Curry), Lady Fish Stew, Goli Bajje, Ice Cream, Macaroons and many, many more. In fact most people had never heard of many of the foods we ate on a regular basis.
These are only some of my cherished Mangalorean foods, made from recipes that Ajamma ( my maternal grandmother) and Mummy perfected over the years, others from Mummy’s handwritten recipe books, painstakingly maintained for ½ a century bringing a bit of Mangalore into our current home.
Meatballs and Masala Rice were one of the recipes reserved for special occasions and always served to complement each other. In those days, the masalas were ground on a grinding stone and a maid was hired to come in everyday to grind the various masalas. Meatball Curry required two masalas- red and green. My mother would keep the ingredients out and watch over the maid while she ground it to the perfect consistency. We would be hovering around enjoying the smell of the masalas and our noses would twitch in anticipation of a glorious meal. And practically every guest went home thoroughly satisfied and repleted with the life changing experience of Mummy’s outstanding cooking.
It’s been a year since Mummy left us. It’s so hard to believe that she is no longer a phone call away. My memory of her is frozen in time as a stairway of love that I can forever climb. She walks beside me every day, unseen, unheard, but always near, still loved, still missed, and very dear.
I would like to share Meatball Curry & Masala Rice one of her signature dishes when we had visitors.
Meatball Curry In Images
Meatball Curry
Mummy’s Masala Rice
The Ingredients:
½ kg rice (approximately 2 cups), wash and drain
3 large onions, sliced fine
3 tbsp homemade ghee
2 cloves
2 inch cinnamon
3 cardamom pods, bruised
4 cups hot water
1.5 tsp salt
Masala:
4 green chillies
1 inch ginger
24 medium cloves garlic
2 large tomatoes
Small bunch coriander and mint leaves
½ tsp turmeric powder
Grind all ingredients except tomatoes to a smooth consistency. Keep aside.
Method:
Fry the onions to golden brown in the ghee on medium heat. Add the masala and fry well till the mixture comes to the centre of the pan and the oil oozes out. Add chopped tomatoes and cook till mushy. Add rice and gently mix till grains are transparent. Add hot water, salt and spices and cook till done. Garnish with fried onions, plums and nuts.
“My mother taught me everything except how to live without her!”
She brought soul to every dish served on our table.
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