A good dinner?

Ok, here is a question that has been tormenting me.

Why do people serve what is undeniably a snack as dinner, i.e. as the main course at a meal?

How many times have you gone to something known as a “Bhel Puri Party” or, worse, a “Pani Puri Party”? Why do people think that Bhel Puri or Pani Puri are god damned meals? Who has created this horrible monster? And why am I to be subjected to this abomination?

Bhel Puri, Pani Puri, Ragda Pettice [phonetically spelt] Dahi Batata Puri, Pao Bhaji are all snacks. They are street food. They are not meals. Even eaten together they are not meals. Is that so difficult to understand? How can you possibly call friends to your home and serve them a snack and claim you are a good host. Sorry, it does not cut any ice with me.

The newer fashion, if you are rich, is to call Muthuswamy and have him prepare Dosas with a multitude of fillings, Uttapams again with a multitude of toppings and a variety of Idlis. And then they have the gall to call that dinner! Hey rich vegetarians, do you know that snacks don’t make a meal? Don’t you know that even the God fearing Tamilians call such food `Tiffin’? Don’t you realise that you are getting one universal batter – dosa, idly and uttapam is made with the same stuff? Don’t you realise that adding cheese on top does not make something classy or God forbid, dinner?

Frankly, I cannot stand such invitations. On the occasions that I absolutely have to attend – which are very few, ordinarily I just refuse to go - I do not eat, I sulk and come back home and order some kebabs, a roti and some biryani, and wash it down with a cold beer. 

None of all this tomfoolery for me.