Let me officially introduce you to Amma. She is the lovely Gramma of our homestay, and let's just say she is a force to be reckoned with. In-between cooking for the family, she treks up the mountain to cut and haul grass for the water buffalo, cultivates the corn with a very heavy hoe, and watches over the kids (Paul and Gayle included) when Maya is teaching at school.
From our observations, Amma plays several key roles here. She has very little English, but communicates VERY well! Needless to say, when Amma says jump, you say, "how high, Amma?"
So when Amma called my name - "Nanny" - a term of endearment used for all little Nepali girls (like me), I bolted into the house, adrenaline pumping, and admittedly a little nervous. I arrived to the kitchen and was motioned to sit. From the ensuing Nepali instructions, sign language and cabbage on the table, I figured out that it was time for me to help make supper. Yes, it was time for "Cooking with Amma".
Amma proceeded to show me the precise way to cut the cabbage. On a side note, the cabbage was harvested from the garden. You can't get more local than that! After cutting the cabbage, I peeled and cubed the freshly boiled potatoes. We then sauted a small onion and added the cabbage and potatoes to the large frying pan. Amma must have sensed my growing panic regarding the spices, as she held the reigns and added the masala and salt herself. Certainly not a move for a novice Nepali chef. We finished by adding a sliced tomato, and let the dish simmer.( And by we, I mean Amma added the tomato.)
In the meantime, I must have looked hungry as Amma fed me chapati - a Nepali tortilla. She also scooped up a bowl of our vegetables, and asked me to weigh in, at least I think that's what she asked me. Having been in Nepal for a week, my advanced palette determined the dish to be "delicious". Amma gave me a big smile and a "very good". Seems like I met the Amma standard.
