The past 3 months

It is really lovely to stand by and see time flow without any schedule. Abhi retirement ka khumar utra nahin.

Eating as a passsion has taken a back seat as I have to watch my weight. Actually it is more my children who are concerned than me. Still here and there I sneak through.

The other day got a desire to get a really good vegetarian thali. When

we first came in the 80's to the present locality in Bangalore to stay, New Shanti Sagar in R T Nagar was the rage. It used to be a favourite and since childrem also liked its ice creams we visited it frequently.

It used to serve awsome typical Mysore thali which used to be our favourite.

But how popularity and commercial considerations have led to a fall in standards ! Even today it is the most popular and busy veg joint in R T Nagar but the ambiance has gone to dogs as more seats have been cramped in the same area, food has become pedestrian and service awful.

Totally avoidable

But life compensates. Lat month we went by road to Kanyakumari from Bangalore. Started by 5 AM. Originally had planned to stop for breakfast by about 8:30 around Dharmapuri and thereafter have lunch in Madurai. However started to feel hungry by 6:30 and stopped at A2B near Krishnagiri.

Then suddenly had a bright idea to have the famous Dindigul Biriyani. Unfortunately at 10:30 AM the biriyani joints in Dindigul were just opening shutters and could not even serve us a cup of tea.

On enquiry found that abot 20 KM away there were a few nice eating joints. About 24-25 KM out of Dindigul on the left side of the road my son spotted Anandas which appeared a decent joint. Very hesitantly we asked whether food would be available and were told by a cheerful guy that yes the Meals were ready.

We ordered special south Indian meals . It was really special- On the table were already kept 3 varities of curd dried and fried chillies , "sondals" and beans along with pickle. Then came a huge plate with purial, avial, some kind of gujju, dal and some green, more kolumbo, vathakulam, rasam, sambar, vegetable pulao, potato palya, curds, paysam, some type of mixed vegetable fry and papad - with a choice of roti/puri and rice with ghee. Buttermilk and Ice cream were the last items not to forget the banana and paan. And to top it, apart from the paysam and sambar every item was superb. The damage Rs. 95 per person.

I am thinking of making the trip once again for the lunch alone.

Palooda

It is strange to find far corners of the world connected by food. One such example is PALOODA - a sweet made in the month of Ramazaan in Channapatna. Surprisingly it is confined to this town only in this part of the world. Even people in Bangalore, just 50 KM away do not know what it is.

But surprise! Palooda is known as Dodol and is a typical Goanese desert. Besides as per Wickipedia

"Dodol is a toffee-like sweet food delicacy popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines especially in the Ilocos Region in Luzon and in the Lanaoprovinces of Mindanao, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Burma, where it is called mont kalama. It is also popular among the Roman Catholics from the west coastal Indian state of Goa. It is common fare on the streets of Zanzibar sold as halva. It is made with coconut milk, jaggery, and rice flour, and is sticky, thick and sweet. It normally takes up to 8–9 hours to cook dodol. From the start till the end of the cooking process, the dodol must be constantly stirred in a big wok. Pausing in between would cause the dodol to burn and that will spoil the taste and aroma. The dodol is completely cooked is when it is firm, and doesn't stick to your fingers when you touch it.

In Muslim majority countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia, dodol is commonly served during festivals such as Eid ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as sweet treats for children. The town of Garut in West Java is the main production center of dodol in Indonesia. There are many flavours of dodol available including a durian flavor, which is called "lempuk" available in Asian food stores. In Malaysia, its is quite popular amongst the eastern states such Kelantan and Terengganu, while in Indonesia durian dodol is popular in Medan and other Sumatran cities.

Dodol has also made its way to some middle eastern countries including Iran, where it is very common and normally preferred by women^{[citation needed]}. Though Dodol is proven to be fattening, it is used as a facemask and skin mask by some.^{[citation needed]"}

The dish in Channapatna is confined to the Mahdavi Community and is not cooked by others.

Similarly take our own Ragi Mudde - such a staple in Karnataka. Understandably Ragi mudde (Kannada: ರಾಗಿ ಮುದ್ದೆ) is also popular in neighboring Tamil Nadu and Andhra. It is known as Ragi Sangati (Telugu: రాగి సంగటి) in Rayalaseema region in India. In Tamil Nadu, especially in Western Tamil Nadu it is called Ragi Kali.

Polenta is a very famous Italian dish. This too bears remarkable resemblance to Ragi Mudde in some of its forms - the difference being Ragi is replaced with corn or buckwheat etc. Polenta is eaten through Europe

Fufu is another dish like Ragi Mudde but is native to Africa - particularly West and Central Africa

Food is truly the only bond

Baba Furry

As far as I remember we have had a pet in the house. When we were young and my father was in service we used to live in houses with huge compounds and invariably had a dog to guard it . House cats to catch mice were a sine qua non. We also had,over a period of time various other pets like pigeons, ducks, hens and even a squirrel. Then my father retired and we had to come to Bangalore where houses were small and we could only keep cats.

It took almost 20 years for the pet mania to revive. I was posted to Hospet where again we had the luxury of a large compound and we acquired 3 dogs. We came back to Bangalore with 2 dogs and therafter went to Dharwad. One of the dogs died in Dharwad. When in the year 2000 despite my best efforts I had to go to Mumbai this dog - a strapping Doberman had to be given away as we just couldn't keep him cooped up in a 2 bedroom flat . The pain made us resolve to keep only pets we could keep with us under all circumstances and when we were in Hyderabad we got a persian cat.

We grandiosely named it Nazneen Pasha but children always called it Mata as it gave us two cute kittens - Rustom Pasha and Ghazi Pasha alias Baba Furry

When transferred to Mumbai we had the good fortune to stay in Nerul where the Bank's residence had a 1 1/2 acre compound. We practically had a mini zoo .

Over time we have now been left with only Baba Furry. I have retired and Baba has become old and cantankerous. Two old souls giving each other company.

Channapatna

Was in Channapatna for a full day after 45 years. People say world has changed. These people should visit Channapatna. Nothing has changed here at least in the locality where our ancestoral house is. Same old narrow unpaved streets, same old dirt - but thankfully same old warmth of emotion in people. I would any day accept lack of change

Food continued

I suddenly remembered that I had written the following in ET some time back:

Foodies: Tickling tastebuds

13 Apr 2008

By Syed Shahabuddin

Food has always been my passion. Sometime back, I tried to classify myself — whether I was a gourmet, a gourmand or just a guy who liked food. After a lot of research, I have come to the conclusion that I am a foodie.

According to Wikipedia, foodie is an informal term for a particular class of aficionado of food and drink. The word was coined in 1984 by Paul Levy, Ann Barr, and Mat Sloan for their book The Official Foodie Handbook. Foodies differ from gourmets in that gourmets are epicures of refined taste, whereas foodies are amateurs who simply love food for its own sake. Foodies differ from gourmands as a gourmand is a person given to excess in the consumption of food and drink, synonymous with "glutton" and foodies are normally not given to excesses.

My love affair with food goes way back to my formative years. Even as a child, I had a definite liking for good food and used to pester my grandmother for special food all the time.

Not being satisfied with the home fare, my cousin and I would venture out to try the bazaar food. In the early 1960s, in a place like Channapatna — a small town in Karnataka — the choice was very limited. Eating out was considered not good and could land us in problems. What was more, since my father was a well known personality, chances were we would be recognised wherever we went and matter reported to him. We, however, still managed to buy koftas or kebabs from the neighbourhood shop whenever we could get 10 paise or so. On a rare occasion when we could manage 25 paise, a sneaky trip to the Brahmin Hotel would become possible. We used to manage a one by two masala dosa and a one by two coffee for this amount.

To cut a long story short, the love affair with food continued and got a fillip when I got my job with SBI. From Bangalore to the cow belt was quite a transition. We reported to Lucknow on appointment. A whole new world opened and I indulged to the maximum in discovering and enjoying new foods. The training period saw me being shunted all over UP and I developed a taste for Benarsi jalebis, Punjabi food in Pilibhit, and east UP delicacies from Rae Bareli.

During a stint of 37 years with the bank, with a transfer every two years, I have seen all of India and a lot of Middle East.

In fact, it was in Middle East where I graduated from eating to cooking. With only self and wife and no cook, we had to do our own cooking cleaning, etc. Both my wife and I shared a lot of cooking. Suddenly I realised that I could devise what I wanted to eat, prepare it and enjoy it. Luckily, the initial experiments were a success and we were in great demand as hosts then on. After that I have never looked back. Friends wait for Eid so that they can drop in for a bite.

The downside of the hobby is that I am grossly overweight. Just can’t keep my hands off good food. I have three strapping sons who have inherited my love for good food. And only one of them has shown an interest in cooking! The common interest, however, has resulted in good bonding and the generation gap has not been a problem. Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbai are the best cities as far as food is concerned. The inherent metropolitan nature of these cities ensures that you get the best possible food from all over the world. Depending on the urge, you can satisfy your craving.

The challenge to the foodie spirit was when we were posted to small towns like Hospet and Dharwad. Paradoxically these were the places where my cooking avatar got perfected. As eating out was non-existent and as all the friends served us the same food, we had to innovate and cook ourselves.

In a couple of years, I shall retire. I plan to settle down in Channapatna and introduce the sleepy town to world cuisine. Wish me best of luck!

The author is Managing Director & CEO, SBI Mutual Funds

Some Foodie Thoughts

Airline food is an enigma for me. I normally travel business class and that is the place u are supposed to get the best food.

Unfortunately I am totally disappointed at the quality of the food. Only deserts seem to maintain a high standard. May be due to the constraints of storing and serving food at 35000 feet one cannot reproduce the tastes on terra firma but why do that. Cant the airlines develop food for the environment?

I think they should learn from Marwaris of old days or Gujratis who have special travel food that keep for days and for all grows tastier.

I remember when we used to travel in good old days when reaching longer destinations used to take 48 to 72 hours, the special food prepared to last the journey like dry kheema, koftas, special parathas, tamarind rice etc.

True to my promise I have started p\blogging and what best way but to start with food. Please visit my following review

http://www.shvoong.com/WebAgents/Redir.aspx?wID=5&tURL=http://www.shvoong.com/lifestyle/food-and-drink/2121313-health-benefits-cheese/

Ab Jigar thaam ke baithoo ...

When I first enthusiastically joined the bloggers long ago, I had intended to vow the world with my wit and wisdom. Fortunately this has been delayed due to my preoccupations. Now that I am retired and totally jobless the audience cannot escape any more.

I intend to write a lot. I am also very lazy. The outcome depends on which mood is prevailing.