Just Walking Around

Just as the summer vacation of my kiddos come to an end the little one “Bhakti” suddenly burst out with request one day. She said she wanted to visit “Mhatari Cha Boot” or the “Old Womens Shoe” . Looking at her mischievous smile and the twinkling in her eyes I couldn’t say no. So it was decided that the coming weekend we will go to Kamala Nehru Park in Malabar Hill to enjoy a fun filled family time.

The word Mhatari Cha Boot brought with it long lost memories of old school picnics as  kids . Waking up early in the morning , walking to school in the early morning cold . Taking only a small bag filled with goodies , a tiffing stuffed with wafers , my favourite Britannia Coconut biscuit , some Jim jam cream biscuits a small snack of bread – butter and a water bottle . A small cap to protect from the sun . Some of the other kids who were from affluent families would bring cakes and imported chocolates. Teachers and Support staff would makes us comfortable in the class till the time the Picnic bus came. Once ready every one boarded the bus in a orderly fashion moving along in a serpentine line . Once inside the bus everyone tried to take the prized seat next to a window and the Class teacher had to shout a little to get everyone to listen.As we settled down the bus would start the journey amidst loud shouts of “Ganpati Bappa Morya”….To keep us entertained Teachers would sing some nursery rythms with all of us singing in chorus , shouting loudly at the top of our lungs as this was the only time besides the sports day when we could shout without getting reprimanded. As we reached the Kamala Nehru Park and entered its gate we would be greeted by the Iconic Mhatari Cha boot , a humongous Shoe in creamish yellow color with small windows and a red slanting roof. And then we enjoyed half a day in and around the garden , dancing ,playing and making merry.

Though in recent time we did revisit this Iconic landmark when my elder one Netra was small .This was the first time after the garden and the land mark was newly renovated by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation which awarded a contract to a professional private enterprise. So on cool evening on one of weekends we decided to go back to see that Iconic Old Womans Shoe. Just to enjoy the journey we boarded a BEST red bus towards Haji Ali. Sitting at the window and looking out were my daughter taking in sights and sounds of the maxim city of Mumbai. When the bus got stuck in the usual city traffic we got down and took a Kali Peeli the ubiquitous Mumbai City Black & Yellow Cab. The one which you can hail by waving a hand right in the middle of the road anytime during the day or night.And though over the years the typical drivers Bhaiyaas have turned a little arrogant and refusing to ply to destination that you want to go . But then due to the recent Cab aggregators flooding the city street with their newer AC cabs which can be booked on your smart phone , the Kaali Peeeli drivers have become a little mellow and do take you in rather than flatly refusing as earlier. But you should give credit to these black and yellow cab drivers especially the older ones in White uniforms which signify them as owner drivers who have been driving since decades and seen the city change from quaint old city with British architecture to the Glass and Steel towers kissing the city sky . One thing you can trust these senior citizen drivers is their knowledge of back road gullies and smaller roads to reach your destination, taking you away from the maddening traffic and chaos and all this with out the “Google Map” and its voice assistant , without which people like you and me are totally handicapped. So our cab driver took a right turn below a flyover just after Peddar road to take us towards Altamount road and then towards Nepeansea Road past the poshest area in Mumbai. Winding up the Malabar Hill ,once a hillock and upmarket VIP residential neighbourhood in South Mumbai.. Malabar Hill is the most exclusive residential area in Mumbai,home to several business tycoons and film personalities. Notable residents include Adi Godrej, the Birla family, Shashi Ruia & family, Pallonji Mistry, Mahesh Jethmalani, the Jindal family, the Petit family, and the Lal family etc. The area dotted with old heritage buildings , luxurious bunglows and British era State guest houses and bunglows used by top ranked ministers and bureaucrats  .

The cab stopped at the top of Malabar hill right at the gates of Kamala Nehru Park. We could see the huge shoe shaped iconic landmark looming large from within the garden. In its new avatar the Mhatari Cha Boot has been painted a bright blue with the roof and windows in brick red and fixed with led lighting strips making it more pleasing to the eye and attaracting the small kids to climd it. The area near the structure is well lit and 2 – 3 junior police personnel are earmarked with duty to control the hyper active kids making them follow some discipline and climb the shoe in a orderly Que. Both Netra and Bhakti stood in the line waiting their turn while me and the Missus clicked some beautiful pictures of the renovated Mhatari Cha Boot. Up went our kids toward the viewing gallery from where they waved at us below. 

Once done with selfies and some snaps, we walked toward the famous tourist viewing gallery from where you can  see the entire Mumbai skyline below . The view is just breath taking . From here you can see the entire South Mumbai from the Girgaon Chowpaty to the Flood lit Wankhede Stadium to the dome atop the Ambassador Hotel to the Air India Building and towers lining Nariman Point the original business district . Take in the fresh air and get a little awestruck at the city below .

Nest we decided to explore the rest of the Garden. The park itself has been landscaped keeping in with the kiddies theme of nursery rhymes and fair tales. There are stone walls painted with lovabe characters from Rudyard Kippling’s Jungle Book – Mowgli , lazy Baloo ,the smart black panther Baghira and the fearsome Tiger Sherkhan.. A little ahead are small pathways lined with abacus and little hammocks and swing for kids to play. Up ahead is another wall painted with nursery rhymes in English Hindi and even Marathi. Read them along with your kids and jog down your childhood memories. Songs like Hickory Dickory Dock , Three Blind mice and one on the Old Womans Shoe itself. In Hindi you can find the famous Machli Jal ki Raani hai and our very own Marathi Bal Geet like Mama chya gawala javuya.. Read them sing them and have total dhamaal.

Move through the park at a leisurely pace, the center of which has a huge Clock made of bushes and stones with enormous hour and minute hands ticking away for real and letting everyone know the time.Move towards the artificial dome created near by painted with our solar system, sun and stars on the ceiling  The dome so created acts like an Echo point shout loudly and your can hear your voice echo out. 

Go a little further and the kid can enjoy themselves on Slides, swing , see-saws and jungle –jims . Made as per various age groups. Some ropes strung vertically to climb, some spiral slides some steeply inclined and some for tiny tots with connecting foot bridges to make the play a little adventurous. Watching the kids laughing , giggling and having fun made me realize how much mazaa it was playing in such parks . Pure and unadulterated fun no mobiles no gadets just pure play with your friends. We took a break rather a snack break with tiffin’s brought along filled with mawa cake , butter chakli’s and yummy Choco chip cookies.What fun. It was getting dark now with the Sun going down , we decide to move on to the next attraction the garden opposite called the Hanging Garden with its sculpted hedges and short shrubs in various shapes. 

Here you can catch a herd of Elephants trimmed out of trees. A farmer herding a bullock cart , some wild animals like Tigers and Rhino’s . The grass on the ground to trimmed to make it soft and tickly when you walk bare foot. Enjoy a game of pakda-pakdi or play catch with a beach ball or a Frisbee . Then relax on the huge garden swings installed facing the road . Enjoy the gentle movement of the swing watch the world go by or simply close your eyes and get transported to your childhood.

As it got dark and it was time to head home we decided to again take the good old BEST bus . I recommend the Bus no 103 from Kamala Nehru Park to VT or now know as CST Terminus for its sheer magic of the route it takes. Earlier it used to be the Red Double decker and you could climd to the upper deck and enjoy the joy ride through South Mumbai. Now it’s a Single decker but the ride still is enjoyable. Take a seat near the window and watch the City go by. The bus takes the winding road past Varsh – the chief ministers official residence. Then towards palatial bunglow of Raj Bhavan where the Governor resides with its vast expanse and well manicured lawns and location right atop the Malabar Hill overview the Mumbai City skyline. From the bus you can now see the Girgaon Chowpatty bathing in the flood lights and the serene glow of the Moon that has now risen in the night sky.

The bus now moves ahead crossing many a land marks, Wilson College with its Gothic architecture on the left  , Marine drive with its numerous street lights making it appear as a necklace and rightly coined Queens Necklace of Mumbai. Futher ahead you can get to see Mumbai local trains whizzing past at close quarters at Charni Road Station and the famous foodie spot of Bachelor’s patronized by night crawlers. The bus rolls on towards Nariman Point and take a turn at the mecca of English theater the NCPA moving towards Colaba passing the Mantralay the seat of power and legislation in Mumbai. At the circle near Regal Cinema you can get of other iconic buildings in the background – the Taj Hotel and the Majestic - the building hosting hostel facility for MLA’s coming from far corners of Maharashtra. Up ahead the bus rolls on to the road where you can catch a glimpse of the Naval Docks and the various secured gates to them with names like Lion Gate , Cheetah Gate , Yellow gate , moving toward the heritage building of Asiatic Library with its White façade and holding in its sanctorum millions of books of subject as wide as Philosophy ,  English Literature , Marathi and even books in older languages like Sanskrit and Ardh Magadhi . Enjoy the ride winding down the old Fort area with buildings like the Reserve Bank of India looming over you , then towards Fort Market with posters of Fort cha Raja one of the oldest  Ganesh Mandal from last year .

 Finally the bus come to a halt at the CST depot just behind the iconic CST (VT) Terminus building . A British era building and certified heritage building by  UNESCO . Flood lit with hue of colors be it brilliant red or combination of Orange White and Green the colors of our National Flag or on that day in soft pink .

Looking at that building standing there right in the middle of the busy street with other heritage buildings in the vicinity especially the Municipal Corporation building in the colors same as CST building , you feel proud of the heritage and class of good old Aamchi Mumbai…

That evening I enjoyed going down my memory lane ......Hope you do too ...

Just Walking Around

Try some Aam (Mangoes )…

Its that time of the year again when the Sun is blazing with its full fury in the sky making you sweat profusely . Draining you of all energy bringing in lethargy and making you feel like staying at home and snooze. But work must go on whether its hot ot not. But then there is an upside even to this muggy time . Yes you guessed it right it’s the season of the king of fruits the Mango or Amba or Aam as we know it in India.

The Mango or the Hapus Amba is the fruit to devor during summer’s . Best had by squeezing it to bring out its Ras and sucking it or cut into pieces and lapped up during lunch /dinner or as an after dinner sweet.

The sweet taste of mangoes underlined with a subtle tang has created many fans across the globe. But, we tend to overlook how amazingly healthy mangoes also are.

Here are 4 amazing reasons to eat more mangoes this season:

1. Lowers cholesterol: Mangoes contain fiber, pectin and vitamin C which help in lowering the bad cholesterol. It also contains potassium which helps in controlling blood pressure and maintaining the heart rate.

2. Remedy for skin problems: Mangoes are a great source of beta-carotene which helps in promoting healthy and glowing skin.  Beta-carotene gets converted into Vitamin A in our body which protects the cells from damage.  Vitamin A also helps in improving the eyesight Mango pulp is rich with vitamin c, which can be applied to the face to make it soft and supple.

3. Aides in digestion: Mangoes are rich in fibre which makes digestion easy. They also contain certain enzymes that help in breaking down the proteins, ease-up the assimilation of food and elimination of waste from the body. Amchoor or dry mango

powder also acts as a digestive aid.

4. Protects against heat strokes: Mangoes can protect you against heat strokes. Drinks  like aam panna or mango lassi hydrate your body and eradicate the feeling of dryness. According to Ayurveda, mangoes energize the entire system and regulate blood fow.

Bung them in salads, smoothies or curries. Pickle them, make chutneys or create lovely desserts.Or you can make some special recipes from both raw mango (kairy ) and ripe mango. Here are some which you make this summer.

Mango rasam -Traditionally known as mangaai rasam, this dish comes from down South. Fiery spices teamed with the tang of raw mangoes makes for a dream combination on a sunny day. In Maharashtra there is this traditional dish made from raw mango . A dish with a distinctive flavour and taste . Ambe dal is one such recipe. Commonly ambe dal is also referred to as ‘vatli dal’ or ‘kairichi dal’. It is a super quick recipe to make owing to few ingredients. The grated fresh coconut gives it a sweet flavour and the grated raw mango gives it the sourness. A perfect blend of mixed tastes and good nutritive source. Amba dal is made during the Haldi-Kumkum gatherings for snack or as a side dish.

Another similar dish is the Udpi or Andhra style pachadi. Summers naturally bring in the craze for mangoes and mango season is incomplete without pickles and chutneys or pachadi. Whenever mango season arrives wemy mom makes this instant pachadi to eat with steamed rice or just like that It can also be accompanied as a  chutney along with dal recipes… To make this pachadi one needs to select tangy raw green mangoes. Sweet mangoes do not work out well for this mango pachadi. Selecting tangy mangoes and chopping them into fine pieces or blending them gives us a delicious chutney and this is a kind of instant mango pachadi are in 2 variations one where no  coconut is used .Or the 2^nd variety in which the  Raw mango chutney is made with coconut . this pachadi needs to be tempered and tempering brings out all the hidden flavors of the blended raw mango. This mango pachadi definitely is a spicy one as lots of red chilli powder is added which actually gives out a yummy taste to the mangoes.

Then there is the Maanga Pulisserry  A mango curry from Kerala which is sweet and sour in one bite. The Southern favours of coconut, curry leaves and mustard seeds dominate the dish.

But not all Mango recipes need to be spicy and savory. The best recipes of Mango are the sweeter ones like the thick puree like Aam Ras best eaten with hot and puffy puri’s .And then there is the Mango and Mint Kheer The much loved Indian dessert gets a refreshing fruity makeover! Rice kheer with mango puree, nuts, mint, saffron and cardamom.

And when you are drained of energy from the scortching heat nothing is as refreshing as the Aam Panna. Made with mango pulp, cumin, jeera and mint leaves, you'll love the freshness of this drink.

So go ahead and enjoy this hot summer with cool beverages like Aam Panna – Aam Lassi or filling recipes like Ambe Dal or a Pachadi and top it off cool Mango Popsicles or a Mango Kulfi….

Just Walking Around

Memories of Cartoon Strips

As a regular reader of the Times of India I miss the daily dose You Said It by R.K Laxma . A  political cartoon series which ran for decades sending out a small but very apt message delivered through the striking Common Man . A bespectackled figured in a checquered coat and a dhoti with an Umbrella for company going about town mutely observing the world throwing up a satirical statement each day.Through his creation of the 'Common Man', Laxman commented on chaotic day-to-day instances from the lives of thousands of Indians. An ardent believer of 'My sketch pen is not a sword, it's my friend', gave the entire nation a silent spectator with an uncanny perception and sarcasm to explain the Indian politics through the eyes of a common man.

Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Laxman or simply R.K.Laxman was an Indian cartoonist, illustrator, and humorist. He was best known for his creation The Common Man and for his daily cartoon strip, "You Said It" in The Times of India, which started in 1951.

Laxman started his career as a part-time cartoonist, working mostly for local newspapers and magazines. While as a college student, he illustrated his older brother R. K. Narayan's stories in The Hindu. His first full-time job was as a political cartoonist for The Free Press Journal in Mumbai. Later, he joined The Times of India, and became famous for The Common Man character.

R. K. Laxman was born in Mysore in 1921 in an Iyer family. His father was a headmaster and Laxman was the youngest of eight children: namely, six sons and two daughters. His elder brother is novelist R. K. Narayan. Laxman was known as "Pied Piper of Delhi"

Laxman was engrossed by the illustrations in magazines ,the Strand, Punch, Bystander, Wide World and Tit-Bits, before he had even begun to read. Soon he was drawing on his own, on the floors, walls and doors of his house and doodling caricatures of his teachers at school; praised by a teacher for his drawing of a peepal leaf, he began to think of himself as an artist in the making. After high school, Laxman applied to the J. J. School of Art, Bombay hoping to concentrate on his lifelong interests of drawing and painting, but the dean of the school wrote to him that his drawings lacked "the kind of talent to qualify for enrolment in our institution as a student", and refused admission. He finally graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Mysore.

Laxman's earliest work was for newspapers Rohan and magazines including Swarajya and Blitz. While still at the Maharaja College of Mysore, he began to illustrate his elder brother R. K. Narayan's stories in The Hindu, and he drew political cartoons for the local newspapers and for the Swatantra. In 1951, Laxman joined The Times of India, Mumbai, beginning a career that spanned over fifty years.His "Common Man" character, featured in his pocket cartoons, is portrayed as a witness to the making of democracy. R. K. Laxman structured his cartoon-news through a plot about corruption and a set of characters. This news is visualized and circulated through the recurring figures of the mantri (minister), the Common Man and the trope of modernity symbolized by the airplane.

Some of his cartoons are relevant even after 25 years of their orginal publication. Like for example the cartoon doing the rounds in the wake of PNB Bank scam depicting a Bank Robber asking the Bank Manager for handing over all the money in the bank and the Manager telling the Robber “ We have a Loan Scheme I assure you it  is equally god . Why don’t you try that instead ?

Another one from the legendary cartoonist will make you ponder if he knew about the present state of banks back in 70s and 80s. A Cartoon depicting the security guard of the bank telling the Common Man – “ No , not a holiday , It’s a full working day , Some are in Police custody , some are under suspension and some …..”

Or the one that could have predicted Padmavat’s future .. A Cartoon showing a Censor board member coming out of the preview screening and telling the Producer –director of the film “ Excellent full of social values , progressive ideas, fine acting . But you must get OK from Shiv Sena and BJP for public screening. 

Or one that summed up the Finacial jugglery the Finance Minister makes every year during the Budget season . Laxman's cartoon is uncannily relevant, when inflation has affected the Common Man the most. 

And the most caustic but truly relevant about his views on Demonitization when it was carried out by then Prime Minister Morarji Desai in 1978  It is valid even today. How much more of the tiger is now in the cage?

Every morning, for over five decades, his fans like waited for the 'Common Man', who, with his signature checked jacket, dhoti, Gandhi-glasses and twin tufts of gravity-defying hair, watched life and politics in India.A really thought provoking, inspiring and a genius cartoonist.

Another Cartoonist I truly adore is Mario Miranda. Born in Goa , Mario, as he was popularly known,  spent his youth shuttling between Mumbai and Goa. He worked as a cartoonist in newspapers like the now-defunct Current and later with the Illustrated Weekly of India magazine, besides Midday and later, Economic Times. The Afternoon Dispatch and Courier produced some of his best work on the city. That period also saw Mario create the endearing characters of his cartoons - the secretary Miss Fonseca, the minister Bundaldass, and Bollywood star Rajani Nimbupani. Miranda's cartoons grace the walls of one of South Mumbai's most famous hotspots, Cafe Mondegar, in Colaba. Mario Miranda's caricatures are also seen in the municipal market of Panjim, Goa.

Mumbai, seen through Mario Miranda's eyes, is at one level cosmopolitan, symbolising the good things in life, and at another level, a nightmare with its acute space crunch and sundry other civic woes. At the height of his creativity and popularity in the 1970s and  80s, Mario's work was ubiquitous - appearing in textbooks, calendars, murals and magazines.In 2005, Mr da Cunha began to work on a book on the artist, and tracked down some 13,000 drawings - just 30% of his plrlific work- from myriad sources, including Mario's friends, personal collections, publications, and the Mumbai murals that had survived.Though the artists' community did not consider Mario to be one of them, it did not affect his creative urges, which found expressions in colour, pen-and-ink and charcoal.His range of styles, and command over different mediums, made him a bit of an enigma. Ironically, it was the cartoonist/illustrator's tag that stuck, limiting people's appreciation to 'just a few laffs'. Mario consciously avoided political cartooning, but his role as a social cartoonist is unmistakable

With pen & ink that were at his command to churn out lines that every nib would be jealous of, he brushed aside the old school of cartooning using the brush, and set a new norm to use the nib pen and to master it for this branch of art. Mario created characters that gave his daily audience their quota of a smile without malice. His trips around the globe produced subtle close observations of the local musings – a fitting example of how far can one stretch the parameters of this branch of neglected art. The Art of Cartooning..

A hats off to these two cartoonists for bringing a smile to the lips of the common man , make him forget the grim and dull life brining a little sunshine at the strat of the day , every day for years together….A big salute to RK Laxman and Mario Miranda.

Just Walking Around

Sweet Snacks… Muh meeth to karlo

What comes up in your mind when someone says snack or a healthy breakfast , if you are a North Indian its Paratha (Aaloo , Gobi or Paneer ) with achar or dahi , if you are a South Indian it would be Idi , Dosa or Vadai with piping hot Sambar and Chutney , if you are a Gujrati it would be Dhokla , Khanvi or simply Fafda and if you the harried cosmopolitan living in a fast paced city where you are always short of time then it would be Bread Butter or a Cornflakes and a bowl of Milk .But can you imagine any sweet dish as a morning or tea time snack.Yes a sweet recipe for a sweet day.

The best know and all time favorite sweet snack is the Pineapple Sheera with its yellow hue and lots of ghee to brighten up your day early in the morning. You will get this in any Udpi joint across town . Made of semolina or rava , sugar ,  chopped pineapple and raisins and garnished with roasted cashew.

One of  the most favourite sweet dishes for my wife and daughters is the regular Sheera. Like her mother my wifey makes the best ever Sheera as a late after noon snack which is devoured by both my dauthers . Coming back from school with loads of home work and a backpack as heavy as a trekkers napsack climbing the Everest. A steaming bowl of this yummy delight surely takes away the lethargy and brings a smile on their faces .

Another sweet snack that I remember from my childhood is the Surnali or the sweet dosa similar to the western Pancake that my mum used to make . Surnali is a typical South India Konkani dish. Its fluffy , spongy and made of puffed rice (kurmura ) or soaked poha made into a thick batter and sweetened with jaggery or sugar cane juice. Best eaten with dollops of home made butter (makhan) or ghee or spicy Indian pickles or chutney. Normally Indians do not prefer anything sweet as their breakfast dish. We usually eat our doasas, idli’s puri’s or upma etc. which are all savory. Godu surnali is an exception in a Konkani household. A snack with lots of childhood  memories when aai used to make these sweet and porous pancakes for the entire family.

Everybody loves cakes and pastries and a few years back the most trending cake was the “Red Velvette Cake “ made or beetroot but have ever come across a cake made of cucumber . We ate this yummy at home all the time. Doesn’t require any special culinary expertise or exotic ingredients ,. Well…this is what Dhondas is made of – along with jaggery and rava (sooji). And all ye veggies out there – this will gladden your heart as there is no egg involved! Dhondas is a traditional sweet made in most GSB or Konkani households from coastal regions of Maharashtra , Goa and Karnataka. It’s a huge favorite with every body from kids to grown ups., The cucumber to be used here is the large variety – which is at least a 3/4th foot long and a couple of inches in diameter. Try not to use the regular small slim ones that we use for salads etc.All this is mixed with dollops of ghee and baked or rather steamed in cooker to give it that spongy texture . In our home we had the traditional ring type baking container , the Dhondas coming out would be like a large doughnut with a hole in the middle. Cut into pieces and served to hungry kids with rumbling tummy. Bite into it as savor its taste as it melt in your mouth. No cream , no egg or any fancy ingredient but pure magic  . You absolutely MUST try this out….

Speaking of Dhondas another traditional sweet snack is the Bonda or Mulkaa . This is typical fried snack from coastal Goa and Karnataka . You can use over ripe banana mix it with jaggery and rawa (to make it crispy) make into a semi thick batter , made into small balls and deep fried to make these tasty fritters – bajji type sweet snack called the Kela Bonda or Mulkaa. Served hot with green chutney tastes like heaven. Sometimes these are given out in temples as Prasad . Even when cold they are yummy to taste and really filling.

One more sweet snack is the Buns , a popular breakfast and tea time snack in Udupi-Mangalore region. Buns are sweet, soft fluffy puris made using banana. Usually, served with a spicy coconut chutney and sambhar, but they also taste great without any accompaniment. They're amazingly flavorful & delicious.

They're super soft, super fluffy and is amazingly delicious with a hint of sweetness from bananas used. I obviously love them extra sweet.

To make them  mix plain flour along with bananas, sour buttermilk, ghee, vanaspati and let them rest overnight to give us a super soft fermented dough. So that when deep fried, they give you an aerated, super soft, puffed doughnuts or what we in India call, puris. 

You must have eaten the Ukdiche Modak during Ganesh festivals this again becomes a sweet snack but only on special occasions like Ganesh Chaturthi , Ekadashi or a Vinayaki. But there is one more similar dish famous among the Goans and Konkanis called the Patoli or Patoleo . The simplest version of the Goan Patoleo is prepared by smearing parboiled rice (ukadicha tandul) paste on fresh turmeric leaves (holdi pan) to which a filling of freshly grated coconut (choon) and coconut jaggery (maddacho godd) is added. Lastly, the leaves are folded, sealed and steam cooked, preferably in a traditional utensil known as chondro. These are served hot on a platter with the leaves on and eaten after peeling them off. Best eaten with a spoonful of melting ghee . Eat this ,I assure you Tum ungliyan chaat jaoge.. really a finger licking snack.

I started this blog with Sheera and I will end with a recipe of sheera but in a different Avataar. The Sheera Poli or Sanjyachi Poli or Sanjori as we call in my home. Sanjori is almost similar to north indian stuffed parathas. We can find the difference only on tasting as the stuffing in this paratha is sweet sheera (roasted semolina halwa). The outer covering is usually made of maida but it can be made even more healthy buy using wheat instead of Maida. You can make these polis more flavored and nutritious by adding cinnamon powder to plain sheera or adding drynuts like chopped cashews and raisins. You can also try adding some fruits in the stuffing eg mango sheera, pineapple sheera or apple sheera. A simple but tasty sweet paratha and sure to be a hit with the kiddos.

So go ahead eat these sweet snacks either in the morning or at tea time and make your day a little bit sweeter.

Just Walking Around

Vanishing Icons of Mumbai…

The other day I was thumbing through the newspaper “The Times Of India” in the late evening after a day long at office. Reading some interesting articles when my eyes caught an articles which struck a nostalgic chord.. The EROS theater one of the last remaining single screen cinema halls screening English Hollywood movies along with the usual Bollywood blockbusters is thinking of downing its shutters.Memories came swirling of watching movies here. We travel in trains as a group land up at the iconic and buzzing station of Churchgate come out through the subway onto the pavement staring at EROS Cinema right across the road. The building architecture being Art Deco type . EROS has been one of Mumbai’s most amazing movie theatres for people of all social classes

and sects.

EROS theater was founded by Mr.Shiavax S.Cambata in the year 1938 at Churchgate , in the middle of Mumbai’s (erstwhile Bombay) business district. Architects Shorabji Bhedwar designed the Streamline Moderne building, it marked the beginning of Back Bay reclamation in early 1938. The foundation of Eros Cinema was laid in 1935. The cinema opened in 1938 with a seating capacity of 1204 the largest ever for a movie theter of its kind.The construction of this building on the then newly reclaimed Backbay plot housing shops and other businesses, apart from the cinema, took about two and a half years to complete. Partially faced with red Agra sandstone, this building is painted cream. The two wings of this Art Deco building meet up in a central block. The foyer is in white and black marble with touches of gold. Marble staircases with chromium handrails lead up to the upper floor. The murals are in muted colours depicting Indian architectures.

It used to play the latest Hollywood movies from production house like Disney , New Line Cinema and Metro Golwyn Myer (MGM ) The movies transported the viewers into a magical world of action , adventure and thrills. I remember watching the Hollywood Classic “The Guns of Navarone” starring the greats like Gregory Peck , David Niven and Anthony Quinn , a story revolving around World War II  Battle of Leros during the Dodecanese Campaign of World War II. The movie was ibnspired by the book which tells the story of the efforts of an Allied commando unit to destroy a seemingly impregnable German fortress that threatens Allied naval ships in the Aegean Sea.A movie with twist and turns and lots of action and a grand finale in the form of a climax where when the hoist of the huge Guuns reaches a trigger set up the explosive expert, the hidden explosives set off the surrounding shells in a huge explosion  destroys the guns and the entire fortress paving the way for Allied Force victory. A great experience which is still remembered even today.

But all this is lost now with the Mumbai suburban district collector Ashwini Joshi sealing  the Cambata building which houses EROS theatre weeks after it filledd a frst information report against Cambata Aviation, and, Bird Worldwide Flight Service for allegedly refusing to cooperate with the government offcials who were confiscating its equipment on court orders due the lobour dispute and complaint filed by their workers regarding the pending dues not being paid to them. A icon falling into oblivion and will only be remembered by loyal patrons who experienced the magical world of the movies there.

Catch a cab or Walk down to Horniman Circle and in one of the old bylane you have another icon “The Strand Book Stall”, Strand Book Stall began as a book kiosk in the lounge of then-glamorous Strand Cinema in Colaba in 1948. Shanbagh had come to Mumbai from a hamlet in Karnataka to study at St Xavier’s College. After an of􀃗cious salesperson made him feel unwelcome at a bookshop, he decided to set up his own where customers wouldn’t be turned away for browsing and

books were affordable. The cinema manager had been so taken by Shanbagh that he had the shelves put up himself. Shanbagh got together Rs450 for his frst consignment. The earlier generations of the Tatas, Birlas and Godrejs used to come to the cinema. They started finding interesting books there and became hooked to his salesmanship and recommendations. The store kept its name when it moved in 1956, about a 10-minute drive away to its present rented address in a quiet lane in the business district of Fort. This is the bookshop that was frequented by India’s famous thinkers. Scientist Vikram Sarabhai introduced India’s missile man APJ Abdul Kalam to the bookstore owner TN Shanbagh saying, “Ignore his recommendations at your peril”. Author Khushwant Singh once called Strand the only “personal bookshop” in India. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh used to drop by often during his days as the RBI Governor. Former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was spirited inside one night after lock-up so he could browse in peace. When Shanbagh billed him the store’s standard 20 per cent discount and Nehru protested, he replied, “It is my duty to serve our leaders”. Shanbagh was known to offer customers who couldn’t afford a either a lower price or the chance to pay later.

Vidya Virkar daughter of the legendary Mr.Shanbagh ,initiated Strand’s popular annual book-sale festivals, and held book readings at the other outposts from 1995. The Strand never sold its soul. They weren’t a second-hand bookshop, They also didn’t want to  have a restaurant or stationery to offset the loss of the bookshop. They were purists, they wanted nothing but books. Strand’s many charms were the year-round discounts, the quick and able assistance, the mix of bestsellers and rarely stocked titles. But it could’t fight the onslaught of the Digital World. It couldn’t stand up to the increasing turn to online delivery and digital readers Earlier, they were the place that got books from the UK and US;  added titles from all thier customers to make a big lot so they could keep the price low, Now only Amazon and Flipkart can import as they get enough orders to make the air freight economical.So with heavy heart on 28 February 2018, Strand Book Stall will close shop, a day after the ninth death anniversary of its beloved owner TN Shanbagh.Another icon biting the dust amongst the wind of change in this new digital age. A great loss to all the readers and the world of the written word . A place where time stood still in the form books and the atmosphere filled with soft smell of paper and ink.

From the smell of paper and ink , I remember the smell of fresh coffee and hot refreshing snacka t another icon Café Naaz at Malabar Hill . A restaurant literally on top of the world overlooking the Mumbai city’s skyline. An unforgettable experience. From Cafe Naaz, one could see the  curvaceous Marine Drive beyond the lush greens of Malabar Hill. Or maybe it was company you kept there — Mahesh Bhatt, Shobhaa De, Sanjay Dutt, Sheetal Mafatlal, theatre personalities, artistes, writers, journalists, film-makers, this was where the hip crowd gathered. Vinod and Kavita Khanna are said to have thrown a grand wedding party here. A young socialite rented the threelevel cafe for a private party, liveried waiters setting up the food before she arrived, a rather elaborate affair for a solitary guest — a textile magnate she would later marry.You who this pretty socialite was non other than Maureen Wadia .

Over 100 Bollywood movies had scenes featuring Naaz. Naaz is the stuff of urban legend, as were its chelo kababs, succulent meat on a bed of rice fragrant with Iranian saffron. Cafe Naaz was for the guy who drove up in a Cadillac as much as for the handcart-pusher who would stop for chai,says  So if the Chelo kababs were priced at Rs 250 a plate, there was always a Rs 5 cup of tea to be enjoyed, the view came free. Whatever it was that drew them to this Irani cafe, it kept them returning for more.

The restaurant was started in 1944 by another generation of Iranis, when Malabar Hill was thickly forested with only a mud path leading to the top. In the late 1990s, following years of litigation, the restaurant had to fold up with the BMC ousting its tenant over an expired lease. The BMC had taken the land back ostensibly for its water works department. A few years ago, the authorities also floated the idea of an “observatory”, a vantage point to look over the city, for a fee. Now, well over a decade later, part of the property is used by a municipal union as office space, the rest of the once-bustling cafe and sit-out reduced to a large litterbin and an overgrowth of weeds.

Today there’s no signboard, no anticipation of a turnaround, nobody to claim the space as the city’s. Cafe Naaz keeps its desolate vigil over the bay, standing over interments of memories of a different city, a city which is loosing its soul to the Glitz , Glamour and Gimmickry.

Another icon which got lost a couple of years back was the mecca of Music , a shop for all genre’s – The Rhythm House at Kala Ghoda an important landmark in the Art disctrict of Mumbai. The store started out in the early 1940s, set up by a Curmally family friend, before Mehmood’sfather took over the business, and eventually passed it on to his brother, Amir, and Mehmood. In its early days, the shop sold imported 78rpm records. As the years went on, the family saw various mediums of recorded music come and go, as it sold jukeboxes, vinyl, then cassettes, before stocking the CDs and DVDs. They specialised more in imported western music at first and when the Indian companies came in and started manufacturing Indian records, of course they started stocking that as well. In recent years, the shop has offered a variety of styles from Indian classical music and Bollywood hits to jazz and the latest pop albums by the likes of Justin Bieber.

Bollywood music directors Kalyanji Anandji dropped in to get inspired, Shammi Kapoor and Pt Ravi Shankar were regulars. Jethro Tull, The Police, Peter Andre, Zakir Hussain and AR Rahman have all visited.

It was never “just a music shop” that sold records or cassettes . Rhythm House had a character of its own that defined it. Its USP was the knowledgeable and helpful staff and a collection wider and well curated that any other store in the city. That’s what  made it a winner.

But in 2016 it shut shop on  7^th March , after years of standing tall against the odds of digital streaming it was put on the block for sale. Due to its ideal location in the [posh and upmarket area of Fort and flanked by Jahagir Art Gallery and Maxmuller Bhavan , it was lapped up by the then famous diamantaire –Nirav Modi who tried to convert it into a Jewellery showroom . But never got around to it.

But amonst the despair there is still some hope left .With news headlines screming loud on the Nirav Modi Banking scam of more than 12000 Crores a small story got missed out  a Tweet by Industrailist Anand Mahindra putting out an idea of Crowdfunding to revive the lost icon of Rhythm House at Kala Ghoda and taking it over from the notorious Jeweller Nirav Modi and handing it to its patrons the new shareholders and owner .A great way to revive these iconic places.

As they say Umid pe duniya kayam hai .. So lets hope and pray that all these vanishing Icons are once again restored to their glory for the new generations to come.