karuppu dhan enaakku pidicha coloru

My mother was soundly berating the fruits of my latest shopping expedition, a new black top, astutely pointing out the six others I already had in my (As she put it) extremely cluttered cupboard; she was counting the shirts and tees… include Indian wear and the figure lines up to about a dozen!!!

What is it about black that’s sooo alluring… everytime I go out shopping I find myself drawn to the dark end of the spectrum sans reserve.. the title of the blog is a very popular Tamil song which talk about all the bold and beautiful blackness of things we cherish..

That being said black in terms of clothing is awesome!! Why? It covers everything – what can you see when its black - nothing, right? That’s the supremely simple answer to the question of why women prefer black… it provides a nice silhouette – masks the extra curves and rounds off an outfit pretty neatly :) what? You never thought why its called a “black-tie” affair – d-uh!!! Black is the one color that looks great in any shade; sparkly, shiny, lycra – any fabric!! And the color never fades – its black – no running colors, no effect due to sunlight or harsh light exposure… its just – black! :D

Color-blocking is new fashion phenomenon – well it just means applying neon or bright colors to a black dress – black is comforting – you know you can’t look that bad; you strive for normal… that’s what back does :) and to top it off with a black outfit; any accessories work… its not like the shy pastel colors where u need a muted tone or bright color to bring “life” to the outfit.. black stands alone and with anything else too!

Another thing about black – it can be dressed up down or sideways – any occasion (save perhaps the holy communion of matrimony) can be salvaged in a black outfit – I still can’t fathom why people think its inauspicious.. it hardly stains, always makes the wearer feel fab and secure in their skin; contrasts well against light and dark skin tones, not to mention how you can team it up with any accessory and come out looking like a million bucks… most of my friends have these standard go-to outfits that we wear when we’re feeling a lil blue or need a compliment.. like a black silk kurta with this lovely cream dupatta which has some kind of batik pattern on it… mine’s a black n red kurta – fits like a glove! Has a pocket… and no matter how lousy I feel; it makes me feel better :)

Black is the universal foundation for a great setup – in fact pure black tops are absolutely divine… wear a chunky teal and brown beaded necklace or a mellow yellow butterfly ring… danglers, chandeliers or hoop type earrings – a black combo embraces them all!!! And its not even that an all black outfit is required… a black skirt or dress is also wonderful – black jeggings a godsend… pair up with bright red mary janes or down with cream wedges and tell me you don’t feel like a diva (well.. if you do… you’re either a guy or you seriously need a mental evaluation!)

So, if you find yourself wondering, like I did, in a moment of hesitancy, that perhaps I have too much black in my wardrobe, dust off the cobwebs – there’s no such thing.. well at least until all you have in your wardrobe is black (in which case u might be a goth fanatic! Or u definitely need to meet my mom) – trust me, go for it… black’s got your back!!!

Thayir Sadam....

For the uninitiated thayir sadam is a South Indian’s vision of mannah or ambrosia – the food of the Gods. In English it would be curd rice. What!!??!! you may ask with raised eyebrows and shocked expressions, qualifies this basic, relatively tasteless dish to aspire to such lofty heights. The answer in writ in its simplicity – it evokes memories of home….

My earliest childhood memories stem with visions of my grandma trying to get me to eat something white… not quite dry, nor too gravyish… soft and chewy.. it was love at first bite! It went well with everything – all the curries n sambhars and other delicacies south Indians revel in – thayir sadam…

Through school and college this was my staple… set curd and boiled rice – a soothing combination which you can spice up with pickles, add chilies and ginger to; my personal favorite is naarthangaai – which loosely translated means rinds of fruit dried and salted – a tangy and salty companion to my thayir sadam…

Throughout my childhood holidays when cousins came over or we went visiting; it was often the custom in the afternoon for the lady of the house to round up all the miscreants.. seat them in a semi-circle.. and then take the largest vessel in the house and mix thayir sadam with all the remaining rice left over from breakfast! Then all of us would cup our hands to receive a fistful of curd rice; then came the strategic “kuzhi-panniko” which meant digging a well in the palmful of curd rice using your thumb without spilling – which was quite a task; especially if you’re visiting.. cause the ladies are very very generous and have bigger hands… next would come the accompaniment – sambhar or spicy vettha kuzhambu or aviyal or kootu… some gravied dish… each of us would in turn be served the accompaniment depending on the size of the “kuzhi” we made and scramble to get the concoction into our mouths before something spilt or started dribbling down our arms while trying to swallow a mouth full of too much curd rice and laughing at the efforts of others… sometimes I wonder if the ladies of the house entertained this practice solely as a diversion… seven or eight kids all struggling and smeared in white smudges of curd rice… but in the hot summer heat, sitting cross legged on the cool mosaic floor, and spilling away to glory!!!

Whether it was fever or an upset stomach; curd rice was the universal panacea. Sometimes fed, sometimes scooped and sometimes spilt; curd rice is at the heart and core of most childhood memories. Is it any wonder then, that every time I wander afar from home, in far flung and remote locations, when the thought of home ravages my mind, I always crave for thayir sadam – it evokes memories of motherly fussing, teasing cousins, school lunchtimes where the tiffin gets flicked and the lot hand back the dabba saying ‘eugh! Thayir sadam’, candlelight dinners fuelled by power cuts where nothing could be cooked except rice, fuzzy memories of heart and home somewhere far away… give me my thayir sadam any day!!!