The Singh family tried to eat nutritious meals for a very long time, but found it
difficult to keep up the habit.

Mr and Mrs Singh work long hours at a hospital. They are exhausted when they
reach home. They have three young children who need a lot of care and attention.
Their son Arun is ten years old, their daughter Supriya is eight, and the baby Kabir is one.

Mr and Mrs Singh know how important it is to eat fresh, homemade meals, no
matter how tired they feel in the evening. How could they save time and yet enjoy good
wholesome food? They found a solution to their problem. Now the family cooks together.

Arun and Supriya wash and chop the vegetables. Their parents usually buy vegetables,
fruits, milk, eggs, and bread on their way home from the hospital.
Mr Singh makes the chapattis. He kneads the dough, rolls it into small balls, and
then uses a rolling pin to make round chapattis. He is an expert in making perfectly round,
soft, and puffed up chapattis. He adds a bit of ghee to each chapatti.

Mrs Singh makes the dal and rice. She also puts together the salad. She makes sure to include
tomato, cucumber, green onion, and green chilli in the salad. Sometimes she also adds radish (mooli),
carrot, and capsicum (Simla mirch).

For dessert, they have fresh, seasonal fruit. In the summer, they enjoy mango,
litchi, muskmelon (kharbooza), watermelon (tarbooz), and jamun. In the winter,
they have apple, apricot, orange, guava, and grapes.

Arun lays the table. He puts out the plates, katoris, spoons, and glasses. He places a jug of cold
water too. He also puts a knife for cutting the fruit and extra plates for everyone to eat the fruit.
After the meal is over, Supriya clears up everything and washes the dishes. She puts the dishes to
dry on the rack. She wipes the table with a clean wet cloth.

Everyone in the family except Kabir has a role to play. No time is wasted and
everyone works quickly because they are very hungry! As they perform
their allotted tasks in the kitchen, they talk, laugh, and joke. Then they sit down
and enjoy a hot, delicious home-cooked meal. Dinner is the best part of the day
for all of them.

A) Vocabulary
Habit – a pattern of behaviour or a routine that is followed regularly
Exhausted – to feel tired; to feel drained of energy and strength
Nutritious – providing nourishment; healthy
Knead – to work with dough (atta), clay, or other material by pressing, folding,
pulling, and stretching it
Dough – flour or atta combined with water, milk, oil, etc. into a mass for baking
into bread, cake, pastry, etc.
Seasonal – related to the seasons; fresh
Allotted – divided, distributed, or shared between two or more people
Delicious – very pleasing to the senses, especially the sense of taste; delightful

B) Make sentences with the words given below. The sentences must show
that you understand the meaning of the word.
Healthy
Meal
Habit
Hospital
Exhausted
Care
Attention
Difficult
Nutritious
Balanced
Routine
Worried
Important
Fresh
Homemade
Vegetable
Knead
Dough
Rolling pin
Salad
Seasonal
Allotted
Task
Kitchen
Delicious

C) Discussion Points
1. What do the Singhs do for a living?
2. How many children do the Singhs have?
3. What problem did the Singh family have?
4. How did the Singhs find a solution to their problem?
5. Who does what in the kitchen?
6. What do they cook for dinner?
7. Do you think they will continue to eat home-cooked food?
8. Why do you think the Singhs have fruit for dessert?
9. What is the typical evening meal that the family prepares?
10. Can you make a special Sunday dinner menu for them?

D) Written Exercise
Write a short paragraph about your favourite dish. Describe what you like about it.
Do you cook it yourself?

Revised July 2020

Audio courtesy Tara Kriplani: