CURRY MASALA - for a good cause

More than a week , A straight cocktail dinner on Saturday night marked the success of “Curry Masala” An Annual Food festival, organized by the PSG Alumni Association, Coimbatore. Unlike the last year, the second food festival had a spread of three cuisines, Andhra, Rajasthan and Kerala, the varieties exceeded fifty with salad bar, a Barbeque of seventy five whole chickens and various street foods.

The work involved is all the same, for all the food fest which we have worked earlier. The fest scheduled on last Sunday of January expected a good crowd and the crowd literally exceeded our expectations. The Dishes what we prepared was full of bliss and it’s really worth the sleepless Saturday night.

We involved students from the first and final year which made a total of sixty, the number sixty sounded more of strength, but when the work started we stammered with the word ‘Strength’. There is more difference between ‘you work’ and ‘making others work’. Tough this is the first time, both the batch of students were exposed to bulk cooking, (for around fifteen hundred pax), many students enjoyed what the did, either peeling an onion, or grating hundreds of coconuts or chatting with girls all times, they loved what they did.

The laal Maas (mutton preparation) from Rajastani cuisine was excellent as were the Varuthracha curry (Kerala preparation) and Bhuna Kukda(Chicken Preparation). The salad was five multiplied by four platters made a good twenty and the welcome drink made from tender coconut, honey and so and so … was awesome, it kept moving on and on , only to check the servers patience and the strength of the person who cuts the tender coconut.

Around the corner .Mr. Student, complained about the BBQ marinate I did, and the complaint turned in to a blasting when he roasted (pre cooked ) the chicken in the oven. The marinade was watery, it’s not coating to the chicken, no flavor, no color, chicken is soggy and the worst of all power going off in between the roasting. With just half cooked twenty five chicken the bla.. bla.. blasting of Mr. Student kept ringing in my head.

This time, I took the chicken to the oven, to pre cook and the result was wonderful, only then I, found out the temperature which Mr. Student cooked the first twenty five was two third of the temperature (too low) which I set in the oven.

All went well with happy faces and full stomach, we parted after midnight, carrying the word Proud in our heart, This Annual food fest is a fund raising event and the fund goes into the free education of the poor and needy students. (It’s worth working for an event like this) And in my sleep these letters kept wandering around “R” “D” “O” “P” “U”. Looking forward with patience for “CURRY MASALA 2012”

Another three days

Photo: www.ruthiecherryfineart.com

Its one year since the food fest and like the last year, the meeting was countless , of course with wonderful results in the end. With another three days for the fest, this post is for those who involved in making this event a success or a flop.

I know things will be great at the end of the day, but when it comes to planning I see more words than action. It all started with a feed back of previous fest, and after number of meetings the previous meetings minutes just kept fading away. With new faces in the meeting hall day after day, the cartridge in my HOD's printer just kept ejecting indent of ingredients to be purchased with lot many revisions.

With so many indent in hand, many got confused and the solution was arrived with anonymous decision, lot many things went unanswered, forty fillets from one kilo of fish, soaking and grinding the raw rice for Ada when you get it ready made and beautifully packed, and the number of pax to which the cooking happens... All unanswered.

Three different cuisines, thirteen different cultural events, thirty varieties of foods and Three hundred students volunteer. What more is needed to make the minds in to deciding the quantity of dishes to be prepared, and the views of all ,make you hard to distinguish an amateur with a professional . after all every one loves eating and no one can say ,I just breath in air , without taking any food for the living.

Ohhh I didn't tell what are all the cuisines, Its Rajastani, Kerala and Andhra. Its great seeing all great peoples spending their valuable time and energy for this event, and I am very much proud to be a part of it.. This is for a good cause, the profit from the event will help providing free education for students. what more is there in life than a free education to the needy... and people,another three days, the post is about how well the fest went...

No Madachi... Only Cajuchi

I knew what my plans are for the new year, at home doing nothing , and nothing. With nothing in mind I was driving down to coimbatore from ooty, the day is first of January. Around the seventh hair pin bend ,I just remembered what I said to Ms.M, "do not spoil your new year in the college hostel, go somewhere and be happy" I prayed too, for her hostel permission to go Goa with her family. But I did not expect to get a Fenny from Goa, because thats what God asked me for my prayers.

Unlike dushy(my student) who bought Khalua for me from swiss, which lies in his home shelf(do not know when it will reach me), the fenni which Ms.M bought ,came directly to my shelf, made me wait for a perfect day to start, when it comes to Alcohol any time is just perfect. I pray that Ms.M Should make it to Sikkim for the next New year eve, you get good Beetle leaf liqueur there.

"Fenni" - Goa's own drink, have two varieties , one with coconut and another with Cashewnuts, the coconut fenny is the distillation of coconut palm and the fermented juice of cashew apple gives cashew fenny. This is a colorless liquid matured in wooden barrels and gets a golden brown tint, Shake fenny in a bottle or glass and you can see some froth on top, which in Konkani language they call as FEN, and that gives fenny its name. There are around four thousand mini distilleries in Goa which makes fenny. North Goa is more of cashew and South is more of coconut.

Though there are many brands in Goa, the brand Cashyo is the one which spells it Fenni, this triple distilled beverage from Goa has a maximum of forty two percent alcohol by volume, that may sound high, but when you drink ,perhaps you'll not believe it. Coca Cola , tonic water, lemonade and on the rock with slice of lemon is what many suggest, but I preferred it neat, in spite of its strong flavor.

For those who do not like it neat, here are some cocktails, Fenni with apple juice, apple vodka and ice give "Fenny Martini". you mix in seven - up, chilli peppers and ice with fenny you get "Fire & Ice". There is fenny highball, fenny mojito, scarlet letter and groove, fenny with cointru and seven up gives a wonderful cocktail called "KISS". Some final words to end with, as my tongue tasted it, I knew it gives a instant kick, and u'll feel high. If not for the first time, I'm sure you will fall in love second time. Its true that Goa and Fenny cannot be parted and I believe that fenny has its own legacy to tell


Fenny Facts
*"Sattari" - The fenny capital of the region
* Fenny can be added to goan pork dishes
*Reals and Big boss the other good brands of fenni
*the first distillation gives Arrack and the second "Cazole"

Konar Mess Kari Dosai

The first class of an Academic year for the freshers start with a self introduction, Ironically I introduce the freshers to the culinary on what they study for all three years, but then, in between I ask the students about their home town and hear Nagerkoil, Salem, Erode, Ooty, Coimbatore, Madurai and many. When I hear the word Madurai I make a stop and say a very few things about Madurai, tough I have not been to madurai, until recent times , I say a few things for unknown reasons
The American College(started in the year 1881), Thiagarajra College ,Fatima college, places like subramaniapuram, that puram this puram and many people in Kollywood, with poets, actors, artists and good good politicians(NO Kanth), ahhh I remember that very much ..I, who voted last time in Nilgiris will rather fry my fingers in hot hot oil than to dip my finger in voters ink in the coming electoin,what a shame - Rotten Politics/politicians.(I am from Nilgiris - enjoying 3g in Coimbatore , wish you know what 2g is)* Rotten also has one more meaning which starts with the letter R

A month ago I watched a tamil film "Myna" which starts with a scene where they plan to join for lunch in Konar mess in Madurai for its famous kari doasai(mutton dosa), After three hours the movies had a sad ending, the more saddest part in me was, they neither showed Konar mess nor the Kari dosai. A week after the movies, The sad in me faded away when I made a visit literally to Konar mess in madurai for its Karidoasi.

Unlike the movie, where they plan for lunch. I made it for dinner, and was there on time to witness the tawa full of Kari dosai, I did not opted for the menu , just settled for kari dosai, The dish is like a miniature Uttappam with meat topppings, A cup of batter is poured on the tawa, then topped with beaten eggs and cooked mutton chops, the entire uttappam is turned upside down and cooked for another couple of minutes, the result an awesome
dish with delicious taste ,Apart for then u have Malli Idli(jasmine idli)Biryani, Idiyappam, varieties of dosas, and many. I asked him for all the accompaniments .Of all the mutton chops and onion gravy married well with the taste of Kari dosai, No wonder one will get addicted to it when you taste once and perhaps u 'll sign a legal document of all your asset (if any) to the taste of kari dosai. Next time when you are in Madurai Forget not the simmakkal Konar Mess Kari Dosai..

City of Jasmine....

One of the oldest cities in India, Madurai , derived from Madurapuri - the city of divine nectar , is famous for so many things and the cuisine there is worth mentioning. The five hour journey from coimbatore took Eight hours reaching madurai at two in the night, with tiring legs and hungry stomach ,I got down from the bus cursing the driver for his skillful driving, but the glowing shops, with hot idlis , parathas and food and food brought all the happiness in me. Yes Madurai is a Sleepless city indeed.

In the morning back from the Algar temple, the hot hot sun and the dusty dusty street made me to settle for something cool and relaxing. Nothing will match the authentic Madurai Jigarthanda. A tall glass filled with chilled reduced milk , with sabudana, china grass, nannari, sugar and an Awesoome scoop of ice cream . The real cool and relaxing drink

Its the best refreshing drink for summer, a single glass will make you "cold heart" thats the meaning for Jigarthanda, add the word JIL JIL(Cold Cold)to it, I am sure you will go for a second and third glass.

With cold cold energy, the hot hot sun and the dusty dusty streets turned out to be a cool cool walk, a solid one hour walk to the Nayakar Mahal palace, with huge Pillars and painting inside, with idols and carvings inside, I din't knew that the local "Sourashtras" community food was waiting outside, The "Sourashtras" community with their original homes in Gujarat , settled in Madurai long long ago, their food is all vegetarian with mouth watering taste. U try it sometimes ,no wonder you will stop eating meat.

Just outside the palace , there is a small road side stall, and the process goes like this, three containers of soft dough, one with rice flour, drumstick leaves and seasonings(green color). another with Ragi flour, onions and seasonings(brown color) and the last with refined flour with a stuffing of semolina, sugar and ghee(white color). All pressed in palms and deep fried in oil. Two rupees for the green ones and Three rupees for the brown and white ones. I ate ate and ate with hundred and six rupees out of wallet the fellow in the stall is tired frying the dough

Wishing the cook with heart and soul the taste of it lingered in me all through the visit to Meenakshi sudareswar temple. Visit here at-least once in a life time , you/One will understand why Madurai is called the city of temples. Kannagi burnt Madurai as a result of the injustice caused to her husband Kovalan, they say almost everything burnt except the Meenakashi sundareswar temple. I do believe in god and this is the way I pray, I close my eyes and pray to god that save everyone who comes to my mind, the best part is, my tamil tutor who torn me aprt in my school days will come first, followed by the neighbor who broke my nose when I was 17, all my enemies, atlast my family, friends, well wishers, and in this temple something also came towards the end, its the Simmakkal Konar Mess Kari Doasai.I prayed that the mess should be open.


My prayers coming true, Konar Mess Kari Doasai is my next post

Without a title from Manjitha

Photo courtesy : Mr.Belli Jayaprakash, http://badaga.wordpress.com/hethe-habba/


The last day of two zero one zero and I am in Manjitha for almost a week,say starting from last sunday, We call it Hetthai Habba, celebrating our Grand mother which happens once a year(sometimes twice a year). Peoples from Six villages will go divine for a month, carrying their ancestors walking sticks and walk all villages where they have been invited. Every village with great hospitality celebrate their arrival and in return the holy people (Hettakkarru)bless the village with happiness and prosperity, just before the last day they visit Manjitha, that was last sunday.
At Manjitha they called the holy power with songs and playing buguri(flute kind of instrument), followed by food and food, I should mention this of all the six villages in our region , Manjitha is notable for its Avai Udhaka( beans khorma), ahh hard to resist, Monday peoples from all six villages make our walk to Jagatha(nearby village)carrying big umbrellas representing each village,and there in jagatha from a hill above they carry our goddess statue to the sanctum sanctorum. With music and dance happiness covers every where and every one.
With all these in mind and thousand and thousands of people surrounding, the Atchikke (dish made from battha- grain )filled my mind, back home my granny is ready with ragi pancake, and atchikke .I met all my friends and friends , its just the words , and just the visuals before me, all my mind is full of you know what. I know getting atchikke is a once a year affair , but no can deny how delicious it is.
Its thirty minutes walk , I rushed to my granny place only to see the worst part which awaited at home. from a platefull of atchikke a couple of years before to just four to five table spoon of atchikke today is really worst.. no place to cultivate or no one wants to cultivate, it do not grow or peoples do not want to grow, Whatever the reason it is, with handfuls of atchikke in my mouth, thinking next year Hettai habba brought worries and worries... for the cause of Atchhikke.

click the link below for more on atchikke

http://sathishmanjitha.blogspot.com/2009/05/from-manjitha.html

The Akshya Patra Foundation

I write this, as I see the numbers of 1253266 childrens who get meal everyday, "The Akshya Patra Foundation" It says Children can laern much faster that you imagine, All it takes is a filling meal. Yes it is. will any one neglect this true words, We talk a lot and talk a lot, rather let us put something in to action for this wonderful cause. Tough I have a very few following me(my words).I know many want to help feeding a child , I do not want to keep writing its all in here just a few minutes for a noble cause www.akshayapatra.org
This post is not for the contest, It for a Cause

The Holy saint and the Azhagar Dosa

One day visit and so many things, Not very far from "the Athens of South India", This place is build during the sixteen hundreds, An early bus from Madurai for twenty kilometers and twelve rupees bus fare, not bad at all wonderful travel.... Its not a pilgrimage , Its kind of visit to new places, and I believe temples teaches more.

As soon I got down from the bus, Its a long one hour walk up the hill to recah Pazhamudircholai, Temple for lord Muruga, its a fertile hill with springs and herbs and believed that Valli(wife of lord muruga) supposed to have lived here. A walk to remember with dense forest and lot of monkeys, Its all safe until you start disturbing them.

You keep moving uphill to reach Noobura Gangai Theertham, where Goddess Sri Raakachi Amman Shrine is there. She is pouring Her blessings on the devotees,in the form of water.I with a mind of taking the holy bath,went to wet my head with holy water, After which I meat a saint who spelled A to Z of me, Very much scared of prophesy, I offered the saint with a One hundred rupee note as an act of worship, Its not foolish as one of my friend said, If I have to evaluate his sayings, its distinction. because he extended my travel to Thirumala next time... I am happy travelling

Its here in Pazhamudircholai ,The great Tamil poet saint Avvaiyar had been tested by Lord Murga here. who was one of the very famous devotees of Lord Muruga, One day Avvaiyar became tired while travelling came under the shadow of a fruit tree. She was very hungry and thirsty. At that time, a small boy who was sitting on the tree asked her whether she wanted fruits from the tree. she said yes. At that time the boy asked Avvaiyar whether she wanted roasted fruits or unroasted fruits. Avvaiyar who was a famous Tamil poet, litterateur and having indepth knowledge in Tamil thought,"Is there any roasted fruit in the world?" and decided that the small boy didn't have knowledge even about a fruit. she didn't want to argue with the small boy and asked him to pick roasted fruits for her. The boy shook the tree and so fruits fell under the tree. The mud under the tree had stuck on the fruit. Avvaiyar took the fruits and blew on the fruit to remove the mud. It was observed that as the fruits were roasted and had become warm, Avvaiyar had blown the fruits to cool them. At that time, the small boy asked Avvaiyar whether the fruits were warm? Avvaiyar was astonished, "How had a small village cowboy played such an intelligent drama? She had thought that the small boy had no knowledge about fruits and how the fruits in the tree may become roasted fruits. But blowing the air on the fruit to remove the mud is like blowing air to reduce the heat as the fruit is roasted. What a beautiful comparison. Such a beautiful comparison would not have risen in her mind even though she had gained rich knowledge in Tamil." She asked the small boy, "Who are you actually?"

Ahh too much of history, with the saints holy words and my lost hundred rupees, I came down to see lord vishnu at Azhagar Kovil, cutting short the history part, I went in search of food, its the temple prasad, called Azhagar kovil doasi, which is tasty griddle fried, Its hot from the kitchen, with all the necessary seasonings one will forget the accompaniment, because there is none.


The elderly one who cooks and sells, said it take thirty minutes to cook one dosa. which is very thick with a crispy crust and a creamy crumb, along with that he gave Adarasam(sweet), and Chakli(deepfried murukku), tough there are four to five varieties my palate kept searching for Alagar dosai, Ahhhh those tasty dosai...Its just half day passed and with soo many place to visit, Its hard to leave Alagar temple, not because of the divine power, or the lord vishnu or the hundreds of years of history... the real reason, the dosas. Its the hard to resist Alagar Dosai.. The bus arrived and I was ready to leave, Inside the bus I hold my bag tightly with a dozen of Dosai packed hot.

Escargots

A three day journey to the union territory was fun , I do not blame the rain for my laziness, did not go much, did not eat much, all I did was Drink drink and drink, with so many varieties of drinks sometimes its hard to resist. I tried some local foods its all same, Its a new place and the dishes seems to be new.

The Best part is you get all varieties of cooking cheese, the French spreads and many Ingredients. Only there is no place for me to cook, I managed the crowded Goubert market,the silent Rue Dupuy, The bussy street, and The Rocky Beach. A Great place to be, not just because of the drinks you get there, Puducherry is Unique in its own way.The bled of Indian and French cuisine, you get all meats and vegetables there in there.

Of all I tasted, the Snail is what lingers in my mind, Which is consumed in the world for more than a thousand years, there are land snails and freshwater snails, Its rich in protein and less in fat, who will neglect a dish like this. In western countries which is very popular, they call It Escargots - which means a dish of cooked land snails , the usual seasoning butter and parsley. But here in puducherry, the Snail cooked with the local spices is really mouthwatering.

Of All three days, with all places I visited, with all the peoples I met, and all the food I tasted. The taste of Masala Snail lingers in my taste buds and creates an interest in me to visit puducherry again. Forget not a pint of beer when you go to puducherry.

Sex On the Beach

Does the name really matters when it comes to Cocktails, Here it goes,The cocktail's history begins in the nineteenth century. One of the first cocktails to be named and recognized is the martini. It can be traced back to an 1862 recipe for the Martinez. This American recipe consisted of four parts sweet red vermouth to one part gin, garnished with a cherry. "Professor" Jerry Thomas tended the bar of the old Occidental Hotel in San Francisco and reputedly made the drink for a gold miner on his way to the town of Martinez. But the revolution in martini happened after the James Bond era.
Is the drink really decorated with the Tail feathers of chickens,or the left over drinks were mixed in a rooster shaped containers,the etymology its hard to trace, but the names of cocktails is myriad.
Absinthe and Cognac mixed together gives an "Earthquake", to the same you mix in Champagne its "Death in the afternoon" some sounds good and for some its difficult to imagine, A "Black Russian" is Vodka and Khalua mixed together, where in Brandy with Kaluha is a "Dirty Mother". Amaretto with Scotch is "God father" when Scotch is replaced by Vodka its "God mother", A martini is a well known, with same when champagne and pineapple juice is mixed its "Flirtini"
Scotch, tennessee, bourbon whiskey mixed is called "Three wise man" where as "Seven & Seven" is 7up and seven crown whiskey,there is "Polar Bear" "Red headed slut" and the "French connection".There is "My fair lady" "White Lady" and "Pink Lady". Shooters are drunk quickly which contains one to four ounces of mixed spirits, A Duo contains spirit and Liqueur and a Trio additionally contains a Creamy ingredient. With so many naames and so many mixes there are n number of cocktails in this world, sip the drink and explore the taste, do the name really matter. to end with , after the drink ,go back and tell the joy of Cocktail, Nothing wrong in telling that the "Sex on the Beach" is just perfect.
"The Last word" vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice, and cranberry juice mixed together is "Sex on the Beach" didn't I say that the last word is also a cocktail.