Gulab Jamun With Rose Ice cream

She brings together the dough explaining as she goes how a delicate dough like gulab jamun's doesn't require much of kneading. I shake my head, staring out of the window, watching the raindrops slowly slide from the roof. Having heard of 'how to make perfect gulab jamun' lesson before I had given up on ever mastering them.

'I'm not going to bother making them Ammi (mom), I can do with store bought I'm sure' I said. She nodes her head in disagreement, why on earth would anyone want to buy gulab jamun instead of making them. For her, it's a recipe she knows my heart, a thing to be made on whim, the reliable fall back dessert she has mastered over 20 years.

Rose and Rooh Afza Ice Cream

 

The blue paint is chipping off some of the benches, while others are glossily newly painted over the old paint in attempt to hide the distress the wood has seen in last 15 years. The walls are covered entirely by advertisements, the same ones I saw as a child. Adverts of ice creams and drinks they no longer serve or even manufactured still proudly hanging in all its glory despite the wear and tear. A particular poster with a girl next door model, in her gypsy top and rugged jeans advertising cola heightens the 90's appeal of this tiny cafe in my hometown in Rajasthan, India. 

While sitting there waiting for our orders, it was as if time has stood still, I was still the adamant 10 year old, insisting with Papa on getting one more ice cream and the owner would hand me another kulfi without Papa's consent. 'Le lene do - saal main ek baar hi toh aati hai India'  - Let her have it, she only comes to India once a year, he would tell Papa.