There is surveillance all around us. We keep being told what to eat and what not to by our families, the government, the fitness magazines and the long tradition-ridden sayings. Amidst this surveillance, amidst this idea of pure and impure, holy and unholy, somewhere we continue to reject their commands even if within the corners of our homes or behind the walls of someone else’s gastronomic bureaucracy. This issue is about places like such and the food that we eat irrespective of what we are told and the comfort they bring us. For us, in these pieces, food steps out of the political spaces built around us and becomes simply a thing of our childhood or the flagship of our teenage tummies. We have written about the places we love, recipes we have created ourselves, how-to’s and memories that food holds for us.
Biscuit Sandwiches
(No you cannot jump straight to the recipe. So read the long personal story that inspired my brilliant creation)
-Preetika X
Food consumes eighty percent of my thoughts. A marriage of combinations: tangy and spicy, bitter and sweet… a contradiction of flavors, reminding me of that one scene in Ratatouille where Remy savors a squeeze of a tart grape and pairs it in holy matrimony with a crumb of cheese. Quiet fireworks go off in the dark, lighting up this holy union.
I wasn't always this choosy or opinionated with food. As a youngling, I'd eat anything that didn't disgust me. Yes, the bar was quite low because my mother set it to the blazing core of the earth.
In junior one, I owned a pink Disney princess plastic Dabba. I called it the double-decker dabba because of its two levels and its chunky resemblance to a red London tour bus. Every snack break, with heightened intrigue I'd pull out double-decker dabba or D³ (you see, eventually I learnt math) and await the surprise hidden in it. The first three times I was disappointed to find one small black spotted banana and three Hide and Seek biscuits. The mash of the fruit spread over the surface of my tongue inducing a nauseating three minutes. After the torture of the fruit, I'd reward myself with the chocolate-ridged biscuit, biting off each ridge one by one during the fifteen-minute break.
While I ate with disgust, I couldn't help but peek into everyone else's dabba's. Chicken salami sandwiches, French fries, sweet corn and butter, potato nuggets, non-mushy fruits, cake… a whole feast for the taste buds. That evening, I was determined to demand my rights to a non-banana and biscuit snack. However, my efforts were futile and if I wanted a half-decent snack that I could share with my friends, I'd need to start making it on my own.
My very first experience cooking in the Kitchen.
With a newfound sense of willpower to right the crimes of my mother's culinary Don'ts, I scanned the kitchen for ingredients. There would be no chicken salami sandwiches or French fries or anything that required heat (fire was still scary). I grabbed the two things my young tongue loved– the half-opened packet of Marie biscuits and the emptying Kissan jam slotted behind the mustard bottle in our fridge.
With a metal knife, I spread the red strawberry jam over the surface of the biscuit remembering my penchant for all things jam-related. Little did I know that I wasn't the Thomas Edison of jam biscuits. The first bite of my new jam biscuit sandwich was divine. Crumbs of biscuit sticking to the corner of lips with sticky jam. Edges of biscuit attempting to impale my upper palate. The brilliance in the simplicity of sweet and sweet, making it more sweet. What little child wouldn't love preservatives and biscuits?
The next day double-decker dabba had an audience surrounding her for the very first time. As my friends peered into my box with inquisitive eyes, I munched on the biscuit sandwich with abandon. Soon enough they worked the courage to taste some and we began sharing food. No longer was D³ filled with blasphemous bananas (a fruit I don't eat till today) and three chocolate biscuits. Now she had a biscuit sandwich, half a chicken salami sandwich, two french fries and non-mushy fruits during the fifteen-minute break.
Recipe: Biscuit Sandwiches.
Prep time: 2 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Total time: 2 minutes.
Serves: 1 six-year-old child.
Ingredients:
2 Marie gold biscuits
¾ tsp of Kissan mixed fruit jam (or any jam of your choosing.)
Directions:
Step 1
Choose two perfectly golden biscuits from the packet. This might be a challenge if the packet is half opened and everyone in your family loves breaking biscuits in half for some reason.
Step 2
Now that you have found your perfect two, flip one over and take a generous serving (I know I said ¾ tsp but we supposedly live in a free country and you should exercise the few rights we still have) and spread it over evenly.
Step 3
This step is crucial. If done incorrectly it could topple our democracy (or whatever is left of it).
Take the second biscuit and carefully place it over the top of the biscuit with the jam. Make sure that the circumference of the two biscuits have met perfectly and no dollops of jam are falling out.
Maybuns when the time comes
- Shaista
Just one more tear to cry and one teardrop from my eye for my fragile heart to collapse. In seeking aid, I rise in the dead of night stumbling towards the kitchen with a blurry vision. Undoubtedly, I stub my pinky on the refrigerator door. Surrendering to the weight of existence, I fall. We'd run out of chilled water, and now I'd run out of patience. The fridge as dry as the Sahara desert stood tall staring down at me with its mouth wide open. I slammed the door shut in frustration. “If God really liked me, he would send forth a miracle,” I thought to myself. And lo and behold, he did.
The corner of my eyes landed upon a pack of buns triggering a recollection of a frail bottle of mayo tucked away in the refrigerator. Perhaps I could combine both simply for the sake of the continuance of my existence. I make equal halves of the bun and roughly lather some Oetkar mayo onto it. As it touched my lips, an epiphany dawned, the reality of divinity flooded my senses.
And so began my very first hyperfixation, bun & mayo. Or as I like to call it, maybuns. Maybuns and I go a long way back. Almost similar to that of the relation between your first unexpected crush and you. You eventually get over it but the first few days, weeks even months have you in a chokehold.
Food has always been my refuge, I'm not one to shy away from finding solace in it. Whilst I refuse to believe I'm not a picky eater, my habits betray my thoughts.
When things are black and white, in the stark contrasts of life, you need help seeing the nuanced shades of gray. Finding a middle ground while life throws weird combinations of itself towards you is as daunting as cracking a coconut barehanded for the first time. Not impossible, but time-consuming.
I strongly stand for pairing life's peculiar concoctions with equally unusual condiments.
Why dodge situations when you can indulge yourself in them? Engaging all senses enables a comprehensive understanding of it all. For example, after a long day when you start tasting the sour spirit of chupa chups on your tongue, it's a sign to go get some.
Hyperfixations, whether they manifest in food or other aspects of life, offer a temporary escape from the mundane. They consume our thoughts and energy, providing a much-needed distraction from the challenges that surround us. Like a comforting embrace, they envelop us in a world of our own making, shielding us from the harsh realities of the outside world.
Saving myself from the harsh reality only required a little bit of the good white sauce and some baked goodness. In a world that often feels chaotic and unpredictable, my lovely maybuns offered me a sense of stability and control. Through my obsession with them, I discovered a newfound appreciation for the art of culinary improvisation. I learned to embrace the unexpected and find joy in the most unlikely of pairings.
Rasam rice and fries
- Bhoomika
She says it's for our best, for my brother and me. She believes that this will help us become independent. Perhaps, it is true. Perhaps we have become independent. I cook my own meals.
Not on a daily basis, but when Amma has to go somewhere for a few days, we can survive. Amma doesn't have to worry about "oh how do I leave my children alone? What will they eat? Should I leave them in one of my sister's houses?" Instead she just informs us about her outing one night before and locks the door behind her on the day she's leaving even before the sun has risen. Her visits are usually to the place she was born in.
One of the first things she taught me for survival was to make rasam. Not rice, because she thought making rice was not even cooking. Washing it thrice and pouring water to rice in the cooker and placing the whistle on it. Not a big deal.
I don't like her recipe, or maybe I've just forgotten how she makes it. And so I learnt my way of making rasam, the most famous survival food in my house.
Boil a few tomatoes, peel them if preferred and squish them with your palm and fingers. And then do the usual rasam recipe. Now if you ask me from where I got the recipe, it's through experimenting different ways of making rasam. And I enjoyed making it this way.
Sounds like something is missing. And so I pick up two potatoes, cut them, fry them, sprinkle a little salt and chilli powder. Voila! We have rasam rice and potato fries on days ammas is missing. A spoon of the food makes you forget that amma is not around you. My taste buds and stomach will never know a day when Amma is not present.
This is the only thing i can push down my throat when I'm dying with a fever or a cold or a cough. The other dish would also be idli and Vada, but that's a breakfast dish. Not a lunch or dinner dish. And so rasam rice and fries for the rescue.
It might sound very unhealthy to eat rasam rice and fries, but once a while is not very unhealthy. It's healthy for the mind and soul. So I'm guessing it's good to go.
Every time we go to my aunts house, ammas does a full round of show off. She says she knows how to make mysore rasam and Bangalore rasam and a city version of it and a village version of it. And it doesn't stop there. She goes onto show about how her children are very independent and how she can roam everywhere she wishes to. And with my ability of making rasam and potato fries, she thinks I can live a complete life.
2 Minute happiness
- Khushi Devanath
Slurp slurp…..
And tiny blobs of the Maggi soup fall onto my laptop screen. I look at it with disgust as I don't like to eat messily but when you eat something like noodles this is bound to happen. I walk over to the kitchen and bring a tissue to wipe off the artwork that I left on my laptop screen. I was in glee when it looked all shiny. Looking towards the right I see the raindrops fall on the black metallic rails of my balcony, closing my eyes I listen carefully to the chattering created by it.
It was a gloomy afternoon that summer and I remember being extremely bored. As I went through the shelves in my kitchen I found an empty maggi packet. I went and filled the pot with water and as I waited for it to boil, I wanted to make it different. I remembered a recipe that my friend had taught me. It was very different from the usual Maggi recipes. When the maggi was boiling we added a little butter and let it simmer for about 1 minute. On the other side, we finely chop an onion and fry it till it gets translucent. Once the maggie is done cooking, we bring it off the stove and add the translucent onions. It might not sound the best but trust me when I say it's yummy.
As I finished making the Maggi, I looked outside the window and saw that it started to rain. I love the rain but only as long as I'm inside my house because walking around the city with damp puddles everywhere is only fun when you're a kid but when you're an adult on your way to college, it can be the most frustrating thing ever. I ran up to my room and there was this corner right next to my balcony, I brought three blankets and made it a cozy nook by trying to stuff all the blankets into a fake bean bag. I opened the door, brought out my mini table, and placed my laptop on it, as I searched for one of my favorite k dramas on Netflix - My Love from another star. I run down and bring my Maggi and enjoy it as I watch the K drama andthe sound of the rain in the background. Watching the female lead slurp down ramen, I do the same, as I slurp down Maggi, making me feel as though I'm in the same situation and place as her.
When one thinks of comfort food, Maggi definitely doesn't come to mind, but for me as much as I love my mother's food, nothing can beat the flavor these instant noodles hold. For me it's more than just instant noodles, it's something that helped me stay awake through late-night study during my board exams, gave me warmth on the days I was down and my Kdrama binge sessions would be so incomplete without it. So I guess, I can end my piece by saying 2 minutes Maggi can cure away my sadness.
TIBETAN FOOD NOT JUST LIMITED TO THUKPA.
- Varsha G Pai
Anyone who lives in bangalore knows that Koramangala is the paradise for food lovers along with places like Kammanahalli and VV Puram. As most of its restaurants is on the bougier side, making it it hard for college students to enjoy a meal within budget. I used to go to Jyothi Nivas pre university located in Kora itself, And one day my best friend Fathima told me about this place just opposite to our college called Khawa Karpo and said something about this dish called fried Thenthuk. Apparently its from theTibetan cuisine and my knowledge for Tibetan food started and ended at thukpa so I was quite nervous to try it, the demerits of being a picky eater.
It was one of my friends' birthdays and she was searching for a place to treat us. We were bored of domino's and wanted some real food, that's when Khawa Karoo made an appearance in my life for the first time. We sat on our chairs looking around to find a tiny place with just 3 tables, but more than ten people waiting outside. I remember thinking "well it has to be good right?".
My friends ordered fried rice, noodles ,thukpa and other basic things. I on the other hand, on my attempt to be risky, I went ahead with fried Thenthuk and was too scared to tell others to order it, because what if they don't like it? I did not want the blame for their angry stomach. While I waited for my order, a bottle of mountain dew caught my attention and hoped it would be a good pair with whatever I ordered. And after just five minutes, the waiter brought in something that looked soo unfamiliar to me but smelled like absolute heaven. The noodles was flattened and handpulled unlike the noodles we are used too,covered in a thick glossy brown gravy. It looked so hearty and wholesome filled with pieces of chicken, bok choy and mushroom, with quantity that could fill any starving adult. I took the first bite and my taste buds felt like they were being treated well after a long time. You know the feeling you gets when you falls in love with someone? You are happy that you met them but you are also disappointed that you did not meet them earlier. I felt the same with Thenthuk. It had been right opposite to my college for a year and now is when I got to taste it!?
It's been more than two years now and ever since that day everyone who I have loved or wanted in my life, has been here. It's my way of showing how much they mean to me, and so far the tally remains four. So yes, listening to Fathima and having Thenthuk will probably be in my top ten best decisions of my life.
My Sundays are never complete without this!
- Haripriya R
Until recently, I didn’t realize I had something to consider as my comfort food but every time I was asked what I want to eat there was one Dish that would come to my mind …. And that was biryani. I don’t know if it is my comfort food or not, but every time I have it, there’s an absolute sense of satisfaction in life. I feel biryani has always been my favorite food even before realizing that it was my comfort food.
Biryani is not just made by using different ingredients, but there’s also a lot of different styles for cooking it. Each region has its own style of biryani - Hyderabadi biryani, Andhra style biryani, Talapakatti biryani from Tamil Nadu, Chettinadu biryani, Ambur biryani, Malabar biryani, etc. and to mention these styles are confined only to the south of India. Moving to the north, there’s Mughal biryani straight away from the Mughal period, Kolkata biryani etc.
In Karnataka, we find a lot of varieties of biryani, but the one that has its origin traced back here is called Donne biryani, which is served in a dried plantain leaf bowl called ‘Donne’ in Kannada. It is usually made from jeera samba rice, yogurt with a lot of common mint and coriander leaves. These biryanis are available in military hotels across the city.
Ingredients used for preparing this specific biryani cannot be named easily, as it has a lot of different ingredients consisting of a variety of flavors making the biryani as perfect as it is. These Ingredients vary according to the region and with the types of meat, vegetables used. Meat, chicken, goat, beef, lamb, is the prime ingredient with rice. As is common with dishes from the Indian subcontinent, vegetables are sometimes also used while preparing biryani. But that’s a whole different story as adding vegetables to biryani, makes it pulao.
Coming to spices added to the Dish, adds up a whole new list which may include fennel seeds, ghee, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, coriander, mint, ginger, onions, tomatoes, green chilies and garlic just to name a few! After all these ingredients, comes the preparation styles which is impossible to explain in a single article. So I would not be trying to do it as I just know how to eat biryani while the cooking process is not my cup of tea! Then coming back to biryani being my comfort food it has always been part of my childhood memories, which is trying biryani in different places of the state.
After all this process of preparing biryani, I remembered my childhood practice, which was considered as a weird way of having biryani! Adding ghee on biryani was my weird habit which made the waiter give a confused look when I asked him for ghee on top of biryani. So that’s when I realized this was my style of preparing biryani which was already prepared! That’s how my stories started with this dish and now it has become my all time comfort food.
A hug in a bowl
- Gerard Daly
Chaat is probably one of the most common types of street food you get in India. A prompt visit to any place that sees a crowd, one can witness the numerous chaat shops lining the streets with a crowd of people gathered around them. I’m not usually a person who likes eating street food although I have recently found myself enjoying a certain type of street food, Masala Puri.
As someone who works as a delivery boy for one of the two major food delivery apps (I’d rather not say which one as I have nothing but bad reviews) I am constantly riding aroundthe city for at least four hours a day. When I don’t have to deal with the nagging customers or I am not having an internal crisis, wondering why I seem to be doing this job that may or may not cut half my salary when its time to get paid, I’m hungry. We don’t really get a break per say so we have to improvise.
There are many options for one to choose from while traversing the streets of Bangalore, the 99 variety dosa carts, the falooda carts, the momo guys, the gol gappa stands, the sweet corn guys and of course the masala puri carts. I have had masala puri a few times before, from both hotels and street vendors and I didn’t really take a liking to it; I guess I thought of myself as more of a bhel puri guy. Something about the taste and texture just did not sit right with me. It tasted like something that would be cooked at home and the almost peppery gravy taste reminded me of bone soup, that I just hated.
One day while working late I found myself in quite the situation, I was hungry and there was not a shop in sight. After riding for a while a blue cart caught my attention, I immediately knew it was a chaat shop and pulled over to the side. I went up to the lady and asked her for a bhel puri to which she replied that the puffed rice was over for the day and masala puri was all she had. I reluctantly said yes and she started tossing the ingredients into the little bowl with such ease it almost felt careless, but mind you not a single drop was spilled. She handed me the bowl apologizing that the gravy was not very hot as she was closing for the night but she did however toss in a couple of extra puris to compensate. I shook my head in approval as I took it from her and found a seat on one of the little plastic stools she had set up for the customers. I mixed up all the ingredients and took the first bite and I have to say It was perfect, the temperature, the taste, the crunchiness, the ratio of peas to puri, the lack of tomatoes, it felt like a warm hug. A switch flipped in my head and suddenly I didn’t mind the peppery taste that I once despised or the fact that my phone was going crazy the whole time telling me to get a move on, all that mattered was to me and my bowl of masala puri. It seemed to give me a comfort that I couldn’t quite place, it just felt right. I paid the lady thanked her and went on my way, still smiling with contentment.
Masala puri has become a part of my daily routine and I find myself constantly on the lookout for those little blue carts as I ride along. I have sampled well over twenty five different shops at this point, but they all pale in comparison to the masala puri I had that night.
Savouring Generations and Family recipes
- Angelia
Every bit of savor, from adding a pinch of salt to the stirring of rasam at home, is made with love. Is it love or the food? Maybe it's a mix of both that makes your mouth water. Ask a person staying far from home, and they will tell you about their longing for what makes home food so special. The traditions passed down through generations, with a little alteration here and there, may differ from your home food to mine, but in the end, nothing tastes better than home food. It's probably Amma's magic hand or a secret passed down through the family. Maybe it's more than just food recipes; perhaps it's a whole history. At home, Amachi and Amma cook, but surprisingly, our long line of ancestors were all male cooks, breaking some stereotypes. Amachi sat on the diwan and told me about my great-great-great Thatha, Antony Joseph Carvalho, who was a cook for the British. In the faintness of her voice, I began to think aloud, "Did he betray us by cooking for them, or did they just couldn't resist his food?" But Ammachi kept going on and on, "While he worked in Rangoon at the time of independence, he moved back to Mysore after freedom, where Krishna Raja Wadiyar appointed him as a cook for his British pals who visited him."
My mind debated every line she said. "I wonder how his food tasted. Is it still relished today, passed down through genetics that I can taste it today? Was he so good that even the British liked his food?”, The famous Goan dish called Sorpotel filled with pork meat, liver and goat blood, served with steaming idlis, would just make your mouth water. That was his famous dish.
Which made me think I may have tasted it through Amma's food let's say genetics.
Coming back, let's continue to listening to Ammachi.
Proudly, she smiled and said, "He even won a medal from Lord Mountbatten when he left India," showing a picture of him with a dog beside him. Yes, that's the one.
"Somehow, food always wins people's hearts."
Food is not only short-lived but has an eternity. But going forward, food has other factors.
Along comes tradition and culture, where it seems to clash. You may argue with me that your home food tastes better than mine, but as they say, one man's food is another man's poison. You won't choke on mine. The normal menu from Monday to Saturday consists of Brahmin dishes. My great-grandfather, who was a Brahmin, fell in love with my great-grandma, who was Goan. He converted to Christianity, but it seems like his food habits didn't change. From palyas and ennai Kai, to rasam saaru and curd rice, they fill our hungry stomachs, while Sundays are reserved for beef, red roast and chili fry.
From dose yaake? To dose yelli?
- Chakshu H Shanbhog
ದೋಸೆ(dose). As a child I hated dose. Amma used to run around trying to feed it to me, but the soggy texture just made me gag. Amma used to say “asayya maadkond tinbaardu chakshu” which means “you shouldn't disgust yourself while eating something”.
When we went outside to eat something, my parents used to ask us what we wanted, my brother and I always picked the opposite dishes. He used to say dose and i always picked something that nobody would eat and always went to waste, like hakka noodles. Usually Amma would share it with me as she knew I'd waste it if the entire dish was given to me.
Slowly after a few years I moved on to idly. I wouldn't eat it at home but would rather order it when we went to Darshini hotels. Amma and appa would yell at me saying “manel maaddre tinnalla il bandu idly idly antya'' which means “you don't eat it when it's made at home but you come out and act like you've never eaten idly”. Something about hotel idlis made me happy. Now I know what that something is, it's the texture. Amma's idly is soft, but the hotel’s idly is a little rough and grainy. It's the same way with dose. Amma's doses are exceptional, but hotel doses are better. The thing about dose is that it's not just the texture that makes a difference, it's the chutney.
Gatti chutney with dose makes the dose feel dry but neer chutney makes it easier to swallow. Initially when I started liking dose I used to like it with gatti chutney, I used to drink a lot of water while eating my dose and it would fill up my stomach even before I finished one dose. Now I eat it with neer chutney, as I've learnt how to manage and pair up my dose with the required amount of chutney.
It was during lockdown and in PU when I actually realized how beautiful that dish is. It's crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, sometimes half burnt on the sides but still delicious to eat. In 2021, one of my PU friends took me to Vidyarthi Bhavan saying “chakshu dose tinnaNa baare” (chakshu let's eat dose). As it was Vidyarthi Bhavan, I agreed. It was while traveling that she realized I wasn't a fan of doses in general. She gasped and said “by the time 2nd pu ends I'm going to make you fall in love with it” and she was right. She did make me love the dish.
Now everytime I go out the only thing I order is a dose. I've become my brother now. I've started liking doses so much that I sometimes ask Amma to make it for me randomly and she says “chakshu hitt yaar maadkodtaare? Neena?” (who’s going to make the batter?you?)
Till today when my friend and I meet we go out for doses and try it in different places. And now Amma calls her my dose dosth, and knows we don’t spend or do anything suspicious when we're hanging out together.
Cravings
- Alvin Joseph Sajeevan
The seventh-grader me would never have thought that I’d be ordering choru and kootan for a Sunday lunch. Why would it be a shock? Because like any other kid to ever exist, I was not a huge fan of home-cooked food, but recently that’s been the only thing I crave. Maybe I crave it because it's been almost 3 months since I last went back home and now it's starting to feel like the time away from there is just going to keep on increasing. And after psycho analyzing myself, by myself, at a random 3 am, I realized maybe the craving is to go back to those childhood days, where a dish would chase me until it was over
Back in my energetic days, when I was around 5 or 6 years old, Amma used to chase me around with food until it was over. And the dish would mostly be rice and fried fish. I don’t remember much from my childhood, but there is a scene I clearly remember like it happened yesterday. I'm playing with a Tom and Jerry train set, more than playing, I was just watching as it doesn’t do much other than go round and round, and for some reason, I loved watching that(not surprised kids are weird.) Then I heard Amma calling me “kanna oru vaa eduthatu po”, - kanna which means Krishna was my nickname - she was calling me to take a bite of the rice ball with fish mixed with it. By rice ball, I just meant she rolls the rice with her hand into a ball and adds fish to it after picking the bones out of it. And now when I know that no one is going to chase me with food, other than of course, the Zomato delivery guy whom I pay to chase, just makes my heart flutter, my eyes water and my bank balance lower.
Now Moving on, I’m shocked when I hear people say they don’t like fish, how can anyone not like it? And as a Malayali, I don’t really have much of a choice when it comes to beef and fish, I have to like it, and I love it! Sea cuisine, to me, is the most flavourful and at the same time most nostalgic for me. I was brought up eating fish and I’ve got no complaints for it. People say they don’t like it because of the bones and smell, but these same people go ahead and eat chicken. I understand the bone thing is a bit complicated in fish, but I like to see it as a part of the experience. I only get frustrated when people who eat non-veg cuisine judge people who eat fish just because of its smell, like bruh we both eat flavored carcasses, so let’s keep the judgment role in this relationship for the vegans or to those who throw fake blood at people while leaving the Burlington coat factory.
So yes back to the topic, more than having a favorite food I have a favorite person, and it’s the food that this person cooks that fills both my heart and stomach. Now after writing this piece I just can’t wait to go back to Amma by taking a long holiday, and if the water scarcity continues this way, it might just happen pretty soon.
How to eat a meal in my semi-Tamil-Muslim household
- Misbha
Portrait: A steel plate with pall white rice in the middle floating in a pool of rasam. One curry leaf sitting atop the rice. Scattered mustard seeds all over, like a road in the process of being tarred. On the side or top, changing with preference is a green curry - phaal - in an almost thick consistency made mainly of pepper with either mutton or beef. It is a green little darker than matcha. One palm-sized appalam sits uncomfortably on the plate, too big to fit in. A fish fry will be on a small plate next to yours. The travelling from the small to the big needs to be done.
What one has to do is get a good portion of rice, enough to fit five fingers. If you are someone who eats rice with a spoon, you may leave. Now that there are no boorish people here, we can resume. Mix the rice in the rasam thoroughly. No grain should be barred from being dissolved in rasam. Take some phaal from the side of the plate and make it make love with the rice. Bring in a quick bite size of the meat from the phaal and let it join them. Save the appalam for the last so that the crunch remains intact in the mouth. The appalam should be crispy-crispy and must graze your upper palette a little violently in a harmless way. If not, place a piece of appalam in between the rice till it absorbs the rasam while its edges remain austere. If you are a pickle person, scoop half a fingerprint of pickle as well. Your bite must be droopy and hard to hold together - like quicksand - weighing down by the appalam and the five strands of mutton. When it meets your mouth, you will first encounter the raspy rice and the upper palette of your mouth will sting a little because of the appalam. The rasam will drift to the back of your mouth and the pepper from the phaal will activate the edges of your tongue. The mutton comes into action much later when you start chewing. The appalam starts breaking into smaller pieces, with each piece growing softer in your mouth. The way rain gains momentum from a drizzle to a pour, flavours too, build up to a climax till there is only left a muddy pool of water. Remains is a semi-solid paste of food - a porridge made by one’s own mouth. Gradually, gulp this porridge down and repeat.
Alternate the next bite with daal and rasam instead of phaal and the bite after that with all three. Don’t be shy to layer protein with protein. Mutton fibres and fish layers in the same bite surprisingly work well together. The final segments of your plate must be spotted with rice granules and a layer of rasam. Separate your index fingers from the rest of your palm and scoop the thin layer of infiltrated rasam and slide it inside your mouth for a good lick. The skin of your finger must be glazed entirely with your saliva. It is best recommended to lift your place a little closer to your face while you do this. Three to four-finger scoops must clean the plate thoroughly.
Optional: End your meal by pouring half a dollop of rasam into a steel filter coffee glass and slurp it slowly while making sounds by smacking your lips together. It is a very important step - smacking of the lips. It is lovelier if the rasam is still warm, the burn of the tongue and the throat is necessary.
Home cooked food - 1
Take out - 0
- Ishwarya Katte
I grew up in Bangalore, but not the old side of Bangalore. As a kid, we stayed near HAL, a conservative area, with a temple nearby that had bells ringing early in the morning which was a sign for me to pretend to be asleep till Amma woke me up. Later we shifted to CV Raman Nagar, which was a slightly more commercial area, I didn’t really mind it because I had a new set of friends whom I could play catch-catch with and that was all that mattered.
Ajji grew up in Gandhi Bazaar, Thata stayed in Mysuru for a while but then also shifted somewhere near Gandhi Bazaar. Amma and Vinay, my dad grew up in Jabalpur and Pune respectively. With everyone growing up in different cities, I was always stuck when someone asked me where I was from, I didn't know what to say. Now I can say I’m a pakka Bangalorean.
I had never been a picky eater, all the drama started only after I grew up as Amma would say. The dish I remember distinctly from my childhood and this afternoon is uppu- tuppa- anna. It literally translates to salt - ghee - rice.
Uppu-tuppa-anna has always been my favourite food. Whenever I can't seem to choose between having noodles or food made at home, uppu-tuppa-anna is always the answer. Although it sounds like an easy dish, I personally think there’s a lot of maths that goes into curating the best type of uppu tuppa anna. Manjula mam, my 10th grade maths teacher wasn’t wrong when she told me you can't escape maths even if you want to, it hit me like a truck in the form of uppu tuppa anna.
It’s always better to ask Amma or Ajji to make it, because it’s so easy and they love making it, it somehow tastes better than anything else that's low carb or keto diety.
You start off by taking hot-hot rice right out of the cooker, and while it's still piping hot, pour some nice yellow ghee into it. A lot of ghee just makes the dish taste rich and elite. Then once mixed, the rice hug each other like best friends on the last day of college, then you add in some salt. Now I have never seen my mother nor grandmother carefully size the amount of salt, it's just “ yestadru beko, haku” (put as much as you want)
And mix it a little more to incorporate all these three ingredients well enough, that anyone sitting in the hall could smell it and crave for it the next minute.
The thing about uppu tuppa anna is that it’s extremely simple to make, with just three ingredients. This allows all these to have the spotlight. When well made, you can taste the rice at the back of your mouth, and ghee all over because it just melts with the heat of your pie hole and the salt in the front of your mouth makes you quickly take another bite. It's not like other dishes where there are so many new flavours that you sit down and think about where this taste comes from. Uppu tuppa anna is also very generous, it sometimes acts as a base for other dishes. Once you have a few bites of it and weirdly want another taste in your palette, you can simply add some rasam or sambhar to it, which would then just make it elite-d rasam rice. Uppu tuppa anna will always be the dish I want before every meal, made by Amma when I'm happy, sad, sick or dancing. It screams out comfort and tells you to go make it when you can.
The Andhra Essence
- Rishika
As someone who grew up near the borders of Andhra Pradesh, I developed a profound love for Andhra cuisine. The flavors and spices that define this culinary tradition have always fascinated me. From the zesty tang of Gongura Pachadi to the aromatic allure of pulihore. Exploring Andhra cuisine has not only been a gastronomic delight but also a cultural experience. Each dish is like a flavorful adventure through the diverse cooking styles of South India.
Andhra cuisine not only nourished my body but also nourished my soul. As someone who appreciates bold and spicy flavors, Andhra cuisine has always captivated my taste buds.
An Andhra meal typically includes a variety of dishes, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, served with rice or jowar roti or sweet roti ( holige). An Andhra meal is not just about food; it's a cultural experience that we cherish. We prefer the traditional way of eating, using our hands and enjoying the meal on banana leaves. The use of banana leaves as plates adds an authentic touch and enhances the flavors of the meal. The meal starts with appetizers like crispy lentil crackers and tangy chutneys. For the main course, there are options like succulent chicken or mutton curries for non-vegetarians, and dal, vegetable stir-fries, and leafy greens for vegetarians. Rice is a staple, with choices like Pulihora (tamarind rice), Chitrana
(lemon rice) or steamed rice. They serve three different varieties of dal- pappu dal, sambar and rasam. The meal ends on a sweet note with traditional desserts like Ariselu or modern treats like fruit salads.
In my hometown, Ballari, there's a gem called Halli Mane. For just 120 rupees, they serve the best unlimited Andhra meals. The cozy ambience, authentic flavors, and generous servings make it a favourite spot for food enthusiasts like me. It's a reminder that great food doesn't have to break the bank, and sometimes, the most satisfying meals are found in unexpected places. This is where my love affair with Andhra cuisine began, and it has since become my absolute favourite.
Now let’s talk about my favourite dish from the meal, pappu dal rice, also called annam pappu. It holds a really special place.
The smooth, creamy texture of the dal, cooked to perfection and infused with medley of, paired with fluffy rice creates a comforting and deeply satisfying experience. This combination is nothing but soul-nourishing. It's a dish that brings back fond memories of home-cooked meals and family gatherings, evoking feelings of warmth and contentment. What makes Pappu Dal Rice even more truly special are its accompaniments. Creamy curd (mosuru) adds a refreshing contrast, while tangy mango pickle and a hint of spice from green chillies enhance the overall flavor profile.
This dish isn't just about the taste; it's about the emotions and memories it stirs. Pappu Dal Rice represents comfort, love, and a connection to my family, making it a cherished part of my culinary journey.
Nilgiri’s wale bhaiya ke gol gol gappe
- Anoushka Bobby George
Ever since I shifted to my new house, which was 15 years ago the only place i love to go to is to the gol gappe wale bhaiya. Whether I’m happy or sad or confused, whatever my mood be I’ll feel like I’m back on track if I just eat one plate of gol gappe from my favourite place.
Me finding this place was coincidental as I found it with my mom and dad while going to my doctor for an injection and my mother said that if I was being a good girl she’d let me eat it. I’m pretty sure my mother regrets saying that to me back then because as I grew up I would at least go once every month to eat it with my mother, grandmother or aunt. It was my go to place for everytime i was hungry. I once devoured five whole plates of gol gappe
People say that you shouldn’t eat street food because it’s bad for your health and can make you sick, but I say no,that’s wrong because I’ve had gol gappe from there for 15 years and I’ve never fallen sick! (touchwood, I don’t want anyone putting nazar on me and my favourite food🧿). Every time a friend, family member or a guest comes over, I never fail to take them with me and everyone always has a great review of it.
Gol gappa is a tiny, crispy, hollow sphere - the puri which is filled with a tantalizing blend of mashed potato, chickpeas, onions, and chutneys. It’s then sunken into a cool, tangy and minty flavoured water (pani) before being popped into the mouth for an explosion of mouth watering flavours and taste. They offer you two types of flavoured water (pani) - a spicy and minty one called jaljeera and another sweet one called something, I don’t remember having any name other than meetha pani.
Gol gappa is also called pani puri and has become a beloved street food across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal, known by various other names such as phuchka and gup chup.
Once I was waiting in line for gol gappa with my best friend and there was a woman in her mid 40’s waiting with us for her turn and since nilgiri’s wale bhaiya had a lot of rush to handle that time, he was taking sometime. The woman started yelling at him and upset him when he was working at his fastest pace but the woman continued to yell. Nilgiri’s wale bhaiye, without raising his voice, spoke to the lady with uttermost respect and kept apologising to the woman. Later she looked at us thinking we would take her side but we told her calmly to stop yelling at him because he was indeed trying his best. We thought she’d leave right after but funnily she didn’t. She stood right there and ate 2 whole plates of gol gappe all while complaining to someone on call in Marathi (which I understood because one of my besties’ and an old close friend spoke quite a lot in Marathi that taught me a few basics). After she left, bhaiya started telling us how, he was actually trying his best to start her round of gol gappe but the crowd was too much for him to handle. We spoke about it with him and told him that it’s okay while cracking jokes about her and left for home as it was getting late.
The next time you encounter a gol gappa vendor, don't hesitate to indulge in this delightful explosion of taste and texture because you're definitely in for a truly unforgettable street food experience.
IDIYAPPAM AND COCONUT MILK
- Preethika Kumar
Our thaarvad, or ancestral home, is located in the center of Kerala, where the smell of spices fills the air and the gentle sway of the coconut palms sets the rhythm of life. The vast, hot, gloomy kitchen of our thaarvad was enormous. It featured old wooden cabinets with antiquated handles that are no longer made and would creak every time you opened it. It was painted a dark brown color. Traditionally built of clay and brick, the hearth is the focal point of the kitchen and is the nesting place for traditional wood-fired stoves, or "aduppu". Many hooks and shelves above the fireplace hold a variety of copper, brass, and clay items that are organized by purpose.
Along with creating my favorite dish, idiyappam, my mother would make me sit on the granite slab that was meant for crushing spices, kneading dough, and rolling out appams and chapatis. She would also tell me stories from her early years. Yes, Idiyappam was my favourite food and I could eat it for every meal of the day. String hoppers, or idiyappam, are a common sight in Keralan homes and are treasured. Idiyappam, which is made from rice flour, is carefully steamed to produce beautiful strings of fluffy, soft noodles. In my family, preparing it is an art that has been passed down through the years. But the velvety embrace of coconut milk is what really takes idiyappam to new heights. Fresh coconut milk was extracted from ripe coconuts by my mother and grandmother, Ammuma. We used to gather coconuts from our own grooves. The coconuts would be grated, placed on a white Muslin cloth, tied carefully, and squeezed with all of their strength to extract every last drop of the delicious nectar.
Together with the steaming hot Idiyappam, my mother would offer coconut milk in a bowl made of coconut shells and top it with grated coconut, sugar crystals, and affection. I used to carefully coat the Idiyappam with coconut milk, allowing it to sink in the rich, smooth, and creamy mixture. The first bite is a revelation: the creamy richness of the coconut milk combines with the soft, pillowy texture of the idiyappam to create a palate-pleasing symphony of flavors. Three drips of coconut milk spill on my plate and clothes every time I eat. When there was a bit of milk remaining at the end, I would mash up some Idiyappam and slurp them until everything was clear.
Making coconut milk and idiyappam is a treasured family practice that is deeply rooted in nostalgia in our Kerala home. The sound of crushing coconuts fills the kitchen as the early morning sun casts a golden glow over everything. Idiyappam and coconut milk have more meanings than just being delicious ; they are representations of family, unity, and the bonds that unite us. Our Kerala home continues to be a haven of tradition in a world that is rapidly changing, where everyday act of eating together becomes a celebration of love, kinship, and culture.
I am reminded of the rich tapestry of my heritage, woven with threads of flavour, aroma, and memory, when I appreciate each mouthful of idiyappam with coconut milk. In this Keralan home, where the sound of palm leaves rustles and life gently hums, idiyappam and coconut milk serve as more than just ingredients; they are reminders of the enduring power of family and the ageless charm of tradition.
A Flavorful Journey: Exploring the Delights of North India's Famous Chilli Channa
- Allen.A.Peter
Introduction: Hidden away in the rich cuisine landscape of India's northern region is a dish called chilli channa, a dish that draws your senses and sparks a deep appreciation of flavour. The region's food lovers have fallen in love with this dish because of its strong flavors and fragrant herbs and spices. Come along for a delicious adventure as we explore the history, ingredients, preparation, and most importantly, the flavor that has become a legendary meal.
Origins and Ingredients: Punjab, a state known for its robust flavors and hearty cuisine, is the source of Chilli Channa's rich cuisine history. The core chickpea, or channa, is the star of this meal; it is perfectly cooked and flavored with an ensemble of spices. Chickpeas, onions, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, green chillies, and a variety of flavorful spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala are among the main components. The unique flavor and tempting aroma of Chilli Channa are a result of this well-balanced combination of ingredients.
Preparation: As the preparation of the food takes place nobody in my house knows it better than me. The preparation of Chilli Channa is an art and definitely a very patient full form in itself, requiring patience, skill, and a deep understanding of spices. The journey begins with soaking the chickpeas overnight, allowing them to soften and absorb moisture. The next step involves simmering the chickpeas in a broth infused with spices, until they are tender and then storing it in the fridge. Meanwhile, we cook the masala and a few veggies of your own choice. A fragrant masala is prepared by sautéing onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and green chilies in a tantalising blend of spices. The chickpeas are then added to the masala, allowing them to soak up the rich flavours and spices, creating a dish that is both hearty and satisfying.
Experience and Enjoyment: One must welcome the sensory experience that Chilli Channa provides truly understand its essence. A culinary experience that is both comforting and fascinating is created by the pleasant smell of spices slipping through the air, the dish's brilliant colors attract the eyes, and the rich flavors satisfy the palate. Chilli Channa is always a hit either eaten as a filling dinner with rice or naan or as a tasty side dish for a classic thali.
Being my personal favorite ever since my childhood it has to be the top most liked food in north India, whenever I’m back in my hometown wherever I go, I need a plate full of chilli channa as my first dish just for myself I just cannot resist it and As a tribute to North India's cuisine expertise, Chilli Channa, in all of its forms, offers a symphony of aromas and spices that captivate the senses and warm the soul. This famous dish, with its rich history and mouth-watering flavour, has drawn in foodies around the area since its early days in Punjab. The next time you're in the mood for some delicious exploration, go into Chilli Channa's universe and set out on a flavour-filled journey that will leave you wanting more.
Momo Thukpa : The Death Row Meal (Literally)
- Samridhi Dutta
“Bol Gold Belly jau” (Lets go to Gold Belly)
These are the words that my roommate and I exchange the moment we wake up. Gold belly? You must be wondering what that is. It's a tiny little cafe situated in a very narrow gali, near our college. The menu mostly consists of Chinese cuisine with a few Indian items. And priced very decently so that every SJU student could eat to their heart’s content.
My friends and I religiously go there, almost every other day. Its safe to say that i have tried half of the items from the menu but momo thukpa remains my favorite and It’ll forever be my favorite. Unmatched and unbeatable!
Now you may ask what’s so special about it, well what isn’t!
The moment they serve it to you, one just cannot wait to dig in. The smell, the sight, the beautiful color of the yummy soup. Truly a salivating experience it is.
The thukpa is served hot on your table, with lots of love. The bowl contains a very delicious spicy broth of vegetables accompanied by hot noodles, with spicy momo dumplings on top. What’s there not to like!
The moment you taste the soup, an explosion of flavor takes place in your mouth. The spice hits you right from the very first taste, and keeps on getting hotter and hotter, eventually making you sweat by the time you finish your meal. The momos are well cooked, with tender chicken fillings, that literally melts in your mouth, the moment u bite them. The noodles don’t have much flavor on their own, but the broth adds in all the flavor which does the job.
I wish I could go back to the time when I tried this dish for the first time. Truly a core memory.
As i come from the northeast, i ' m used to having very delicious thukpas back in my hometown, so i didn’t have much expectations as the northeastern food over here, which can never be compared to the food we get back home. And therefore I had very low expectations. I didn’t expect anything but the moment I took in the first bite, my life changed ( i ' m not exaggerating, or ok maybe a little bit.) The symphony of the flavors danced in my mouth, almost making me teary eyed. What a day, and what an experience!
My roommate and I literally call this our death row meal. And it very much is. I refuse to eat anything else before I die. Its either Momo thukpa or no last meal. You might as well see me as a ghost, lurking around gold belly cafe at midnight during my afterlife, trying to get one last taste of my beloved dish. And the possibility of this happening is very high, Not kidding.
I urge everyone to try momo thukpa from gold belly cafe at least once in their life. It's just 110 for a bowl, and the quantity is so much that even two people can tackle starvation.
It is a bowl of comfort to me, and feels like a hug. It feels like something my mom would make me, to cheer me up after a bad day.
Well to conclude, please try momo thukpa from gold belly cafe at least, once.
Afterall a momo thukpa a day, keeps all your worries away :).
The Yellow Heaven
- Melwin
The savories of India are filled with flavors that originated from Bangladesh, just like the best sweet of all time from south India, rasmalai. Thistraditional sweet of Bangladesh was once brought to India, which later took over the hearts of all Indians and titled itself as the best sweet of our country. This mouth watering delicacy melts into our tongue and makes us feel heavenly.
Every Tuesday is a delightful Tuesday, because at four pm my heart gets called by Kanthi sweets, and my google pay magically scans the QR code, subtracting rupees 44 from my account, but results in bringing the best item at Kanthi sweets which is rasmalai. Eating this savory dish during sunset makes one feel like being inside that beautiful sky during the dawn, and whenever my day is bad, rasmalai makes it better ! At times I feel like my heart is floating in front of SJCC campus staring at Kanthi sweets to buy another rasmalai .
Every Saturday after dinner it’s become a habit for me to go to KC Das, at church street which serves the coolest rasmalai ever. But before heading there, there is a half an hour drill to be done and I call it the mom instinct, because every Saturday before going I and my brother go and hold my moms hand, pretending it is her feet to beg for rupees 40 and act that we are not naughty. In The End, we got a reward of rupees 100 in my account and then we walked over a kilometer to get that one sweet which became part of our family. The rasmalai in KC Das has a very unique flavor, with salted pistachios on top, the rasmalai looks like a yellow heaven decorated with light green emeralds, and it has the ability to tempt anyone on earth.
The production of delicious chenna soaked in a flavourful milk with the essence of saffron and almonds giving it a unique structure and a delightful taste which tangles on everyone’s tongue as they dive inside. Therefore who would tell no to a treat like rasmalai, according to me I consider it as the eighth wonder of the world because my world becomes wonderful when I have a rasamalai in my hand.
