Of all things tiny and wonderful!

Two little girls are watching their great aunt change the diaper of her new born grandson.  One is about seven the other three. The baby is, as babies do, kicking out lustily and generally making the grandmom work for it! The little girls  are interested – very interested – their Barbies don’t behave like this so life is definitely looking very fraught with possibilities just then!

K takes her fingers out of her mouth to ask the inevitable question, “What’s that thing?”

Explanations follow – about boys and girls. Then my aunt asks, “You have other little boys as cousins, don’t you? Haven’t you seen this before?”

Pat comes the reply – “Yes, but this is so small!!!”

Phew!!

P.S.: All names in this story have been changed for reasons of not incurring teenager wrath!

K used to be fascinated by little babies when she was rather small – i think most small people are fascinated by people smaller than themselves, in fact by everything that is smaller than themselves! A question of perspective maybe? In a world where almost everything is larger than themselves, and definitely most people are larger than themselves, the sudden introduction of a small but moving, live thing is bound to excite curiosity! And thus is born the let’s-see-if-we-can-change-this-thing’s-diaper, bathe-this-small-thing attitude!

Our neighbour who already had a little girl of about K’s age, had a baby – a little girl. K couldn’t wait to get back from school every evening – the only time I had no problem getting her to put away her things, have tea and change before she rushed across to the opposite house, yelling to them to wait, she was coming and to NOT start the baby’s evening bath before she arrived to “help”! She was quite convinced that the mother relied completely on her – otherwise she (the mom) couldn’t have gotten the baby bathed!

The kind lady humored her! “Mrudula’s baby” (Mrudula being the older sibling of said baby) was favourite topic for about six months till she suddenly realised that Akka (Arch) thought babies were very un-cool – end of baby fad – and sadly, it hasn’t reappeared so far!

So I ask Kanch – since this story is about you – let’s have a recipe… she comes up with something quite inedible involving rice and eggs and cheese! And so, in the interests of saving my readers’ insides, here’s an authentic…

CALCUTTA EGG ROLL

  • 1 paratha – the very flaky, full of fat kind made with maida – like a Malabar paratha or the Tamil veesi paratha – the making of which is an art in itself! Just buy it!
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp milk
  • Green chili – minced – 1/2 OR
  • Red chili powder – 1 pinch
  • Salt – 1 pinch

FOR FILLING

  • Onions – very finely sliced – 1/2
  • Green chili  minced – 1/2
  • Cucumber – sliced – 1 tbsp
  • Salt – 1 pinch
  • Chopped coriander or mint – 1 tsp – optional
  • Lemon juice or vinegar – 1/4 tsp
  • Sugar – 1 pinch

Mix all these together and set aside.

Beat the egg with everything else except the paratha, of course! Pour on a heated, greased tava. As soon as it begins to set, place the paratha carefully on top.

As the egg cooks, flip the paratha to which the egg is now stuck – over. Let it cook till the egg is set. You now have an egg paratha! Place the filling down the middle, squeeze ketchup over (if you like it, I don’t!) and fold over as shown in the picture!

Am sure even hens are fascinated by their eggs – their little ones!