Food – Festival of Words – Day 2

Started from Memories – Festival of Words – Day 1 

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Aalina finished doodling the recipe of her fav snack in her school scrap book.This simple dish - her Nanny's specialty - has  been her favorite dessert from the time she could remember.  Even as a kindergartener, she couldn't help noticing the difference in their daily menus. The sambar, rasam and poriyal her nanny relished was frowned upon by her mom. Unfortunately for Aalina, the pork ribs, steaks, soups her parents seemed to prefer was definitely not her favourite.....

An only child, in this huge palatial bungalow tucked away in the tea estates of Niligiris - Aalina was home-schooled by her parents.They were stickler to conversing only in English even to her Nanny who was conversant only in the local dialect. Aalina wasn't even allowed to be chummy with children of local Tea Planters! The only solace she had were her books that Aalina obviously devoured! When the loneliness got onto her too much, she sneaked away into her Nanny's tiny room in the terrace where the simple yet hearty food warmed her soul. Evenings spent tucking into "Naadan Chicken Roast", sipping the hot pepper rasam as she flipped though her favorite book sitting in her Nanny's Veranda was her favorite childhood memory till date! The fact that it railed her mother, gave the teenage Aalina an extra "kick" to do it all the more

It was a while before Aalina realized that all all this was  a vain and desperate attempt by her parents to hold onto their British Lineage. She couldn't always help wondering how different her life would have been if her parents were alive a few more years......

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This is part of Food, Food – Festival of Words – Day 2

PS: This doodle is courtesy the livewire of VaayadiPennu