(This article first appeared in The Juggernaut on November 04, 2022)
- I love the crunch of urad dal, chana dal, and mustard seeds popped in hot oil, then pushed forward by my thumb. I love when grains of rice, made yellow with turmeric and tangy with lemon juice, move from my fingers to my tongue. I notice the turmeric dyeing the skin around my nails. I savor the sambar, how the tips of my fingers are pruned by the time dinner comes to a close. The sound of the appalam cracking in my hand reminds me of the same crunch in my grandparents’ home…