MB#66: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙢 𝘾𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙒𝙝𝙤 𝙎𝙤𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙏𝙬𝙤 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙨.

[MemoirBlogthon #66] In 1970, with my mother overwhelmed by household duties and my father struggling with hotel food during official tours, he engineered a brilliant solution: a mutual transfer for a skilled daytime cook already on government rolls. Mr. Atchuthan Nair, a tall Keralite with a gift for vegetarian cooking, became our family's dedicated chef for a decade. This move solved two problems at once, and his meticulous, flavor-focused approach, which he taught me in a week, proved that problem-solving and patience are the ingredients for both a fulfilling life and a satisfying meal.

MB66 Home Cooking Skills I learned from Atchuthan Nair's Culinary talent. Images created using AI tools.

The Dual Challenge of 1970

In 1970, a dual challenge presented itself at home. My mother was struggling under the pressure of household chores, cooking, managing family members, and preparing for my sister's upcoming wedding. The family doctor strongly advised her to take complete rest and reduce stress. Simultaneously, my father, who spent at least two weeks a month on official tours (office camps), was tired of hotel food and desperately needed a reliable alternative.

My father, Sri Susarla Subrahmanya Sastry, approached the problem like the engineer he was, exploring multiple logistical options: hiring a full-time relative, a part-time cook, or using outside catering. His eventual solution was far more elegant and efficient.

The Mutual Transfer and Mr. Nair

A well-wisher informed my father that a senior executive's retiring servant was working as a cook in the daytime and, crucially, was already on the government rolls in a different R\&B circle. My father saw the perfect opportunity to fulfill both his needs and his family's.

He sought out the senior engineer to agree to a mutual transfer arrangement: an employee would be sent to the senior engineer's circle, and in turn, the daytime cook would join my father’s circle. The retiring engineer provided excellent credentials regarding the cook's vegetarian skills, behavior, and mannerisms.

On the very first day, my father introduced Mr. Atchuthan Nair, a tall, smiling man from Kerala who spoke fluent Malayalam and Telugu, neatly dressed in a white dhoti and shirt. While my father was confident, the rest of the family—attuned to my mother's delicious cooking—harbored initial doubts about the food's taste.

A Decade of Culinary Mentorship

Mr. Nair's working hours were 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., as per government rules. Within two days, my mother familiarized him with the kitchen, entrusting him with the additional duties of acquiring fresh vegetables and groceries. Our doubts vanished quickly; we all became impressed with the taste of his food. I particularly liked his potato fry, sambar, and rasam.

His dual role was seamlessly integrated into my father's official tours. Mr. Nair would receive additional travel allowance and special pay for accompanying my father to guest houses. His modus operandi was simple: carry his wooden box of kitchen items the previous day to the designated Travellers Bungalow by state-owned bus, ensuring that food would be ready by the time my father arrived. He worked like this, efficiently and loyally, until my father's retirement in 1983.

The Lasting Skill and Legacy

During his final six months with us, Mr. Nair, who embodied the special qualities of a talented vegetarian cook, taught me his process in a week. I learned his skills firsthand: the importance of a well-stocked kitchen, meticulously prepping ingredients, and his genuine patience to follow through the entire cooking process correctly. My mother admired his focus and attention to detail—watching the flame and tasting as he went.

My father liked his ability to balance flavors. He taught me that great cooks maintain high-quality results by constantly learning and adapting recipes. This invaluable, self-taught cooking skill proved to be a lifesaver during my first bank job in a rural posting where I had to cook for myself.

This entire episode taught me a vital lesson: how to explore alternative solutions when a single choice can fulfill two distinct purposes, a hallmark of my father's engineering mind.

MB#66 Quiz

MB#66 Question: Mr. Atchuthan Nair, the home cook, hailed from which Indian state and spoke its mother tongue fluently along with Telugu?

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• A. Tamil Nadu.
• B. Kerala.
• C. Karnataka.
• D. Maharashtra.

MB#66t Quote

"The heart of the home is the kitchen."