Food Childhood

Issue 99 December 2012

Samia Khan recalls memories of wholesome values and generous helpings.

Food from my childhood brings back a host of memories—of food peculiar to different seasons, of my mother’s delicious recipes and of the whole family eating together. The food served for family dinners was nutritious and simple. As a child, I loved my mother’s aaloo paratha which I devoured eagerly with chutney and home-made yogurt or cheese. The memory of those mouth-watering parathas still awakens my taste buds and makes me feel hungry again. 

One of my mother’s specialities was kheer (rice pudding), which was cooked at every Eid in a large pan and left on a slow cooker overnight. I could hear my parents talking as they took turns to stir the kheer after we went to bed. The variety of the ingredients used and the attention and time given to preparation gave it a rich and scrumptious taste. After Eid prayer, it was poured into dishes and sent to all the relatives and friends with whom it was a real favourite. 

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