I learnt how to cook FOO(d)!!!
It has been a long time since I wrote something on my blog... I have done a lot of things mean while and there are many interesting things to tell...
First of all, I must tell you that I switched my job and joined "Royal Bank of Scotland (India Development Centre)" in Gurgaon on September 10, 2007 and left the Fidelity Information Services (Formerly Second Foundation), Chandigarh.
On my day of landing in Gurgaon, I stepped in our newly rented 3 bedroom-hall flat with my room mates, Anand (My best friend since I met him...I'll tell a lot about him) and his two friends Anil and Aman. I found a neatly maintained kitchen inside the house setup by the guys just 2-3 days before and an empty house except one room with the beddings of all...
well...it was a completely new experience for me as I had never lived with room-mates ... I took charge of one room and after cleaning it, me and my friend Anand arranged our beddings in the room. Then we went to market and had a little break...and then was the sad (or the interesting as u might say later) part of the story began...
My bike was in Chandigarh and had not arrived yet and we all 4 persons could not accommodate on a single bike present with us then therefore we decided to walk on feet...
The market was too far away that it seemed like never ending to my feet jammed on the bike's gear lever and brakes...
after the tiring evening walk when we returned with vegetables and other stuff... I was told with the HORRIBLE news...
"Kaam waali nahi mili hai ab tak... khana khud hi banana padega"
(maid servant could not be recruited...we have to cook the food ourselves)
And then started the "ATYACHAAR" (TORTURE) on the poor kid (The author himself)..
"Aata banana aata hai?" (Do u know how to prepare flour?)
"Nahi" (No)
"Roti Senkni aati hai?" (Do u know how to cook the bread?)
"Nahi" (No)
"to fir sabji kaat lo" (Then cut the vegetables)
and I started with a knife and some vegetables but ended up cutting my own finger...
"Tere bas ka kuch hai bhi? Sabji main kaat leta hoon, bana to lega?" (Can you do a single thing? I can cut the vegetables, can u cook them then?)
"Mujhe namak, masaale wagaira ka koi idea nahi hai" (I have no idea of salt, spice etc.)
"To kya KARNA aata hai?" (Then what you can DO?)
"Maine kabhi kitchen ka koi kaam nahi kiya" (I have not done any kitchen work)
"Ohho... tab tu bartan hi maanj lena" (Ok you then wash the utensils )
"Arre bachche ki jaan loge kya?" (hey will u kill this little kid?)
Par doston meri ek na chali and I had to wash the utensils otherwise had to sleep with hungry stomach... Sachmuch Pet ke liye kya kya karna padta hai...
When I had to wash the utensils for 3-4 days... I tried on other things...
the FOO(d) I cooked for the first time...could not be eaten even by me... even the street dogs rejected it and even growled at me... like saying to me- "Teri banayee roti khane se to jail ki roti khana manjoor hai" (Jail food is better to eat than your cooked food)
I told them, "kha lo yaar, maine bade pyar aur mehnat se banayee hai" (eat it up friends, I have prepared with love and efforts)
Then one dog uttered a sweet "Bow Wow" like saying "itni mehnat karne se to achcha tha hame bol dete, ham apne saath tumhare liye bhi la dete" (instead of doing that effort, you should have asked us...we would have brought some for you too along with our own)
Well Doston, I kept trying and trying and got the first appreciation from those dogs only when they ate a little out of what I had cooked..
HOWEVER we were successful at searching "Ek Adad Kaam Wali" in a few days but I still kept experimenting with cooking...
I now have learnt to cook rice, vegetables, roti (indian bread), parantha and a whole series of dishes...
After all Nishu (Raju) ban gaya kitchen man (gentleman)!!!!
