The Simple Things

 When I was much younger, our summers were often spent at our Grandma's house on the coast. Along with my siblings, my parents and me, many of my aunts, uncles and cousins would also gather there for the holidays. My mum has 9 siblings- and so I have a whole battalion of cousins, aunts and uncles.  

Summers there were always fun, loud, and full of games, giggles, and delicious food. We often had people visiting and on days like that, dinners went on long after 'bedtime'. All us cousins were very excited at the thought of staying up late and giggling, chatting and playing games, and sometimes listening to the stories that our elders told.

On the days that we did not have visitors, we would all usually go to bed on time. My grandma (Gramsy as we lovingly called her) would make sure her hall was swept and swabbed and the huge green and blue carpet was cleaned. Then all the cousins would excitedly each go and pick up a pillow and a thin cotton sheet to use. The excitement of it was palpable. After all, it was an annual event when we could all get together. Then we would all lay down, and occassionally hear hushed whispers, an occasional giggle or the crackling of an oil lamp that Gramsy had on her altar. And with the fan whirring above us, we would fall asleep (usually in order from the youngest to the oldest) after my grandma placed her warm hand on each of our heads to bless us. 

And then there were the 'midnight feasts'. Occassionally, my grandma would make us feel very special. Once all the elders had gone to bed, unknown to them, she would plan a midnight feast. Which means through the day, she would have planned a menu and organised a feast for us. She would wake us up at 12 and have little snacks for all of us-  buttered toast and pol sambol, marshmallows, bits of different cheese, biscuits, toffee, and to end it a cup of vanilla flavoured milk or an icy choc (a chocobar).

Pol (coconut) sambol is a Sri Lankan dish that is really easy to make, as you have to alter the ingredients to suit your palatte.

The ingredients are grated coconut, salt, chilly powder and flakes,  chopped crushed curry leaves, chopped green chilly ( about 2 for one scraped coconut), finely chopped onions and lime juice. This is how my grandma and mother taught me to make it. I know people who add finely chopped tomato and garlic too.  Once you have put these all into a bowl, mix it all with clean hands, mashing it a bit while you're mixing. The sambol should be a little pungent, but the sour of the lemon should add a zing to balance the flavours.  

The taste or the mention of hot toast, butter and pol sambol still, immediately brings back memories of my grandma's home, the summers I spent there and the love and kindness that she showered on all of us.