Potato Chips
Srutakirti Dasa: I had been Srila Prabhupada's personal servant for one month. I was beginning to feel comfortable and knowledgeable in my duties. Little did I know that this qualified me for a major setback. One evening Srila Prabhupada asked me to prepare puris, potato chips and hot milk. We were not staying at the temple, but at the cottage of a young couple who were friends of the devotees. Before Srila Prabhupada's arrival, the devotees had spent hours cleaning the cottage. The kitchen facility was poor.
Fortunately, there was ghee on the stove, so a meal could be prepared. Srila Prabhupada had asked for "potato chips." I was anxious to prepare them, but had no experience. Making the puris was easy enough, but took time to prepare. It was getting late, and I didn't want Srila Prabhupada to have to wait any longer. I peeled some potatoes, sliced them as thin as possible with a potato peeler, and fried them in very hot ghee. They came out resembling potato chips, but not exactly like any chips I had ever seen. I felt very fortunate to serve the representative of Krishna.
Srila Prabhupada was my living deity, and he mercifully reciprocated with me. I rushed to His Divine Grace with a dish of potato chips, one hot puri, and a cup of hot milk. "What are these?" Srila Prabhupada firmly inquired pointing to the chips. 'Potato chips, Srila Prabhupada' I answered, a bit bewildered. "They are not chips!" he thundered. "This is not what I wanted." Seeing my pain he said, "Anyway . . . go on. Leave it." I felt terrible. This was the first time I had failed in my service to my Guru Maharaja. I felt like dying. The offering had been unacceptable. I went back to the kitchen, and cooked the next puri. Returning to Srila Prabhupada's quarters I placed the puri on his plate, and offered my obeisances. When I sat up, he looked at me with a big smile. "These are very good," Srila Prabhupada assured me. "It is all right. They are very nice."
I breathed a sigh of relief and replied, 'Oh, good! Thank you Srila Prabhupada.' I was in bliss. I didn't know whether he really liked them, or he just said it to make me feel better. Either way it was wonderful. It felt great to have someone care about you so much. I brought him another puri and waited for him to finish. Picking up his plates, I was thrilled to see he had eaten all of the so-called "potato chips." Srila Prabhupada mercifully accepted my humble efforts. Months later while in India, I realized that "chips" are the British equivalent to American "french fries." Being inexperienced, I misunderstood. I knew then that Srila Prabhupada had wanted "french fries". I again made him chips, but according to his instructions, "thin and cripsy." Note the spelling discrepancy. It is not an error. Srila Prabhupada often used endearing words. I preferred his use of the word "cripsy" for "crispy." It sounded crunchier.
I breathed a sigh of relief and replied, 'Oh, good! Thank you Srila Prabhupada.' I was in bliss. I didn't know whether he really liked them, or he just said it to make me feel better. Either way it was wonderful. It felt great to have someone care about you so much. I brought him another puri and waited for him to finish. Picking up his plates, I was thrilled to see he had eaten all of the so-called "potato chips." Srila Prabhupada mercifully accepted my humble efforts. Months later while in India, I realized that "chips" are the British equivalent to American "french fries." Being inexperienced, I misunderstood. I knew then that Srila Prabhupada had wanted "french fries". I again made him chips, but according to his instructions, "thin and cripsy." Note the spelling discrepancy. It is not an error. Srila Prabhupada often used endearing words. I preferred his use of the word "cripsy" for "crispy." It sounded crunchier.
Reference: Srila Prabhupada Uvacha by Srtuakirti Dasa
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