The Marinade Journal

Category: Memoir

  • A Ramadan Memoir

    in

    K Fathima Jowhara, a retired school teacher remembers her childhood and the routine of food that surrounded her home.

  • Square piece of memory

    in

    ATHULYA EP It always began with the sound of rain, soft drizzles kissing the old tiled roof, the smell of damp earth sneaking into Achamma’s kitchen. For her, that was the signal: kalathappam weather. She would smile knowingly, her eyes twinkling behind round spectacles. I would sit near the hearth watching the dance of firelight…

  • Gastronomy On a Banana Leaf

    in

    RESHMA I’m a huge foodie, thanks to the Malayali blood running through my veins. I guess most of us Malayalis are foodies, and no wonder one of the most famous idioms here is “kaanam vittum onam unnanam”. Loosely translates to something along the lines of, it is a must to eat the Onam Sadhya even at…

  • Stories Of Life

    in

    PRANEETH JONATHAN Life is beautiful always in the aspects of what the essence of life is, who we are as life and the creation itself. Along with that, I feel it’s mysterious too. This question led me to searching for what is life really, what is this existence really, what are we really within as…

  • Leenu Teacher’s Kitchen

    in

    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…

  • The Taste She Never Kept for Herself

    in

    NISHA JAGADISH When I think of childhood, it isn’t toys or festivals that come rushing back; it’s the smell of fried fish. Back then, we lived in a big, bustling joint family with our grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins. That home always echoed of chatter, laughter, and the clatter of plates.  The one thing that made…

  • Eureka!

    in

    RESHMA Have you ever eaten something so soul filling that you remember the taste many, many years later? I have.  The first time was on the flight, on my way back home during vacation as a 6 year old. I have heard people complain about how bad airplane food is.  But on that day, nothing…

  • The Scent of Sunday

    in

    MARIYA SABU PAYYAPPILLY My childhood Sundays were a celebration : quiet, familiar, and full of food that made the day feel special without trying.  The morning always began with appam and egg curry. I can still hear the soft hiss of the appachatti, see Amma in her floral printed nighty , hair tied up, half-asleep but…

  • The legend of Thengachoru

    in

    SAHALA THASNI For my grandmother, whom I call “ummamma,” thengachoru (coconut rice) is not just a dish; it’s an emotion. She can go on talking about its greatness forever. And a legendary story exists about how she made thengaachoru for the first time in her life. Anyone who has ever tasted my grandmother’s thengachoru would…

  • Sugared by Imma, Spiced by Immi.

    in

    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.…

  • A Well-Brewed Elixir

    in

    One cup at a time, I became a premium member of the coffee cult without even realizing it. Now, decades after that first encounter, coffee feels like a warm hug on a cold, rainy day.

  • Missing Tea on the Sea

    in

    MUHAMMED NOUSHAD Over the years, when you make multiple voyages, it’s highly likely that you develop a peculiar penchant for ships. They turn out to be something more than vehicles or modes of transportation. Every time I board a ship, despite the discomforts and uncertainties, I feel a strange sense of belonging. A sort of…