What happens when there is too much beetroot and making it everyday is not feasible?
It turns into beetroot halwa – and is much more exciting, especially when the folks at home love the sweet.
Don’t know why – suddenly remembered the double ka meetha that our Postman in Hyderabad used to bring us during Id. What lovely memories those are! Hussain used to ask if we needed “chutta” when we went out of town – and once brought a bundle of two-rupee notes. Mom had one of those notes in one of her books for years after that.
During festivals, our neighbor Prakash mama’s mom would bring some semiya sweet like thing, which I was not a fan of. But she’d call me especially to her house and force me to have a cup. 😀 I’d see them twirling those things for hours, in preparations. Ah, what sweet people! Met them back in ’74 when we lived in Bowenpally. I remember being fascinated with our house there – one of those long houses whose front door was in the street with the Ram Mandir and the back door in the parallel street! During the rains, we had to strategically place cups so the rain water would drip into them. Tiled roof you see. We also had this little garden patch in the backyard that was so fertile – we had kaakarkaaya (paavakkaai) creepers that climbed the roof and came over to the front. We’d harvest a large bucket full and distribute them among the neighbors. Then granma would make வற்றல், பிட்லை, ரோஸ்ட், and every possible thing with the bitter gourd. I’d love it. We also had kovakkai (giloda). And of course, the traditional tomato, curry leaves, chilly, and jasmine and tulsi. Cute little garden.
Thanks for visiting, memories!
