recipe for a solid snack after 189392 days

First, you have to be tired of something. Worn out. Spent.

Absolutely sick of it.

Can't-stand-the-thought-of-it exhausted.

Like your damned teeth. And the twenty thousand problems they come with, that you have to get fixed.

Then, throw in some personal, depressing, pandemic news. But only for the colour, not flavour.

Add a little bit of lack of motivation, maybe a couple of pages about procrastinating three things-to-do.

And most importantly - hunger! Growling-stomach hunger after a fully filling lunch.

And then finally, take equal parts raagi and maida and melt some butter (how much? Who cares, it's butter) and powder some jaggery in a bowl and mix all of that with a fork.

Rummage through the seemingly limitless closet where baking soda is most likely kept, secure in a nondescript jar that you obviously can't quite recall. Give up.

Whisk everything while adding milk until it's a consistency you like. Sorry for being annoying, it should be about as thick/thin as dosa batter.

Mid-whisk, realise, the baking soda is in fact in an opaque plastic bag sealed with a clip.

Drop everything, let the fork sit on the edge of the bowl and possibly drip due to imbalance or your clumsiness, find the baking soda and add a pinch to the mixture.

Let the mixture rest for five minutes. Waste the time on your phone or stare out the window or look at your very eventful teeth in the mirror. Also think about what to have the pancakes with...

Remember there's some really good pineapple sitting in the freezer(!), portion it out, let it thaw.

Make the pancakes, marvel in what they say about the second pancake; don't turn off the heat, melt some butter on the same pan and add pineapple on high flame, sprinkle some sugar and watch it go up in smoke. Turn off the heat abruptly because you're scared it might catch fire and that's not something you want to deal with.

Plate up. Long for vanilla ice cream to go with it. Sigh. Settle for the salted caramel in the fridge.

Plate up. Or not. And demolish the food in 5 minutes.

Tell yourself that the feverish need to make something after 10 weeks was worth it.