I always dreaded cooking. Before my marriage, my biggest concern was whether I will be able to cook? Everyday? I guess I need to provide some context hear. I am (for those you haven’t yet figured out) a typical Indian housewife. Indian wives by tradition are supposed to cook wonderful food for their husband - if not the whole household! So coming back to my big concern - how will I have the stamina to sustain myself through the whole process of cooking? And that too Indian food! I discussed my problem with my mother many times. The answer I got was very straight - “you will get used to it “. Well, I must admit she was right. I have really gotten used to it.

Now the question arises - DO I ENJOY cooking? Well, I have a very diplomatic answer for this. I love cooking special recipes on special occasions. Hmm…so the bottom line is, I don’t enjoy cooking everyday! Doing the same meal (the staple diet which consists of rice, pulses and vegetables) is really monotonous affair for me. Anyway, you have to live and for that you need to eat and in order to eat you need to cook.

Now, I can eat outside if I want to instead of cooking, but then both the purse and the stomach won’t allow it! So all these days of cooking has taught me that the key to being a good cook is PATIENCE. Well…Duh! Another important reason for eventually overcoming my fear of cooking (everyday!) is my husband’s unabashed love for whatever I cook! Really! He just loves my cooking and that has helped me in developing a passion for cooking. One of the food he relishes is “Rava Upma”. A south Indian speciality that requires a lot of preparatory work. If he be given a choice to select the food for his three meals, I bet on it that he will choose this dish every single time! And to think that he did not even like it when I had first met him! As I mentioned above, this dish takes a little time to cook but then I cook it almost everytime he wishes to eat. Needless to say my love for cooking is growing for some specific reason but the fact remains that I don’t love to cook everyday!!

- Shephali

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