Why I Never Learned to Cook Indian Food: A List of Three Excuses, by Joy Mischley

Excuse #1: “I Work for the Youth Center”

The Deep Griha Youth Center is located in a building with many other Deep Griha projects, including a nutrition program. This means that we have a fabulous cook who prepares delicious food every day. Early on in the fellowship, I remember thinking that if I were to make a significant contribution in a short 10 months, I would have to focus my attention just on my assigned project with the youth center and not get distracted by all the other activities. This meant that I stayed out of the NGO kitchen, kept my distance from the day care children, and watch the medical checkups from afar. This strategy of “isolation”, though based on noble intentions, means that I don’t know how to cook dal, can’t address the lovely day care teachers by name, and haven’t learned the first thing about medical problems in Indian slums.

Lesson: As the AIF Fellowship draws to a close, I’m simply not ready. I want another chance to learn to merge my agenda with the realities of where I am. Whether imagined or reality, I felt that I was supposed to do something significant with the fellowship. With just ten months to make social progress in a new culture, the pressure I put on myself actually got in the way and limited the contributions that I could have made. Unconsciously, I had defined “significant” as a product, piece of research, or some chunk of work that someone could point to and say “Joy did that”. Now, I wish that I had left my ego aside and enjoyed the freedom of simply serving and relating. The next time I feel the pressure of a time-limited situation I am actually going to slow down, diversify my scope, and learn to cook.

Excuse #2: “I Only Have a One-Burner Electric Stove”

My landlord didn’t want to fight with the bureaucratic process of getting a gas permit and service for my flat. I was afraid that I would blow up the apartment if I used gas to cook. Thus, I have one electric plate that plugs into the wall. In an effort to justify my laziness, I often tell myself that I can’t possibly be expected to learn to cook Indian food with just one burner, and an electric one at that!

Lesson: To me, one of the best things about living and working in India is the opportunity to be creative with what I have. Being here in a semi-permanent state has meant that I don’t invest in a proper cloth for my coffee table. Instead, I use an extra pillowcase to cover up the ugly tabletop. Jars, formally filled with pasta sauce or jelly, become elegant glasses from which to serve guests. Old saris become colorful awnings, protecting my terrace from the sun. This ingenuity and creativity is present all over India. Newspaper is used to entertain small children with folding exercises, dancing games, and may other activities. It is used to wrap food for takeaway, to wipe down tables, and to practice tailoring designs and techniques. Using what is available is a way of life. Not cooking Indian food because I only have one burner? Not an excuse…

Excuse #3: “Indian Food Requires Too Many Spices”

One day I set out to the store to buy ingredients for pindi chole. Full of determination, I started collecting the various spices I would need. Each time I made another circle around the spice section in the store, my sense of empowerment took a beating. With eight ingredients in my shopping basket and another eight to find, my sense of the impossibility of the impending culinary task took over and I started returning items to the shelves.

Lesson: I often forget that learning something new requires support, teachers, coaches, and encouragement. We are selected for the Service Corps because we have previously been successful in school and in work. This “record of success” has made me reluctant to try something where I may fail or to ask for help in learning something new. Faced with the idea that I “should” be successful, I forget my humanness – the joy at simply trying, the opportunity to share a good laugh over a burned meal, and the chance to both receive and give help.