Prompt 8: Biryani

"This is the easy part, start with a little ghee" As soon as the ghee hit the hot bottom of the pot, it let out a sizzle and a rich aroma filled the kitchen, Sana turned to the laptop to check the next step on the recipe.

"What is a Bay Leaf??" Sana asked aloud as she hurried to type it out on Google.

"Bay leaf?" Her mom yelled over the novella in her hand from the living room couch, "Oh Tejpatta - did you already add the laung?"

"Just doing it mumma!"

Sana added tejpatta and laung stirred in the combination of flavors together and turned to the recipe for the next step.

"Mumma, the recipe says wait till golden brown - is this golden brown?"

"Umm, what? That's not... The smell is right. Just add in the mace." Her mom sniffed the air before flipped the page on her novella.

"Okay, Mumma. Done - now cinnamon and cardamom?"

"No wait, you don't like elaichi. We can skip it. And the chakra phool is on the top shelf. Its the thing that looks like a dried flower!"

"Found it!"

Sana turned to the recipe again.

"Mumma recipe says cubed cuts - is this good?" Sana quickly verified her neatly chopped pieces with her mom.

"I think your kid might need smaller pieces. His milk teeth are dangling in places, we don't need the risk. Also, add coconut milk instead of water with the rice. Much healthier. "

Her mom added more notes and anecdotes to the recipe as Sana added spices and stirred the pot. Sana continued whiffing and listening and feeling for the right smells and texture, and switched between simmer, and high flames as her mom walked her through it. The recipe screen slowly dimmed on the side.

As if on cue, the kitchen timer set off a string of beeps to announce that the rice was now done. Sana rushed to open the lid when her mom noted from the couch.

"Love, hold on, you know the real taste seeps in after the stove is turned off."

Sana turned off the stove and kept the pot covered. She tapped her feet in wait and looked at her mom for a signal. After a couple of minutes, her mom kept her novella down and walked over to the kitchen, "Yep now is good."

Sana lifted the lid and the smells of flavorful basmati rice filled the house. Sana's mom picked a spoon from the drawer and scooped up a piece of chicken and some rice and admired it for a second before trying it out.

"This is really good, love! You have got to share your recipe with me!"