Pickles, Chutneys with Nipendat P. Singh

My fondest childhood memories are of dining at my Grandmother’s—she is still the best cook in the family—eating Paratha with Aam-ka-Achaar or Mango Pickle. These simple meals were culinary events for me for two reasons: one, the quality of the pickle, and the peppercorn and ajwain laced Paratha. Two, I wasn’t allowed to eat pickles at home because of my tonsils, which weren’t removed until much later. Once, my mother walked into the kitchen store just as I had ‘stolen’ some mango pickle. I quickly hid the piece in my pocket. She suspected what I had been up to but when she questioned me, I denied eating any pickle. There was no way I could escape my punishment though. A tell—tale smudge of mustard colour—thanks to the oil—began to spread on my knickers. The thrashing that followed didn’t hurt as much as the giant padlock that was posted on the store’s door!