Capsicum and pickled lime(Sri Lankan), a spicy, sour side-dish for your meals. a plate of rice and curry tastes better with this rice puller. gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, low-carb.

I’m on bed, surrounded by a sea of toys randomly placed, some seem to have found temporary homes underneath me, I’m not oblivious to them, just smart enough not to get rid of them until she’s done her routine play act and instructional videos on makeup and cooking, if I should clean before she’s done, those bits and pieces of toys and play dough sprout legs and end up back on the bed again.

My morning bathroom breaks end with me staring at the floor wandering “did she do all this?”. The mess created by Raaya, my three-year-old.

I’m seasoned with everything the kids throw at me from tantrums to manipulation to conditional and unconditional love, always I’ve managed to find my way but with miss double trouble, I’m failing miserably.

Her list of naughty deeds are on the rise and I can’t do anything about them, why?

Because between her and me stands three mighty protectors who give me their dirty looks that say, “How could you ?!”, “You’re the worst mom for scolding her”.

She scribbles on their school books, she borrows their pens and erasers and forgets to put them back, she goes after their doughnuts and cupcakes if left unattended, the list goes on yet they protect her.oh…I forgot she blames them for every, “who did it moment”.

Yesterday she raided the fridge and left destruction behind, cracked egg on the floor, the bowl of pudding had craters made by tiny fingers. I’m not done, spilled milk, spoonfuls of milo consumed, wasted perfume and today, she gutted my make-up kit, through it all her guardians stand tall and I’m not allowed to say a word.

Picking up after kids, was a form of exercise, now it’s sheer torture on my knees and back when I’m down, I stay down and pick as much as I can. This tiny human is making me feel my age.
There is also one other reason she gets away with everything…

The smile.

Capsicum and pickled lime(Sri Lankan)

Please make sure to read the recipe instructions carefully to avoid mistakes.

Ingredients

Ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.

4 tablespoons of oil

2-3 large onions finely sliced

1 large Tomato chopped

A handful of curry leaves

1/2 a Teaspoon of Turmeric

1/2 teaspoon of Chilli flecks

250g of Capsicums sliced lengthwise

2 tablespoons of whole Pickled limes(store-bought should do)

Half a cup of water(optional)

Maldive fish (optional)

Chilli flecks

Salt to taste

Method

Deseed the Capsicum and cut lengthwise, set aside(please be mindful of the seeds as they tend to burn your hands).

Place pan over medium heat, pour in oil, leave it to heat for a few seconds, add curry leaves, onions, tomatoes and sauté the ingredients for 2 minutes.

Once they are sautéed, add Turmeric and the capsicums, increase heat to medium, add a pinch of salt and chilli flecks and continue to sauté the ingredients in the pan, pour in 1/4 of water and maldive fish(optional) and cook until the capsicums are soft and the water has evaporated.

Once all ingredients in the pan are cooked, remove the pan from fire and add the pickled lime.

You might need just one whole lime or more depending on your taste, add half of the pickle and make sure it doesn’t overwhelm the curry then gradually add more.

The reason you need to turn the stove off when you add the lime is if you add the pickle and let it cook, the curry becomes bitter, believe me, this is experience writing, turn the stove off before adding the pickle. 

Gently mix the lime pickle into the Capsicum curry and give it a taste before serving.