Food for Thought

I know!

It is too much to expect good food from the college lunch room.

But at times, is it wrong to crave for some stimulation of the taste bud?

Alas, it happens rarely. It happens when you pay for food at the temple town and pay for the commute through your nose, leaving the wallet weigh a kilogram lesser.

Else it happens only when there is some special occasion.

But at times, the rush in the lunchroom makes you think is it a special occasion.

Well, yeah, its SPARTA when it comes to getting that hot aloo paratha off the platter or laying the hands on the tender jucy gulab jamuns (how I wish it was!) The hazelnut colored succulent spherical balls doused in the golden hued sugary syrup leaves me all drooling, not any more.

How contradictory it is on my part to describe the not-so-good-Manamai-made-Indian dumpling as a succulent tasty one!

The wafting smell of the not-so-good curries would actually try making you salivate, mostly in vain.

It would be a rebellious affair to get yourself a plate and spoon. Once you lay hands on them, the wait is real tiring to load the plate and hunting for a place with your fully loaded tray of 'goodies' is really painstaking.

The food, mind you, is worth mentioning.

The paneer is made as if it was to be given for charity. Bland blood-color tinged watery gravy with rock solid paneer- ultimate!

The color of the daal looks tempting but as it makes contact with the tongue, you know what. Watery, gross tasting. Obviously it is food colors galore that gave a sensory misappropriation.

The rice would be as cold as the expression of the staff there. The grains stick on to each other in such unison and the ladle would come up a slice of rice cake.

Most of the south Indian food, when touches the tip of the tongue can get you to identify the ingredients. Not because of you being a connoisseur, but due to the cooking prowess of the self acclaimed cooks. The raw taste of turmeric stands out distinctively. An inch thick layer of oil tops the curries and as you know, it is mandatory for you to drink two teaspoons of oil for a healthy mind, body and soul. (How sarcastic!)

The sweet is often very sweet with no special flavor apart from the sugar that predominates the taste. Boiled concoction of milk and sugar becomes the payasam (kheer) and an overdose of jaggery over rice is our sweet pongal.

Curd, that is made in-house deserves no special mention. Sour or with that prickly tinge, it degenerates the taste buds and makes them capable of doing nothing during your meal, except curse the cook.

The menu is often set by experiment-savvy gentlemen who prefer eating paneer-do-pyaas with dosa and hakka noodles with coconut chutney.

Lastly, we are often denied the ambrosia if we miss the clock by a second. Sadly, the day the taste doesn't linger on the lip puts the day to haywire.

And the saddest part:
Reading the menu to picture the whims and fancies of the ornate delicacies that adorn the table can give rise to a hysterical laugh riot.

Enjoy the 'Pav Bhaji and Chappad Onions'  (read chopped onions)

Footnote:
All those who have abused your mom for not making good food, please do a 'PADAPOOJA' and seek mercy at her feet.

We got what we deserved!