Sugared by Imma, Spiced by Immi.

SHIFA JINAN

We didn’t grow up eating spicy food, especially in the morning.

Most days, it was simple things like: Puttu and banana, Ottada with sugar and coconut milk, Pathiri with a pinch of sugar in melted ghee, Vellappam, that beloved, Malappuram-style kalakki chutta appam, paired with tea and sugar, or sometimes with ghee-roasted banana.

And then there was the special one: rava mix with milk, sugar, and ghee. Simple, sweet, and honestly, the taste that raised us!

If Dosa appeared, then we had chutney, our version of spicy!

Tea?

Imma, my mother could even serve four cups from just one, simply by adding more water and smiling; one of Imma’s things.

Milk Tea? The famous Paalchaya?

That was made only for Baba, one special mug just for him!

Back then, we thought Paalchaya was only for grown-ups! (For us just milk, if needed). Whenever someone offered us tea outside, Imma would politely say:

“They don’t drink tea or coffee. Only normal water.”

And there we would sit like obedient little kids, nodding quietly.

Then my youngest sister came into the picture with a fully developed spice tolerance.

No compromises. No adjustments.

It was like what we jokingly called Imma’s adjustments, ‘the oppikals’… they just didn’t work on her. And slowly, the system began to change.

But my brother?

Even now, despite being a Thalassery Puyyappala, he still craves Imma’s sweet breakfast when he’s home.

Imma? She’s the one who believed in simplicity, and of course, her kitchen was the reflection of that.

Cooking, for her, was never about perfection. It was about care over taste. And with almost nothing, she somehow makes wonders!

And Baba? He preferred no spice for anyone, and she peacefully went along with that. If some spicy food landed on our table, Imma would surely give it a quick ‘bath’ before handing it to us. 

And here is the funny part, today I find myself doing the same ‘bathing technique’ for my elder child.

But lunch was a whole different story. Her upperis were on another level, and I’ve never found anyone who could recreate them. Especially, Moringa thoran and Muthira (horse gram) thoran. I’d always say, “If these upperis are on the table, I don’t want anything else. Just give me some pappadam. I can easily eat two plates of rice.”

And if there’s dried fish fry too? Then lunch is officially rich for me!

Then I got married. And the very first shock?

Not the people. Not the customs. The food! 

More specifically, how seriously they took it. Every breakfast felt like a mini feast, and each dish had its own perfect combo.

Ottada with beef, their iconic pairing!

I, on the other hand, was used to Ottada with coconut milk. So, once I asked Himshaka, my husband, to try that, he looked at me like I had asked him to eat grass or something.

My mother-in-law’s Masala Dosa is my favourite. Crisp, golden, crunchy on the outside. And the filling? Smooth and rich with full of flavors. When Dosa is on the menu, Immi calls everyone to sit down. She makes and serves it hot and crispy, straight from the pan.

And she even makes a sweet version with ghee and sugar, something in it always pulls me back to those childhood days. But what surprised me the most was having fish curry for breakfast!

At home, fish curry before 1 PM was practically illegal.

Then there was this Milk Tea ritual.

Oh my God! Each person gets one large, steaming, perfectly full cup. No refills. No second round. That’s when I realized, Immi runs her kitchen like a five-star hotel. And everyone’s palate has VIP status.

If breakfast doesn’t come with a proper kick, her sons skip it and wait for lunch.

No complaints. No drama.

Truly, I was scared to make anything in that kitchen, the standards were too high, as if their buds were only trained for tasty food. I even used to silently pray that no one would ask me to make even a cup of chaya.

Immi?

She’s born to cook!

She never seems tired in the kitchen. In fact, I think that’s where she feels most alive and entertained. Watching people enjoy her food gives her a sense of contentment you can read on her face.

I don’t think there’s anyone in the family or even in the neighborhood who hasn’t tasted Immi’s ‘kaipunnyam’!

Two kitchens. One sweetened my life, the other spiced it up.

Both fed me more than food. They fed me love, in their own ways. And some days, I still find myself longing for the quiet warmth of those familiar bites from home. 

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Shifa Jinan holds a bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Technology and a PGDM in Healthcare Administration and Service Management from Canada.

She currently lives in Milton, Ontario, and hails from Nilambur, Malappuram, Kerala.

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Illustration done by Annabel Fathima.

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