A flavour of home and of dreams : A story and a recipe
So here's a little escapism for you - I have been attending a prose fiction course since November, at the University of Glasgow. I was really looking forward to going to the campus and reliving the life I wish I'd lived - studying a subject that I loved, in an inspiring university - but alas, Covid crushed those plans and it's been an online course, and will remain so until its end in March.
Nevertheless, I have learnt a lot - not only about writing prose fiction, but also about myself. I recently wrote the story below, in my class, in twenty minutes - it was about incorporating a book reference into the story with your character .
It also reminded me of my recipe for Karachi halva, which is very much based on Turkish delight. A sweet I grew up eating, and at the time, I wished I could be myself - do what I loved.
Read below, you'll understand why....
Being me
I looked out the window of the headmistress' office, if only to get away from all this noise. Their voices all linked together 'Sally has to stay here, Sally needs discipline. Sally has no friends.' The snow plough outside could hardly be heard over the sound of their voices. The man was pushing the white stuff from the driveway of this cold, gothic building. This place reminded me of scary movies. Would there be ghosts? I couldn't bear the thought of being alone in a room, with dark endless ceilings and an icy breeze around my bed. I clutched onto my torn, milk-stained copy of The Chronicles of Narnia. The chatter was now all about my old school, and how Daddy had to go to New York and Mummy couldn't handle me with my twin brothers.
As I looked down at my worn copy, I felt a twinge of excitement. This was an old building, with old curtains, and old furniture. Could there be places I could hide, escape and explore? Could there possibly be an old wardrobe that might lead me somewhere else, like it did Lucy Peversie? I felt a shiver down my spine and it wasn't from the chill in the room.
'Sally, there's nothing to smile about' said Mummy, jerking me out of my daydream, right into the middle of a conversation about my last exam results.
'Sally, tell Mrs. Hardy why you failed your exams?'
My smile became a scowl.
'I don't want to, you can't make me,' I replied.
'Sally, this is the sort of insolence that's bought you here!'
'Sorry, ma'am,' I said, I stood up from my chair, brushed my dress to look neat.
'Mrs. Hardly I failed my exams because I wrote an 'Ode to Aslan' in my Maths examination paper...and it was very good too! Do you want me to read it to you?'
'Oh my goodness, Sally, behave yourself, apologise to Mrs. Hardy, I'm sure she doesn't want to waste her time hearing your silly stories,' Mummy said, in her mean voice.
Honestly, sometimes I felt like Mummy was the White Witch and Daddy was just like Mr. Tummnus, did what he was told, always afraid of her.
'Actually, Mrs. Jadis, I'd like to hear Sally's story,' said Mrs. Hardy.
What? The wrinkled old woman wanted to hear me? Surely Mrs. Hardy didn't enjoy children's stories, or children for that matter.
'Er, yes Mrs. Hardy, I can read it.'
I reached back to get the copy of my failed exam paper from my satchel but Mummy's pale, icy glare made me rethink my actions quickly.
'Sorry, Mrs. Hardy, I don't think I have it here,' I said, my hand moved back to clutch my book, and I sat down again.
'Ah, another time maybe,' said Mrs. Hardy, her look, slightly relieved.
I felt disheartened, it wasn't often I was able to be myself. I wondered how Lucy would've handled rejection from her parents and teachers. Well, being rejected by your siblings probably felt the same, I thought.
I opened the copy of my book right to the page where Edmund scoffed up Turkish delight that the White Witch offered him, and I had an odd sense of familiarity. Was Mrs. Hardy just luring me into trouble? Maybe she was like the White Witch too, maybe listening to my story was her way to catch me out, and punish me later for making up stories? I mean, headmisteress' are evil aren't they? Especially at boarding school.
I felt that chill down my spine again, and this time it was because I was cold. I could be brave too, like Lucy in the snow, and there was no way I was going to be as stupid as Edmund.
Karachi Halva
I loved eating this as a child, growing up in Karachi. I'd daydream about being anything but a lawyer, being creative and loving my craft. Life had planned different things for me at the time, but I am pleased I got there in the end.
This sweet is based on Turkish delight - in fact they say that is was bought into the Indian sub-continent by the Arabs, when they came to conquer India - it was in the South, the coastal areas of Bhambore (not far from Karachi), where they invaded. Its no wonder this recipe settled in the big city of Karachi.
Preparation 20 minutes | Cooking 30–40 minutes | Makes 6–10
50g/1¾ oz/½ cup cornflour
(cornstarch)
590ml/20 fl oz/2½ cups
water
¼ tsp pink food colour gel
2 tbsp ghee, plus extra for
greasing
1½ tbsp chopped cashews
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
300g/10½ oz/1½ cups caster
(superfine) sugar
3–4 cardamom pods, seeds
removed and ground
To decorate
1 tbsp dried rose petals
1 tbsp slivered pistachios
1 tbsp raisins
- Place the cornflour in a bowl, add 355ml/12 fl oz/1½ cups water and mix
until smooth. Add the food colour, stir and mix well, then set aside
2. Grease a large plate with ghee and set aside.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the ghee in a wok-style pan over a medium heat,
add the cashews and pumpkin seeds and roast for 30 seconds, or until
golden brown. Set aside.
4. In the same pan, add the sugar and 235ml/8 fl oz/1 cup water and heat
over a medium heat to allow the sugar to dissolve. Slowly add the cornflour
mixture, stirring constantly.
5. Now keep the flame very low and keep stirring, the mixture will start
turning glossy and coming together. It will thicken slowly, but don’t stop
stirring otherwise lumps will form.
6. Now add the remaining ghee and the ground cardamom and mix well.
The mixture should be very thick by now. When the halva starts to leave sides
of the pan and becomes very shiny add the reserved nuts and seeds. Turn off
the heat and stir. The ghee should start coming to the surface. Transfer the
mixture to the greased plate and level it with the back of a spoon.
7. Allow to cool at least for 1 hour before cutting it into squares and
decorating with rose petals, pistachios and raisins.