Meena Can’t Wait

Meena is excited because today she's going to Nanu's house to drink tea and eat treats.

When Meena gets there, she's ready to get started...but her nanu tells her it's not time yet. Today they're going to have a very special Bengali tea called doodh cha, and they are going to make it together.

First, they harvest some ingredients from the garden. Then they head inside to prepare. Meena's tummy is rumbling as she smells her grandmother's freshly baked samosas and spice cake, but she helps crush the cardamom and cloves and learns when to add the milk, sugar and tea. While they're waiting for the doodh cha to be done, Nanu shares memories of her past in Bangladesh as they look at old photos, paint pictures and set the table. And when the doodh cha is finally ready, it's just as delicious as Nanu had promised. Nanu was right: "It always tastes better when we make it together."

Included in this book inspired by author Farida Zaman's own visits with her grandmother is Farida's family doodh cha recipe.