dabba gul!

I was going to write a post about how Cubby came into his current Ganju (bald) avtaar, but when we went for lunch today, noticed a guy opening his dabba to have khaana, and all of us wondered when was the last time we carried a lunch box!

Since I moved to Bangalore, post shaadi, I almost never took dabba simply because I would have to cook some lunch to carry. It is just too much effort! Ek baar kar lete hai wahi bahot hai! Of cos when I was in Mumbai for my delivery, I used to carry lunch to work everyday. One, it meant, healthy food and more importantly MOM was cooking it! :D

I remember in my primary school, we had two breaks. One a sorta mini snack break and second a lunch break. The snack dabba would obviously get over very quickly! :p By the time we moved on to secondary school (thats 5th std onwards), there was just one break around lunch hour. By now, we also had groups and certain friends would have lunch together. WE would open our dabbas and hope that the other person had something nicer (read chatapata and unhealthy!). Worst would be if multiple people got same subzi, esp if it was something dull like cabbage.

My mom made fresh lunch before going to work. It was unwaveringly chapati and subzi. Add to that I was a picky eater. I could count subzis I like on fingers rather than the ones I didn't like. The only silver lining was my mom is a good cook, so even sad veggies tasted nice unlike some food some of my otha friends got.

Pav-bhaji held a special place in our heart. Pav-bhaji was lunch meant it was made the previous day for dinner at some pal's place. The mom's would always make extra for next day! The person who got it would take one pav BEFORE opening the bhaji dabba, to ensure he/she gets something at least! The scene after opening the dabba wasn't a lot better than all brothers eating like uncivilised animals in Satte Pe Satta! :p

I remember buddy G who used to eat ONLY alu subzi and that too made only in a particular fashion. She used to get it at least 4 days a week. The other two days was egg sandwiches which incidentally were very yummy. Her mom used to send a whole dabbaful and we would still finish it all.

V was me thinks the only north Indian in the group. The achaar she got was always in demand and so were the parathas! :)

Once I dropped my lunch box and so didn't eat it. That gave my wicked brain an idea. If i didn't like something , I would tell mom dabba gir gaya and the food she had so painstakingly prepared would be go in the dustbin. Of cos this didn't last for too long. One day she said show me the gira hua khaana and realised I hadn't even opened the dabba and was lying through my teeth! :(

Now when I cook and someone doesn't like/eat it, I feel so bad. Now I know how much effort it takes to put a fresh and complete meal on the table. Now I know how irritating it is when you ask someone what do you feel like eating and the person says "Anything! Kuch bhi chalega". Now I know what it feels like when food you have taken effort for gets thrown in to the dustbin.

After getting married to the totally non-fussy eater M, I have started eating almost all veggies without a complain. We make them l'il more chatpata (northie style) to make it interesting. Trust me, lauki paneer is MUCH nicer than the bland Marathi style doodhi chi bhaji! My bro who swore he will never eat lauki (snake gourd) didn't even realise he was eating it at our place! :p

When we started working, someone or the other would order one extra thing from the canteen to add a little spice! Now toh only dinner is made at home and M cooks half of it and me the rest and I have to concede M is a much better cook!

Mom, this post is for you! Thank you for making healthy and tasty food for us everyday! Now when I struggle to make different breakfast everyday, I can't help but look back how you made so many different kinds and we still made faces when you made upma once in a while! Or the time we tried to "improvise" the food you made! Sorry! We were little silly and young! :) And when you ask me even today what do you wanna eat, I will still say "Kaahi hee"!

Some things never change! Love ya mom!

P.s dreading the day I have to pack lunch for Cubby!

PPS - Whats in your lunch box today?! :)