Sweet memories

Start writing... sweet memories

The glitteri Sweeting lights of New York had it all-skyscrapers, fast-paced life and delicious cuisines from different countries all around. But in the midst of all this, Ravi often felt an emptiness.

Today he was preparing for the biggest event of his restaurant. His new dish "Mughlai Paratha - a fusion twist" was to be served to high-profile customers. Ravi took one last look at the plate there was no lack in taste and presentation. But still, a strange restlessness lingered inside him.

There was a strange restlessness inside him.

Then the hotel manager's voice came-

"Chef Ravi, your dish is being praised a lot. The judges want to meet you!"

Ravi smiled, but his heart was restless. He questioned himself-"Is this really the biggest achievement of my life?"

His mind suddenly went back years to the narrow streets of Lucknow, where he had spent his childhood. His father used to run a small shop named "Annapurna Bhojan Bhandar", where the aroma of hot parathas and desi ghee used to attract people from far away.

"It's not just spices, it's memories," his grandmother would often say.

Sunday mornings were special for him. On that day, his father and grandmother would make Mughlai parathas-soft dough, spicy stuffing, and a layer of ghee on top.

Ravi would laugh and ask, "Papa, why do you put so much ghee?"

His father would smile and reply,son, it's not ghee, it's love!"

But Ravi didn't understand the importance of these things then. He wanted to do something big. When he talked about going abroad and becoming a chef, his father and grandmother supported him completely.

"Just remember, travel the world, but the real taste will always be at home," her grandmother had said.

After coming to New York, she discovered that eating here was not just a necessity, but an. art. Expensive restaurants, modern dishes, and exotic flavors-everything was new.


In the early days, she did many odd jobs-dishwasher, assistant cook, then junior chef. Working 15-16 hours a day. There were times when she felt that her dream would never come true. But she did not give up.

Gradually, he learnt new cooking techniques-French cuisine, Japanese sushi, Italian pasta. But somewhere along the way, he forgot the tastes of his childhood.

One night, while returning home exhausted, he saw old pictures of his father's shop on his phone. Hot parathas, vegetables arranged in bowls, and most of all the faces of customers, full of satisfaction.

It was then that he realised, "No matter how much I progress, the real chef in me is left behind-in my father's shop, in the food cooked by my grandmother!"

The next day, when the chefs at the hotel had to present their new dishes, everyone made modern dishes-French cuisine, sushi, gourmet pasta.

But Ravi did something different. He reinvented the Mughlai paratha-

Added exotic herbs to the stuffing,

added olive oil to the dough, Made the paratha slightly crispy, And topped it with a light coating of truffle oil.

When the dish reached the judges, they were stunned.

"What is this?" asked one of the judges.

Ravi smiled, "This is a blend of my heritage and modernity-a new flavour from my childhood memories."

The judges tasted, and then remained silent for a few seconds.

Then one of the judges said, "This is not just a dish, but a story! Chef Ravi, you have given us a taste of memories along with food!"

That day Ravi understood a real chef is one who serves emotions along with taste.

A few months later, when he returned to India, he went to his father's shop and ate the same old Mughlai paratha for the first time. This time, he tasted the same old paratha in every bite that was missing till now.

He told his father, "Papa, I have cooked in the biggest hotels in the world, but the comfort that is in this paratha is not found anywhere else."

The father smiled, "Because it has not just spices, but also memories."

Ravi decided to spread the taste of his childhood around the world. He opened a new restaurant in New York-"Memory Bites"-which served traditional Indian dishes with a modern twist.

His restaurant was now counted among the most famous restaurants in the world, but every year he would come to India, sit at his father's shop, and eat the same Mughlai paratha-which had not only the taste but also the memories of his entire life.

Ravi finally understood that food is not just a confluence of tastes, but a bridge between the past and the present.

Today, whenever someone asks him, "What is your most memorable dish?"

He answers without a second thought-"Mughlai Paratha made by Grandma!"

Because memories never fade away!