Leenu Teacher’s Kitchen

ALAKA P

Like all moms out there, for me, my mother is my superwoman. You know why? Because she is multi-talented. Little Alaka always looked up to her with great adoration. The way she drapes a saree, manages a full-time job, cooks the absolute best food, and does everything else so effortlessly.

Even though our dynamics were not always perfect, if anyone asks me where my favourite place is, I would say it’s her kitchen. The placement of the spices, the hand-spoon measurement of ingredients, oh boy! 

How can someone be good at everything they do?

I left home at the age of 21 to study engineering at GCE Kannur, which is about two hours from home. Even though the hostel food wasn’t that bad, I used to rush to her kitchen every weekend just to have the food she made. I am amazed every time by how this woman makes all that food in an hour or less.

Fast forward four years, moving to Bangalore for my job made me realise something. Yes! I wanted a kitchen like hers so that I could replicate her recipes here. The same taste, to avoid my loneliness in the city. To kill my time.

One day, I was coming home from the office after a tough day when, from somewhere nearby (a hotel I couldn’t figure out), I caught the aroma of the upma she makes. 

I never even liked it before, but thinking of that upma with banana and sugar brought enough water to sail a ship in my mouth. I called her straight away and asked for the recipe. With a one-minute voice clip, the recipe was there in front of me.

After that hard day, I had the upma with banana and sugar and a cup of tea. And that was the day I decided that this was a sign the universe was giving me: to bring a little piece of home to whichever corner I live in. 

Because for me, home is Leenu teacher and the kitchen where we gossip, bitch about Dad’s side of the family, and have major fights.

For Vishu, when I was away from home and the Sadhya rates in Bangalore would tear my pockets, I decided to curate a mini meal with payasam. 

I added a pinch of coconut oil sautéed with curry leaves and red chilly, vattal molak in the curries I made, which always reminds me of home. Finding a way to feel better.

The aripathiri with varutharacha chicken curry. The aviyal enhanced with the flavour of curd and green chilly. The thairu sadam with payar upperi that comes wrapped in banana leaves, specially curated for train journeys. The unniyappam fried in coconut oil, with little bits of coconut to bite into from the unniyappa chatti.

Living away from home and replicating this in my small kitchen feels like I am living in a home far away from home. And, I must say, life feels good.