Through the lockdown, I have been a virtuous eater. I've steamed vegetables, minced amla, made bread, sprouted dal, souped chicken, roasted eggplants, baked sweet potatoes, pickled beets, chopped salad, toasted nuts, veganed the ice-cream (with frozen bananas), boiled corn, sautéed palak, rationed butter, and yes, even made that damn chutney with watermelon rind. When the kirana lady tried to sell me Maggi, I smiled beatifically behind my mask and languidly shook my head.

But then, after months of success in healthy, happy eating, I received a WhatsApp message from the proprietor of Spice of China (SOC), serving Mahakali in style since 2003.