Culinary Chronicles
By Yasmin Rahul Bakshi
I remember that monsoon afternoon on the10th of July, 1990, with unusual clarity. Mussoorie had dissolved into a charcoal grey blur and the only sound was the steady drumming of rain upon the tin roof.
The final bell had rung and we were preparing for our usual hurried departure when a single voice held us back.
“Stay back, everyone. Please.” It was Ms Rema Vijayan.
Had any other teacher detained us on a cold afternoon, it would have felt like a punishment. With her, it felt like an invitation. To be in Ms Rema’s classroom was to be in a sanctuary where the chill of the highlands could not quite reach us.
We were, to use a kind phrase – a group of misguided missiles. Full of chaotic energy, erratic trajectories and an unformed future. We were loud and restless and often lacking in direction. She was our steady ground. She corrected us firmly when it was necessary, yet always in a manner that made us feel valued.
Her teaching remains vivid to me. She did not merely recite the curriculum. She gave it life. The conspiracies against Julius Caesar became a familiar neighbourhood drama and the campaigns of Genghis Khan became a story told in confidence, as if only for us. She was not only a teacher. She was someone who shaped our sense of possibility.
Even after thirty-six years, I can recall her voice with precision. I remember the slight arch of her eyebrow when we were being difficult and the quiet warmth that entered her tone when one of us finally understood.
That particular afternoon was not about a lesson. It was her birthday and she chose to share it with us. As the evening grew colder, she brought out steaming packets of noodles from Yangchen’s Amitash, complete with those small pouches of fiery sauce that we all knew so well.
I can still see us gathered around her desk, a small circle of cold and hungry teenagers. It was not a banquet, yet in that moment it felt more generous than one. The steam, the spice, the shared laughter, it has stayed with me.
Such generosity was characteristic of her. I remember the sweets she brought from Kerala after her brother’s wedding, the dark, rich karuppu halwa redolent of jaggery and the perfect golden ladoos that disappeared almost as soon as they were offered.
Today, I sit with a bowl of noodles before me and attempt to recapture a little of that same comfort. Much has changed in the intervening years and I have changed too. However, my gratitude has remained constant. If anything, it has deepened.
To you, Ms Rema, I offer my sincere thanks and best wishes for your health and happiness. Thank you for the lessons, for the kindness, and for the noodles. Most of all, thank you for being the kind of mentor whose influence endures for a lifetime.
Ingredients:
- Soba (Buckwheat) Noodles – 200g
- Soy Sauce – 3 tbsp
- Sesame Oil – 2 Tbsp
- Rice Vinegar -1 tbsp
- Honey – 1 tsp
- Fresh Ginger (grated) – 1 tsp
- Garlic (minced) – 1 clove
- Toasted Sesame Seeds – 1 tsp
- Scallions (thinly sliced) – 2 stalks
- Carrots (thinly sliced) – 50 gms
- Capsicum (thinly sliced) – 50 gms
- Cabbage (thinly sliced) – 50 gms
Method:
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the soba noodles and cook according to the package instructions (usually 4-5 minutes). Do not overcook them, they should have a slight “bite”.
Immediately drain the noodles and rinse them under cold running water. This removes the excess starch and stops the cooking process, ensuring the noodles remain firm and don’t clump together.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, grated ginger and minced garlic until well mixed.
Heat the sesame oil in a wok or a frying pan. Add the sliced vegetables, toss for a minute. Now add the soba noodles, pour the mixed sauces over them and toss gently until every strand is evenly coated.
Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds serve.
(Yasmin Rahul Bakshi is an accomplished senior consultant Chef and a food historian. A widely travelled Army wife from the Mussoorie hills with exposure to international cuisines & preserving recipes with the medium of food photography and digital content creation in the form of stories.)
