I still remember the time when I had lunch at the Mahindra Auto Factory canteen at Nasik many moons back. I used to be in market research. That was the time when I discovered in time that what I thought was a green subzi turned out to be thecha (pounded green chilli). The reason why I thought that the green paste was a vegetable was because there was a yellow dal and a green moong dal in the same meal. Where is the sabzi, I wondered. How can two dals be in the same meal? I later learnt that the green moong was ussal, and stood in for what would be a sabzi in other vegetarian meals. That’s my understanding, so please don’t go after me if I am wrong. #katiecooks was on leave for the last two days and her sister (yet to think of a hashtag for her), who is our house-cleaner, stood in for her. Yesterday she made an ussal which was fab and soft rotis. With that I took methkut a dry chutney given by @roopanabar when her book was launched and a fresh coriander and peanut chutney made by #bunkinbanu who is on AWOL again.
PS: This is a story that I told my elder son Baby Loaf, who has just turned 4, when he joined me for lunch yesterday.