How Much Time Do We Have? - Kufta ka Salan

How much time do we have? Sometimes it feels as though we have all the time in the world one moment and then none. Most of the time, we don't think about time at all because we believe there is so much of it.

My mother's illness started insidiously. It was slow and so crafty. She would miss a word here and there or forget something small. I remember our last Thanksgiving with her. We were making Thanksgiving dinner together like we always do. I was expecting Poet and Flower and was preoccupied thinking about the future. We talked about everything we needed to do, chopping celery, timing the turkey, and baking the cranberry sauce. I made our lists and planned. She loved to make lists and plans, happily checking off boxes as she finished things. But something was off that day, and she seemed just a little distracted. She laughed it off, saying she was tired. And I did not make anything more out of it, so preoccupied with the holiday and all the big things to come. I thought, we have plenty of time. Next Thanksgiving, she'll be more rested and herself.

She was diagnosed almost two months later to the day. And suddenly, instead of time stretching out in front of us like an ocean, it became a wall. It was now a race to see how much she could get out of the short time in front of her. She wanted so much to meet Poet and Flower, which she did. She would constantly ask when they were coming. It's hard to think back to that Thanksgiving and know that cancer was slowly growing, already there and slowly taking our time away.

Poet and Flower have their little lives before them. They do not yet have a concept of time. They think about going to school, playing with their friends, and perhaps what they do at the end of the day. I hope that time will stretch out for them like an endless ocean.

Kufta ka Salan was another of my mother's timeless favorites. Kufta ka Salan is a meatball "curry." She would make it for dinner often. She would patiently make the kuftas, frying them and piling them high on a big plate. You can find a recipe for kuftas here. I would often eat them hot and delicious before she put them into the curry. The kuftas are made with a spice paste of onions, cilantro, and garam masala. Chickpea flour helps bind them and also lightens them, so they are not too dense. The curry or salan is made with tomatoes and onions. Fry the kuftas, and then put them in the curry. It's a delicious dinner with rice or roti. The soft kuftas in the spicy curry are a perfect complement to rice or roti.

We don't have control of time. I will always feel as though there is too much or too little. Perhaps the trick is to enjoy the moment because you never know what tomorrow will bring.

Kufta Ka Salan

A bright Indian curry with kuftas or Indian meatballs. The soft and spicy kuftas have ground lamb and a spice paste of onions, cilantro and garam masala. The soft kuftas in the spicy curry are a perfect complement to rice or roti.

Serves 6

• 1 Recipe Perfect Lamb Kuftas
• 2 medium potatoes cut into 2" cubes
• 2 medium onions (sliced thin or minced)
• 4 tablespoons neutral oil
• 2 sticks 2" cinnamon
• 4 cloves
• 4 cardamom
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 inch of ginger minced
• 1 cup cilantro (chopped)
• 6 green chilis chopped
• 1 medium tomato chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoon coriander powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon coconut powder
• 3/4 cups water

1. In a medium pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add cinnamon, cloves, cardamon. Saute onion until soft adn translucent about 10 minutes.
2. Add the minced garlic and ginger and saute until the mixture just begins to brown and stick.
3. Add the cilantro, chilis, tomatoes, chili powder, coriander powder and turmeric. Saute until the tomatoes are soft and mushy, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the water, and coconut powder. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes uncovered.
5. The salan should be thick, if not boil until the you have the desired consistency. Add the kuftas and potatoes and simmer for 10 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
6. Serve with rice or roti.