Listening in.

While I was at Hotel Kamat (Colaba Causeway, Mumbai) for an early dinner, I heard a girl say “You want to try dosa? Dosa is what the South of India eats and that’s the only thing they ever eat. It is a pancake sort of thing that is made of oil and rice batter.” Apparently she got them there to show them the different Indian cuisines. She, I am presuming, has got her two American friends home for the holiday and when she said this, I was about to get up and clarify a few things but chose not to. It is stupid to try and wake people who are acting asleep, isn’t it? This is exactly why I got back to my cheese dosa promptly without letting a whole, what I wouldn’t have intended to do, argument happen. Instead, thinking about a hundred varieties I can name of our cuisine, I softly thanked all heavens for not letting so many of Mami’s (whether she is an Iyer or a Chettiar) recipes crawl into these menu-ed kitchens.

P.S: This was not to offend anyone if at all it is capable of any such understanding!

P.P.S. Try and eat like there is no south or north. It feels a lot better.

Defining Dosa(i) as a Concept.

One of the few things I am really particular about is how my dosa should be made, served and eaten. As in I believe there is a point in making dosas the way they are to be made and respect compliance. The point is it is an independent concept and its conceptually incorrect to withdraw from its original form. At least refrain from calling it dosa. Call it something else- say gosa or posa! I often find this happening in restaurants- usually the bhavans and sagars around. And I take offence to such a departure. Primarily, dosas are not meant to be "sweet"- which means adding jaggery or sugar to the batter is a strict "no". Also, dosa is a thin and crispy digestible form of tiffin rather than a thick leather-like pancake making it difficult to chew or digest. Making it that thick would also contribute to leaving some parts of the dosa uncooked. May be learning how to make uthappam helps in cooking thick pancakes but uthappam certainly isnt this bad when made thick!

Another thing that adds to the taste of dosa is oil- but overdoing it or using smelly-reheated oil would only render the dosa sort of stale. Too much of oil is not good in any case, right? Dosas are conventionally served with sambhar and chutney (ranging from coconut to onion to mint to tomato). So it is important that the accompaniments are good too. Good here would ideally mean undiluted, spicy and proportionate with all necessary ingredients. The picture I have put up above could be quite misleading, you know? Coriander seasoning definitely doesn't help. And also, that triangular shape doesnt beautify it that much that people would crave to eat dosas which are of that shape (or rolled up neatly). Sadly, I feel for the cause. The cause of all mamis who make wonderful dosas in a minute. The cause of those dosas which might have a right to be presented the way they want to be. Certainly. Sigh...It (the thought) gives me an appetance for the thin-n-light crispy dosas which I can endlessly hog on at home with other complements such as curd, molaga podi (chilly powder), mango pickle, thogayal (which is my recent addiction), etc... while I feel full up in my throat with just a few bites of those thick-n-oily dosas outside.

Little Joys of the Not-so-long Life- Part I

When I was putting down a post yesterday, there were a list of things running in mind...ones that I would look forward to anytime, any day and any where! The best part is when such lovely little things happen when you least anticipate them. They come by and make your day. Countless, yet I thought I must put down some. May be we would have something common...the little pleasures to save for a lifetime!!

I study in Bangalore and hence get to go back home (Chennai!!) at least once a month. The ritual is to rush from classes (at 1:30 in the afternoon) on a Friday afternoon to catch the Brindavan at 2:30. Though it is one of the crowdest trains in India with people getting in, with or without a ticket, and stuffy...it still gives you the hope that you will reach home for dinner. A nice home-cooked meal. When I reach Madras station at 8:30, Dad would be there waiting for me with cake (or something to snack on) from a bakery in Spencers Plaza (on his way from office)...he has never come late. Never. I usually go home after exams or submissions...But the questions my dad asks have never been related to academics. It would be something like "hostel sapadu ippo paravaliya? (Has the mess food become any better?)";"gowthaman, vivek, latchana, tuhina ellam epdi irukanga" (How are gowthaman, vivek, tuhina and latchana doing?); "friends-a kootindu vara vendiyadhu dhaan-e" (Why dont you bring your friends home sometime?) etc... Once we get into the car, I grab the phone from dad and give my mom a call. And I know she would pick it up with the very first ring! Through out the drive, dad will take me around the city (as if I have never been around) and give me updates about the place. When I finally reach home at 9:30, Mom would be waiting at the door to greet me saying "Chellam! Vandhutiya...Epdi irukka?!" (Dear! You have come, finally...How are you?!). By then, my bed would have been made with the A/C turned on so that the room is not hot. Within minutes of freshening up, hot dosas with sambhar and curd-molagapodi are served. For desert, it has always been the carrot halwa I love. By this time, dad will already be whining about how I sweep away all the attention when home! :D After an hour of updating my mom about hostel, Bangalore, the train journey, etc, I go to sleep. Go to sleep on a well-made bed with the temperature just right (thanks to the a/c!) and cuddle up in a blanket. As every other time, the weekend would begin...full of hopes and plans. And I have never gotten bored of this routine. :)

Health and Deliciousness: An Irony?

The Desire to have Tasty Foods Healthy...

Whats with my obsession? I am so committed to eating, eating and only eating. This overeating disorder of mine has led to a gain of nearly 9 kilos in 25 months. I still don't understand if I do it consciously or not. And whats the irony about it as my title suggests to say?! The irony is about how every little thing tasty has to be unhealthy in one way or the other. This includes all my favourites- pizzas, french fries, chocolate mousse, parathas and paneer butter masala, cheese n noodles, coke, cappuccino and liquid chocolate. Hence, I have made up my mind to blame destiny for the weight-gain and not me, a mere mortal.

The other day, I had this sudden craving to go grab a hot double-cheese margherita and some iced tea from Domino's for lunch. Yes, I could go ahead and do it as long as I have two hundred bucks. However, I had to confront this eternal question and ponder about it for nearly an hour before I could actually convince my mind to quench my craving rather leave it hanging. And the eternal question is about how destiny emphasizes on getting the sadistic pleasure of letting everything tasty be unhealthy or at least not so recommended (or nutritious). On the other hand, it is very simple to have it like this- Why can't pizza be rich in vitamins, fibre, minerals, etc and still be as tasty?! Isn't it simpler that way? I can have what I want to have and yet be not bothered about the entire trauma of calculating how many calories it would cost me. Or if you want me to look at it from both sides- why should cappuccino be delicious with only empty calories. Where is the balance in this system that everybody talks about? I demand that there be a balance between taste and nutrition- as in the degree of deliciousness must be directly proportional to its nutrition content. Fair enough, right? This way, people are eating healthy food with a positive mind. In fact, they would have more and more of it. Aah...What would that be like!

Simply put, all I want is one day (or may be a week?) when I can eat whatever (everything, if possible) I want and not gain a single calorie out of it. Also, on that day, I would want to gain the richest source of calcium from cheese, vitamins from chocolate, fibre from oily parathas and minerals from cappuccino. Or to be more selfish, pizzas could actually help me lose weight. Wow. Now this is why I call myself an eternal optimist...I actually think it will happen someday. Till it actually happens, I shall merely dream of living in that virtual period!