“I love and miss the Patholis my mum would cook every year on 15 August to celebrate Independence Day and during the feast of the Assumption of Our Blessed Virgin Mary,” she recalls.
The UK-based resident rues that she is unable to procure fresh turmeric leaves, which is at the heart and soul of this dish. Hence, she could never recreate her childhood memories.
What elevates the simple Manjal Irre Dha Gatti is the humble turmeric leaf, which is available only during the monsoon months. However, its distinctive taste takes some getting used to.
Prashant’s grandma and mother are no more. Whenever monsoon rolls around, he misses the Manjal Irre Dha Gatti — the very dish that he almost abhorred growing up.
“We really do not have the time to make Patholi” Rochelle adds. “It’s very difficult to find the time to keep up with traditions unless we are willing to stay up late,” she points out.
However, one can only hope that with the passage of our parents’ generation, we do not lose these culinary masterpieces and relegate it to folklore to be mentioned in cookbooks.