devouringly pork

photo: flicker.com


The woods are dark, deep and dense and we three were expoloring the emotions of coorg , that's when, something got struck in my mind . The humble pork, one will never accept a coorgi cuisine without our Mr.humble in it. The pork meat is expensive than any other and that's what people prefer, one will wonder why the love it, the special masala or the meat itself.

The powdered masala is made of more coriander seeds, less of cumin seeds, mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom. All these were pan broiled and later pounded into a fine powder which is of dark brown color. I got a chance to steal a look in to the ingredients and Thanking Poncha for a Kilograms of that which I am going to infuse in my daily cooking.

Another uniqueness is the Coorgi vinegar, which they call kanchampuli (thick black extract from kudampulli-dried and smoked fruit rinds of the camboge tree).. The sourness is perfect and blends well with the pork meat.. people advised me to substitute with lime juice, its like eating an egg less omlette.

Sometimes I do not like the idleness of spices lying in my shelf ,so i made it go into the pork curry, without much difficulty I found a good place which sell pork meat and the preparation went like this. First boiling pork with pinch of salt, turmeric and some Black coorg vinegar, (a pressure cooker will do better), when the meat is cooked, a mixed paste of ginger, garlic, green chilies and coriander leaves goes in after a good boil add the coorgi spice powder and adjust the seasoning. when the gravy is thick add little more of kanchampuli and remove from flame.

The pork is fine and perfect, only thing is I am tasting it outside coorg and too from a non corrgi hand, but I am sure I will make it next time to Kodagu, just for the indigenous Pork prepared from the native hands.

Coorg - A Magic Moment....

A week of solitude, yet the instinct of the world being along with me. The reason, I was in Scotland of India, and more than that with my friends Ponchas. Coorg, which is how everyone call the Kodugu region of Karnataka, It is famed for so many things. The history and mystery , the flora and fauna, the game fishing and river rafting , together an overwhelming joy.

The place I stayed is "Sidapur' one hour travel from "Mercara" the districts capital. The town is relatively small with salubrious weather, surplus peace and happiness.The name is derived from the people of Kodagu, Kodavas. The Puranic versions says the land of initial settlement was called Krodadesa which later became Kodavu. and the word Kodagu is derived from the word Kodava, Kod means ‘give’ and avva means ‘mother’, i.e mother Kaveri, the river Kaveri(the reason for my etymology)

Starting with the river, the first day was in its bank with great fishing rod and beautiful lures . The moments on the bank was really Magical except we couldn't lure any fish to out bait, even if we have baited some , I'm sure the fish would have ended back in their world, for the reason all are Herbivorous in Ponchas place.

To be precise all in ponchas place follow the principle of Lacto Vegetarianism.(except we Five) we classify us as pure meat eaters. Only we couldn't get a chance to devour any meat. Ponchas mother in law is indeed a great cook and the kitchen is awesome with all family members mis en place in it.

The five day food was a real feast, with endless varieties, The Akki Roti(rice bread)which was chewy and hard , married well with the delicious chik peas masala, I wouldn't call it the secret ingredients .Its pure Hand of taste and their affection towards cooking and their exemplary hospitality.


The Vegetable bath with cucumber raitha, the countless chandrakala in our belly while traveling, the steamed kolukatta , I would be punished if i forget to mention any one of the recipe. so here comes one, which is Quite simple and truly yummy, The shallo fried brinjals, Aubergines or eggplant, where it is thinly sliced and marinated with limejuice, coriander powder , garam masala, chilli and pinch of salt, (a dash of coorg vinegar and a teaspoon of coorg masal will also goes well). after marination its shallow fried, and the feel is tender and none will not stop with just one. It gave a secret why poncha love it. Because a real substitute for meat.. and my sincere thanks to Mrs poncha.

On my journey back home .I thought of ponchas Mother in laws promise of meat cooking next time, and I am sure it will happen only when I go alone to coorg. Its sometimes difficult with vegetarians around you and I started planning my next visit to "The Scotland of India".

The stain of Cacao.

The affinity towards Cocoa is getting stronger and stronger,Theobroma cacao, which literally means "Cacao, the food of the gods." The mighty Cocoa a powder made from cacao seeds after they have been fermented, roasted, shelled, ground, is been around in my kitchen pantry for quite long time. Only to be experimented last week. I do not call it a cocoa research, rather an eagerness to enjoy the texture of Chocolate , home made chocolate to be precise.

It was ten years ago, I remember chef Abdul , and his Home made Chocolate, me being a mere observer, helping him in greasing the mold and cleaning the sauce pans. The perfect blend of Butter, Cocoa , Milk powder and sugar turns to a beautiful slab of home made chocolate , which is later divided in to small cubes and served as compliments to all guest rooms.

That's when the affinity exactly bloomed in me, Its not the taste I like the most. It is the feel when you prepare it.to understand the sugar, cocoa, milk powder and its characteristics make you feel better.I practiced it many times and prepared it so many times , where the Cocoa stain and the better feel will last in my heart forever.

A week ago, two unopened tins of cocoa powder, created a chocolaty nostalgia in me,The cocoa instinct filling my mind, In the name of Chef Abdul, I started the old secret recipe, melting hundred grams of butter in low heat, and stirring hundred grams of icing sugar, followed by six tablespoon of Cocoa and four table spoon of milk powder. What a perfect blend, not forgetting the mixed dry fruits, the mixture was then refrigerated.

The sophomore did the honor of tasting and me drenched in the happiness of cocoa,an Italian study says a small square (20 g) of dark (bittersweet) chocolate every three days is the ideal dose for cardiovascular benefits. I do not have a cardiovascular problem, but then with an indelible chocolaty/cocoa stain in my heart and sleepy eyes on my face, I was about to leave the kitchen .That's when, my droopy eyes alerted with the sight of another unopened Cocoa tin.

Happy Chocolate!! Cacao

Cocoa Facts

*Cocoa beans contain polyphenols (similar to those found in wine) with antioxidant properties which are health beneficial. These compounds are called flavonoids and include catechins, epicatechins, and procyandins. The antioxidant flavinoids are found in the nonfat portions of the cocoa bean. The flavinoids also reduce the blood's ability to clot and thus reduces the risk of stroke and heart attacks.

*Phenylethylamine is a slight antidepressant and stimulant similar to the body's own dopamine and adrenaline

*Cocoa beans are rich in a number of essential minerals, including magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium and manganese

*Cocoa and chocolate can increase the level of serotonine in the brain. Serotonine levels are often decreased in people with depression

Freshers - for how long ?

What I thought, would be an answer, turned into a bewilderment . Yes, the second cooking session with the freshers was very hard to comprehend. Contemplating for more than twelve hours, I ended up without any answer.

Is that the, freshers new environment? the new face? or their first step in foraging? I didn't knew what made them so awkward in the second cooking session. If only ,I had know the real reason, a perfect planning would have been carried out before the second cooking session. But, as I mentioned earlier the First cooking session was overwhelming. Sometimes you won't know the structure and shape of deception.

The second menu was quite simple, with requires a little fundamentals, not necessary to be a catering science student. I see the money spent by students on mobile phone top ups and Frankenstein gadgets,I do not understand the hesitation they show on spending ten rupee for a duster cloth. After all its their utensils which they clean before and after cooking.

I ask for two dusters and what the fresher does is, tear one duster into two, Is he the clever or am I the fool. The attitude of the fellows when they arrive ten minutes late for the cooking session without proper kitchen kit, untrimmed hair, and incomplete recipes in their journals is deplorable.

The menu for the day was Stuffed parathas with curd, Chenna Pulao, Dum Aloo, Mutton fry and Gulab Jamun. Out of twenty students hardly four to five knew what the menu was. I am not complaining or Squabbling here, I talk the basic impression the freshers create " A kind of first impression". they simple forget how significant the impression is.

back to the culinary part, after forty five minutes of silence , bloomed an excuse from the first student, which continued with multiple excuse and a bunch of promises for perfection in the next cooking session. With agony in my heart . Me briefing all the recipes and after twenty minutes ,the cooking session started.

With an array of expectation in my mind, I look forward for the next fist day order, which is when the next cooking session for the freshers will be.I end up now with my post ,wondering how long should I call them FRESHERS.

The King and the Queen"

so many days I have crossed Burliyar, a place between Mettupalyam and Coonoor,on no occasion I witnessed, what I saw last week."The Array of Fruits" These fruits are green spiny outside, like a miniature jack fruit.and few with spiny plums and a black hard tomato. I remembered that days afternoon class on Thai cuisine, where Tropical fruits were discussed. Only to witness it in my own place, in between the hills. We people from Nilgiris often stop at Burliyar for a tea break, when we take that route. The same thing happened last week, in my case I stopped for a cup of Coffee.After munching two mirchi pakoras and one aloo vada , my hungry palate turned toward the fruit on the racks.


The first one is Rambutan , small red fruit resembling plums,exept for the red spines outside, The name rambutan is from the Malay word rambutan, which literally means hairy caused by the 'hair' that covers this fruit, and is in general use in Malay, Indonesian and Filipino cuisine, which make it the origin.The outer skin is peeled exposing the milky, fleshy fruit inside which is then eaten. It is sweet, sour and slightly grape like and gummy to the taste.One can keep munching it for hours.


Next to it was the humble , Mangosteen,a tropical evergreen tree believed to have originated in the Sunda Islands and the Moluccas of Indonesia. The rind of the fruit, which is not edible, is a deep reddish purple when ripe. The fragrant edible flesh that surrounds each seed is sweet and tangy, juicy, and somewhat fibrous.with so much of nutrients in it, and with its delicious taste, no wonder in calling it the "Queen of fruits"




Next comes the King of all tropical fruit, The Durian, known for its stinky smell, despite its popularity the raw fruit is forbidden from some establishments such as hotels, subways and airports, including public transportation in Southeast Asia. I knew the reason why its prohibited, the smell is Shit.Exactly the fruit Smells like hell, and taste like Heaven. The segments inside is a rich custard .The flesh can be consumed at various stages of ripeness, and it is used to flavour a wide variety of savoury and sweet edibles in Southeast Asian cuisines. The seeds can also be eaten when cooked, and there are even durian ice creams. Es durian (durian ice cream) is a popular dessert in Indonesia, sold at street side stall in Indonesian cities, especially in Java.Durian fruit contains a high amount of sugar,vitamin C, potassium, and the serotonergic amino acid tryptophan, and is a good source of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. It is recommended as a good source of raw fats by several raw food advocates.With all theses medicinal and nutritive values these fruits are available only during these months from June to October, hurry, a small stop on the way to the Nilgiris at Burliyar, "The King and The Queen" is waiting for you.

From the Freshers

It a day for the freshers and the menu had all Indian in it, starting with roti, a masala dal to accompany ,with aloo methi and tomato chicken , a tint of sweet carrot kheer to finish the course. I precisely said them what not to do and what to do, and not a big surprise , seeing many without a knife and duster cloths. Is that mean, that they hate cleanliness? There is always an excuse. That they are freshers, where they are entering a world which is something new and accustoming takes time.But then ,to me Patience is what all i learned

Not bad , what I witnessed, a perfect start, which I didn't expect with all thirty five in one culinary class. Tough it was a kind of gaming with new ingredients , I couldn't see any one trying an extra mile to go on with the cooking. It was three in a batch, cooking all five dishes . Starting with the dough for roti followed by boiling the dal,everyone mastered their own way. I didn't find any difficulty in shouting the recipe, except the last night drink which kept hanging in my mind.

Jumping over a square shaped roti, and one colorless tomato chicken all other table had a perfect blend of everything , the taste, the texture and the consistency . All together i'll put in a single word "Awesome"

I remembered the last year burnt dal, uncooked roti and curdled carrot kheer, and wondered what is unique with the freshers this year, with three hours of browsing my brain I was left without an answer. With confidant compilation of the second menu, I am sure I'll have the answer in the next cooking session.

HAPPY COOKING!

"House of the Acolhua people" - Kahlúa

Almost a year, its first of July and the year old Kahlua landed in my book shelf. Thanks to dushy, who successfully fished his masters in Swiss , only to end up working in Bangalore, India. I questioned why not Europe? or else where , after a year of studies and thirty odd lacks in to it.The answer was "contacts" he made friend from around the globe, good isn't it. Horse meat eating friend from Greece to eat what not friends from China. Tough he couldn't smuggle a Absinthe for me from Swiss, I am very much happy with the Kahlua which he brought.

Kahlúa a Mexican coffee-flavored liqueur is dense and sweet,almost syrupy, created a nostalgia of having cough syrup during my eighth grade. with the distinct taste of coffee, from which it is made it also contains sugar, corn syrup and vanilla bean.The alcohol content of Kahlúa is 20.0%. But the Kahlúa Especial, the higher grade has an alcohol content of 36% and has a lower viscosity and is less sweet than the regular version.

The kahlua which I had was twenty percent and its really good. The patience died as the time went with kahlua in my hand, the fist sip went neat and the second one with Vodka. Its used for making many cocktails and as toppings for desserts. Kahlúa with Irish Cream and an orange cognac give B52.two parts Kahlua and three parts vodka give Black Russian.Mud slide is vodka, Irish cream and Kahlua. ans when you top it with baileys Irish cream its baby Guiness.

After the drink its the movie part, with san and friends, watching Transformers - part three. With mind full of Cybertronian, Megatron, Shock wave and optimus prime, deep inside my mind Black Russian kept blinking. I know it'll be past midnight to reach home. I do not mind the time when it comes to Alcohol.

HAPPY Kahlua.......

A mighty Sweet Start..

Photo: www.indianfoodforever.com

To be honest, the fist time in years, a Fresher cooking something in the first practical session. As years goes , I see many with more confidence in them. The eagerness and the interest what they show towards culinary is really Good.

Its almost a week and today , Friday the 24th of June, I had a fresher who is very much confident in what he does, the dish he prepared was Mysore Pak, the more interesting part is that the recipe was take from Google and experimented at his home, and the result, Teaching his mother how to make mysore pak.

Mysore pak a sweet dish of Karnataka,is usually served as dessert. It is made of generous amounts of ghee ,sugar and chick pea (besan) flour.Some say Mysore Pak was first created in the kitchens of the Mysore Palace by a palace cook named Kakasura Madappa out of the above ingredients. The cook at the Mysore Palace kitchen simply made a concoction of besan, ghee and sugar. The sweet that was formed delighted every one so much that it became a "Royal Sweet". When asked its name, Madappa obviously didn't have its name, so he simply called it the ‘Mysore Pak’, a delicacy from the Mysore Palace. The king relished the sweet so much that he got Madappa to set up shop outside the palace grounds so that it could be made available to common people

I have seen many who knows to make good mysore pak, but in all , the measurement of ingredients in very, very precise. If something goes wrong , they just keep complaining the measurement , forgetting the real reason behind it. But today , I saw the fresher without a measuring cup when preparing the sweet, might be the reason, that the sweet what he prepared today turned out to be a sweet. As I said earlier, once you know the functions of Ingredients and its role in a particular dish, then everything else is simple. You literally create an understanding between you and the dish, That's what happened today , a mere understanding, between the fresher and the mysore pak. Once it is achieved , how-much ever time you prepare(closing your eyes, jumping up, lying down), the dish will never deceive you. And today, it created an awesome impression on me. and I believe that the impression last forever.

HAPPY SWEET!

MYSOREPAK
Take one cup of besan flour and gently roast in 1 tbsp of ghee. Make a sugar syrup with two cups of sugar and 1/4 cup of water. Add the besan flour little at a time,keep stirring. Add ghee(3 cups), little at a time , the mixture will absorbs it, when you see the fat coming out from the mixture , pour it in a greased plate and cut after chilling.

Tasteless indeed...

I made a awful chicken today, not few will agree, but I do know what I'm up to. The order was for pepper chicken,with a good coat of gravy.So a small twist in the recipe I couldn't stop adding half a coconut. It all happend in a happy mood, tough things are sad and diffrent inside me, when it comes to cooking, I forget the worries till the time the dish is off the flames. Here with the chicken today , I am not blaming the ingredients or the pressure cooker with a fault indicator, or whatever, the dish just turned unappetizing.

Comments or complaints , I take it as complimentary , after all these years of cooking, some how I could manage to judge its texture, and the texture of the chicken today was just raw, however good you say the chicken taste , I know deep inside that its just raw chicken, dressed with wonderful and tasty comments of yours.

A cheap quality ingredients, the water you add, and the heart and soul you put in cooking, soo many things contribute to the taste and texture of the dish, towards the end, if something goes wrong, you'll just know what went wrong, where and when. But when you have everything perfect,The ingredients, equipments, and a happy mind for cooking ,almost everything and again if the dish turned out to be tasteless , like the chicken I made today, just do not get perplexed. It happen's for some unknown reason.

dosa, dhosha, dosay, dosai, dhosai, tosai, thosai, or dvashi

More than a couple of months , the tawa gifted to me was just idle in the kitchen, if only I lit the stove, the tawa gets seasoned. I enter the kitchen just to drink water, thats how things will happen when you are alone at home , filled with lonliness all times , carrying the boredrome with you all times, cooking becomes a big question??

When I have guest, things are quite diffrent, I cook, not for the sake of cooking, but happily. The unexpected visitor (my uncle), who came last week made me to use the tawa, and I cooked dosa.. simple plain dosa

Dosa a staple of South India, has a history of more than two thousand years, the fermented mixture of rice and urad dal batter , has its origin in Udupi, Karnataka says Patrick Lawrence Chapman, English food writer. The Sanskrit classic Manasollasa written in 1051 AD by Western Chalukya king Somesvara III describes Dosai. The first reference to Dosa occurs in the Tamil Sangam Literature, with so many thoeries prevailing, who ever or whatever the place of origin may be , Dosa is one popular and basic dish one could't avoid.

The fermentation process increases Vitamin B abd C, contains no sugar , saturated fatty acids , The CHO rich dosa is loved by many. How ever good the mixture is ,The best depnds on the hand which pours the batter and the Tawa which browns it, and in my case the tawa didn't deceive me. I could call it just perfect. Thanking the person who gifted me the Tawa, I'm going in for variations in dosa next time.

HAPPY EATING!