I often wonder what if I were to get my childhood back, and then again what If I could live my dad’s childhood or perhaps even my granddad’s or maybe even his dad’s? My flights of fantasy take me though lazy lickings of freshly pickled mangoes . Granny had jars and jars of them marinating on the terrace under the hot summer sun. My cousin and I would sneak out and get a handful of those raw cut mangoes, wash them under the garden tap and then laze around on the swing in the courtyard, swaying, dreaming, drooling. The kiddie equivalent of marijuana — induced bliss.
In my dad’s time, he said, they would climb mango trees and lick the leaves. Ride water buffalos backs as they ambled through the fields and into the river. One with nature, complete inner peace, sun, kid, buffalo, field and river — all part of one great philharmonic playing an intense cosmic symphony. And to return to the house, to warm wafts of hot fragrant rice, mixed with notes of tree ripened fruits and the pleasant smoke of a dung-cake fired stove. The door bell jerks me back to the present, a stark reminder of changing times. But I want to go back to my granny’s kitchen, I could use some of that food induced bliss right now. Maybe you could too.
The author is Area Director, Food Production, The Park, Hyderabad
Dhodas or Dhondas
The dhodas is one of the most interesting cakes. Made with a very simple mix of cucumbers, semolina and jaggery, it’s sumptuous, easy to make and fills in as a wonderful tea time snack or an energizing breakfast.
Ingredients
Cucumber ( kheera) 330 gm
Jaggery 200 gms
Rava 220 gms (approx)
Baking soda 5 gms
Cashewnuts chopped 40 gms
Raisins 30 gms
Method
Test the cucumber for bitterness and grate into a bowl along with its liquid. Mix into it grated jaggery and then, as much rava as it takes to make a cake batter consistency. Add baking soda and chopped dry fruit and mix. Pour into a greased baking pan and bake at 180 C for about 30 minutes or until done.
Pineapple Kairas
The Kairas is probably one of the best fruit curries I have ever had. Other versions use raw mango and sometimes even capsicum or potatoes. At our home, it was made with fresh pineapple. Sweet notes of the pineapple contrasted with the sour tang of raw mangoes and a supporting cast played by soothing coconut, smooth jaggery and sharp chili make this a coastal blockbuster.
Ingredients
Oil 1 tbsp
Hing (asafetida) 1 pinch
Mustard 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Pineapple — cut into chunks 1 no
Raw mango — cut into chunks 2 no
For the paste
Grated Coconut 100 gms
Mustard seeds 20 gms
Dry red chilli 8 no
Jaggery — grated 50 gms, Salt to taste.
Method
Make a tempering of hing, mustard, turmeric powder and red chilli powder.
Add the pineapple and mango pieces. Add a little water to aid cooking.
When cooked add the coconut paste.
Add the jiggery or sugar and correct the seasoning with salt.
Serve with hot steamed rice.
Golyachi Amti
This wonderfully flavoursome prep brings the coast alive no matter which part of the world I am in. Tamarind and jaggery sing a sweet sour song and the black pepper punctuates it with its sharp alacrity. Feel free to substitute the Gole (balls) with slices of pomfret if you prefer more of the sea on your coastal palate. For the Gole
Ingredients
Chana flour 200 gms
Ginger chopped 1 tsp
Coriander 1 tsp
Salt To taste
Chilli 1 tsp
Turmeric 1 tsp
Jaggery grated 50 gms (about 3 tbsp)
Oil 1 tbsp
Knead all of the above together and make balls the size of small lemons
For the Paste
(Grind the ingredients to a fine paste)
Coconut 100 gm
Onion medium 1 no
Black pepper 30 pcs
Coriander seeds 1 tbsp
For the gravy
Tamarind 100 gm
Oil 1 tbsp
Hing ( asafoetida) 1 pinch
Mustard seeds 1 tbsp
Fresh coconut milk 200 ml
Method
In a cup of water add the tamarind and extract the juice through a strainer. Heat oil, add the hing and mustard seeds. Add the tamarind water when the mustard begins to splutter.
Add the pre prepared ‘gole’ or the balls and give it a good boil.
Now add the fine ground paste and cook. Finally add the coconut milk and let simmer for a couple of minutues. Do not boil. Serve warm along with hot steamed rice.
