Friday, January 27, 2017

Just Walking Around



Exhibitions and knowing your State

The best way to know the intricacies of any State is to understand the festivals it celebrates , the best tourist place it has and the buffet of food it serves . Either you get to travel around any State and to different places within it during your family vacations or when you travel for business purpose. But you can not expect get exposed to all the nuances any village or small town can offer at once in a single trip. The other way is to visit the many Exhibitions or events promoted by state departments to encourage awareness about village handicrafts and their way of life . Such events could be focused on folk music & dances or centered on just the handicrafts or the various food festivals which give a flavor of all the varieties.

One such event that has been exceptionally marketed and well received in the city of Mumbai is the Mahalakshmi Saras , a conglomeration of music , dance and food from different parts of Maharashtra. Every year during January this exhibition cum food festival is held at the Bandra Reclamation Grounds for 10 days in the 2nd week around 10th-23rd Jan every year. Since last year me and my family have become a fan of this event and do make it a point to spend one weekend evening enjoying all it has to offer. Its is one of the more professionally organized events in Mumbai and is an initiative of the Government of Maharashtra to provide a marketing platform to rural entrepreneurs, artisans and women's Self Help Groups, Mahalaxmi Saras is an annual exhibition cum sale of handicrafts, handlooms and food products. In its 14th year now, it is supported by big financial organizations like LIC and NABARD.

The entrance itself has a grand door built like a historical fort with a grand gate or Buland Darwaza. Just as you enter to there are 3 sections . Just next to the entrance is a play area for the kids with small Zorbing floating on a small water pond. A kids bungee jumping and air filled bouncing slides . Near by is an enclosed area where daily some traditional events are organized. Singers singing the valour filled Powada , dancer showcasing Lavni and other traditional / tribal dances. Some evenings they organize Marathi films songs or bhavgeet. Enough seats are provided to the visitors who can sit for a while and enjoy  these shows.

Towards the middle section are stalls showcasing the handicraft and products from interiors of Maharashtra. Around 100 stalls line up from different parts of Maharashtra like Khandesh , Vidharbha, Kolapur , Solhapur , Satara , Nasik , Nagpur ,Khed , Ratnagiri and many more. Special Mahila self help groups also have stalls selling wares made by women. Some stalls bring in farm fresh produces like organic Rice , wheat , jowar , bajra and nachani. Some from Kolhapur put up their fresh jaggery (gul) and the famous Kolhapuri garam masala , mutton / fish masala and who can forget their special jhanjhnit (spicy) missal masala.In other stalls are available the puffed rice and wheat which are used to make evening snack of Bhadang or chiwda. Some other sell assorted papad’s Rice , Nachani , Garlic and the famous Nagli which when fried can blow up as big as a Roomali roti. Then there are stalls selling hand printed bedsheets , pillow colours and cutain cloths with prints in effervescent and bright colours. Designs of Warli art , flowers and animal prints.People throng to these stalls and purchase them for their beautiful motifs and good quality. There are stalls selling the special sarees like Paithani’s and Brocade Sarees from Yeola near Nashik. Some Original Paithani can  cost around Rs.25,000/- to Rs.50,000/- with bright colours and intricate weaves with golden threads .There were some stalls from Konkan –Ratnagiri selling wooden toys for children like the small musical instruments , miniature bullock carts , wooden polpat-latne (roti maker), unique rattles making tick –tock sounds , miniature vintage car models , some push-pull toys , some manually operator funny toys like chickens feeding on rice grains or the dancing giraffe’s or swinging circus clowns. We picked up some tick –tocks and dancing giraffes for Bhakti.The toys are so beautiful to look at with their smooth design , bright colours and great in functionality. These cute toys can even be kept in your showcases as collector items. Another unique item is the Kambal or the Ghongadi a blanket made from sheep wool . A natural thermal / winter ware which will keep even the freezing cold from Kashmir away.

The other big attraction at Mahalaxmi Saras are the 50 odd food stalls bringing together the cuisine from all over Maharashtra. For the people of Mumbai who miss the real taste of village food come down here to savour the delicacies. The food here is a mix of Warhadi-Khadeshi food from Nagpur and Jalgoan , Dhule or the Spicy Kolhapuri and Sea food from Konkani belt of Ratnagiri , Palghar , Sawantwadi. Stalls are mostly set up by Mahila Seva Gat’s or Womens Self Help groups bringing with them the flavours , spices and the real taste of gramin food. It’s a paradise for non-veg lovers with Chicken dishes available at most stalls. You can try the Kolhapuri tamda rasa – pandhra rasa (local red and white gravy ) chicken eaten with Bhakri made of Tandul (Rice flour) or Jwari (Jowar ). The Bhakri are made roasted on iron tava (pan) and served hot along with the Chicken . The combination is deadly and the taste is mouthwatering. From the Khandeshi cuisine the best dish is the Kala Chicken. Its a very simple cuisine, with Kala Masala ( Black masala, its so called, because the roasted spices and dry coconut , gives it a peculiar deep brown black colour) being predominantly used in most of the rassa or amti’s (gravies). Its got earthy flavours , and a kick of spice, and most importantly, generous amounts of spiced oil or “Tarri” as they call , floating over each gravy. Its a matter of disgrace, if the guests are served curry without a generous tarri floating. Served with mostly Bajari (Finger Millet flour roti) Bhakari or Jwarichi or tandalachi (Jowar or Rice Flour) Bhakari , the curries are mostly runny , unlike thick gravies served in northern India. The runny gravies are easily soaked in the bhakaris , and can also be eaten with steamed rice.

In the stalls from Konkan belt you can enjoy the best sea food be it Fry fish like Surmai , Rawas or Bombil crispy and eaten as starter or with rice. Or you can try the Bhuzane a typical coconut based semi dry gravy of Bombil or Rawas which is lip smacking. For those who don’t want the typical bhakari you can order the crisply done wade which are like puri’s and eat them with Malvani suka Chicken or Chicken Masala or even Mutton masala done to perfection.
For the veggie lover to there are multiple options as starters you can have the Hurdya Che Thalipeeth , this is made from Hurda – fresh green grains of Jowar. This is crisply roasted and a little spicy with green chillies to add that takda. Served with curd or white butter (makhan) and mirchi thercha (spicy chilly mix). If you are game fro fried food you could have the kanda bhajji , moong bhajji or the traditional bata wada. Best eaten with the hot garlic chutney. For a main course you can have the Sev Bhaji made of Sev and tomato in spicy gravy. Another unique dish is Patoda Amti . Patoda Amti is a traditional Maratha Curry, typical to Northern Maharashtra regions of Khandesh and Nashik.The curry is unique due to the neutral tasting Patoda, which is a wadi or a savoury cake made with steamed besan batter which is then compacted on a flat surface, cooled and cut into diamond shape. This is then served in a spicy curry flavoured with kala masala. Patoda Amti tastes best with a hot Bajra Bhakri and raw onions.

And the most famous food item from Kolhapur which has become common in every Marathi household is the Missal. But the Kolhapuri Missal is the best ever in taste and texture with mixed sprouts and farsan making up the spicy dish.Served with the lowly ladi pav . The pav soaking the curry and making a finger licking dish.

But the evening can not be complete unless you have tasted the homemade Puran Poli with the sweet puran stuffed in wheat based roti and roasted on the tawa and served hot with a sprinkling of pure ghee.The puran poli’s larger cousin are the Maande which are maida based and fluffed up to the size of a large roomali roti and roasted on an overturned tawa. Eat them hot and savour the sweet flavor and melt in the mouth delicacy.

So next time you are feeling a little low or are missing your native place, head to The Mahalaxmi Saras the exceptional exhibition cum food bazaar with live kitchen and make the most of it..Enjoy the village like atmosphere and feast on the local delicacies and mostly have fun ….



Friday, January 20, 2017

Just Walking Around


Off Vinyl Records & Tranquil Music

It was a regular weekday night , as usual I was reading the newspaper and generally catching up with the days news . Some lilting music wafted from the flat below. Sweet melodious sounds of Sarod strings , my ears soaked in the music transporting me into a different world altogether. Bringing back memories from my childhood.

Much before the current Blu-ray , CD’s or pen drives music / songs would be available on Vinyl records . Yes those black colored round plastic discs with multicolored labels at the center and with concentric lines etched on them. The jacket covers of these records where master pieces by themselves. The front having mesmerizing pictures of the singer , or the band or the films printed on them .The back giving details of the songs or the music recorded on them. The records would come in 2 sizes the larger ones known as Long Playing or simply LP’s and the smaller discs were known as Short Play . The LP’s could play music for 45 minutes – 22 minutes of each side was 10-12 inches in size where as the Short play record were much smaller in size about 6 inches and packed music for 30 minutes – 15 minutes on each side. These discs would be played on a Gramophone or turn tables or sound box with attached speaker in stereo sound. The LP players were manufactured by companies like Phillips. And the LP / SP discs too were produced by HMV (His Masters Voice ).HMV with its unforgettable icon of a dog listening to the Gramophone. They had the rights to a long list of songs , singers and bands till date. It was later taken over by industrialist and music connoisseur .It was later taken over by industrialist and music connoisseur RP Goenka and later renamed as SA Re Ga Ma Music

One of my early memories of listening to Indian Classical music was when I saw my dad put on a LP of Prabha Atre the famous Kirana Gharana singer singing Raag Kalavati with lyrics going “Tana Man Dhan Tope Varun ….Baar Baar Tori Sanwari Surata aur nayana Rasile ….Sanwari Surata Mohani Moorat Nirakhata hai mohe Baar Baar….” . Looking at him sit with eyes closed feet on top the small center table and moving his fingers to the rhythm .. At peace and one with the Musical in a Universe of his own . Made me want to listen and get transported to the serene and magical world myself. I am indebted to him for exposing me and my brother to such great music and be lovers of this great tradition. We had a great collection of such great artist like Parveen Sultana – the nightingale of Khayal gayaki , Kumar Gandharv with his golden voice or  Bhimsen Joshi – with the unforgettable baritone of a voice. The bandish / songs sung by them would always make the listener transport to a world at a level you can never imagine.


Add to this the soulful & traditional variety of songs like Hori , Tappa, Kajari in the husky but sweet voice of Shobha Gurtu and played on festive occasions of a Holi or a Diwali , early in the morning would make the whole day pleasant. I still remember going along with my dad to a small shop going by the name of The Oriental Music Company , right across the Dadar station on the west side. They were distributors for HMV – His Masters Voice which brought out these LP records. We used to go the shop and the owner a typical Maharashtrian would recognize my dad and bring out the latest catalog for him to choose. We would sift through the colourful booklet and dad would choose his favorite singers or sometimes it would Marathi Bhav geet sung by the likes of Sudhir Phadke or even Short Play records of Songs from Sangeet Natak like Katyar Kaljat Ghusli , Man-Apman and many more. Once selected we would take the record to a special Listening Booth in the shop. It was basically a sound proof glass walled box with a Gramophone on a small table and small seatie next to it. The LP’s or the SP’s would be put on them and we would sample the music on them. Once satisfied a couple of records would be bought at princely sums of Rs.100 for a LP and Rs.50 for a SP. These would be packed and taken home for a musical sessions on Saturday nights. When the records were played the entire house would be engulfed the lilting tunes , a great experience. Whenever he used to put on these record he would jokingly say “ Phele Kaansen Banna Seekho, Phir Tansen”.

I still remember him bringing a record of Balgeet – Childrens Songs and surprising us. Such sweet and memorable songs like Asava Sunder Chocolatecha Bangla ..Chanderi Soneri Cham Chamcha Changla . What an imagination of a Bunglow made of chocolate , with lemon drops as windows and Toffee for the door . Really a sweet and a memorable song . Or the funny song --Saang Saang Bolanath , Shaley bhavati tale sachun sutti padel kay…..meaning Tell O’ Bolanath (the Bull) will it rain heavily and create a flood tomorrow so that we children get a Holiday. Such meaningful songs rendered by small child singers.

Then in the mid eighties came the musical sensation from across the border as in Bangladesh– the soulful Runa Laila with her many hit numbers but the most famous being “Dama Dum Mast Kalandar” . You could not sit idle listening to this song rendition , automatically your feet would start tapping or you would be mouthing the lyrics in your own way and enjoy this powerhouse performance. Later in the same decade came another singer who made the world dance to her songs and popularized the Disco in Hindi . Remember Naazia Hassan , that light eyed Pakistani girl settled in London singing Disco Diwaane Aaha …Aaha . The Music was composed by an upcoming composer Biddu. The whole nation was is awe of this duo . She was offered to sing playback by none other than Feroze Khan (also known as Sheriff for his trademark cowboy hat )for his movie Qurbani , the song went on to become famous and is even today the favourite of the crowds as well as the DJ’s . The song was “Laila Me Laila, Kaisi hoon Laile , Har koi chahe milna mujhe akle” .. Pictured on the sultry Zeenat Aaman and the portly Amjad Khan on the Drums … The song is again resurrected today in Raees with Sunny Leone and Shah Rukh bringing the old world charm and the foot tapping dance number.

These records we still have neatly preserved in our home and some time play them to go back that memorable era of lilting songs , pure music and a throw back to the golden days.

To put things into perspective , may be those musical sessions with our dad inculcated in me and my brother the art of listening in life .They say God has given us two ears and one mouth for a reason. He intended us to listen and then to speak. Also those bygone days listening to the vinyl records taught us how to appreciate Music in general and Indian Classical Music in particular. Real great memories ….


Friday, January 13, 2017

Just Walking Around

Kites and Til Gul …..

What is with children and kites. May be it is the feeling of letting your heart wander outside your body. Letting it soar in the sky carefree. Flying among hide & seek with the sun. Pushing your way against gusty winds and still keeping yourself grounded by way of the string attached to the bale (manjha). The hands holding the string controlling the swift movement in the sky. Too much liberty (dheel) and you will drift away , too much tautness and you will be cut down to size. Much like the journey of our life.

Its Makar Sankranti the 1st festival on the onset of the new year. A festival that celebrates the winter.Makar Sankrati has a special relevance in Indian context as it denotes Uttarayan the movement of the Sun northwards from tropic of Capricon to the tropic of Cancer, the start of the winter solistic .The days gradually becoming longer than the nights.The climate also changes for the good , cold winds blow across the landscape , bringing in a little coziness in the air. A little lethargy and laziness also comes in the air. Its also an important time in our Agrarian society as its time to reap the Rabbi crop. Fresh fruits and fresh vegetables are available at your local markets. To keep the body warm our ancient scriptures have laid down use of Seasame or Til and jaggery or Gul / Gud in our daily diets. Thats where the sweet meat Tilgul came from . These famous Maharashtrian sweet are small ladoos with high energy and much better in taste than those high energy bars you get at the shops. These tilguls are savored by young and old on Makar Sankranti day. 

In the North of India a similar sweet known as Gajak is famous for its taste and chikki type flavor.The best Gajak you get in Indore and my personal favorite is at Sheetal Gajak churning out these delicacies since mid thirties.. One of the oldest and best place to taste and buy the Gajak in the busy bylanes of Indore. Here you will find variety of Gajak’s , the rich Gajak roll , These are very famous type of gajak, comes in two varieties one is filled with soft condensed milk (Khoya) and one without core. Garnished with pista and nuts you can have it in one go.Then there is the Sugar Gajak , in this you will find a different flavour, here Jaggery has replaced by sugar. Another mouth watering variant is the Soft grinded Seasame seed Gajak - These are so delicate it will melt in mouth. Goodness of sesame seeds and jaggery tantalizing your taste buds. Gajak if not made properly will surely go to the dustbin, as it needs a pristine and expertise only a specialized chef can prepare it.

The other thing that is associated with Makar Sakranti is the Patang baazi or Kite flying sessions across prominent cities like Ahemdabad , Baroda, Surat , Rajkot and Jamnagar in Gujarat. It’s a 2 days long event who’s preparations starts way back in December and culminates in a crescendo on Makarsankranti day on January 14th  and carries on January 15th as Vasi Sankranti (Stale Sankranti). Kite makers manufacture kites in lakhs , in variety of shapes and sizes unbelievable to the eye. The basic shape being the rhombus made of bendable bamboo sticks with central spine and a single  bow. The paper used is light weight so that the kites can fly high up in the sly and yet not tear down when facing the winds. The manjha or the string attached is made fierce using abarasive material like crushed glass . Such fierce names like tar manjha , kanch manjha , baraielly , panda manjha and the latest addition the Chinese plastic thread which is very sharp and have become notorious as they have lead to life threatening accidents.

In Gujarat, from December through to Makara Sankranti, people start enjoying Uttarayan. Undhiyu (spicy, baked mix of winter vegetables) and chikkis (made from til (sesame seeds), peanuts and jaggery) are the special festival recipes savored on this day.

In the major cities of Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara, the skies appear filled with thousands upon thousands of kites as people enjoy two full days of Uttarayan on their terraces.Even new source of economic activities have started of renting open spaces and especially the terraces in bigger cities of Ahmedabad and Vadodara. The cost of renting starting at Rs.8000 and reaching even Rs.15000 – 20000 for a group of 20-25 for a full day. Bookings are taken online by websites like “MyTerrace.in”.Then there are the ancillary small industry of catering providing lip smacking snacks like fluffy dhokla , khandvi , fafda, pati samosa , bhajjia and patra. A package is offered for serious Patangbaaz groups of snacks , lunch and evening snacks and made to order cold drinks and lemonades. The kite flyers then can enjoy the entire day flying and cutting kites and only coming down when the sun sets for the day. The competition is fiercely fought , accompanied with strategies and collective wisdom and experience.
When people cut any kites they yell words like "kaypo chhe", "e lapet", "phirki vet phirki" and "lapet lapet" in Gujarati.

A full day is well spent becoming one with nature and the whole atmosphere is filled with loud shouts and laughter.

So here’s a tribute to this festive spirit and fun.

As they say in Marathi----- Til gul ghya ani god god bola….  ‘Accept this til-gul (sweet) and utter sweet words’. The underlying thought in the exchange of til-gul is to forget the past ill-feelings and hostilities and resolve to speak sweetly and remain friends..


Happy Makar Sankranti….


Saturday, January 7, 2017

Just Walking Around



Maharashtrian Delight

Last month on Friday it was Sankasht Chaturthi or Sankashti as it is called , or also known as Sankata Hara Chaturthi ,an auspicious day dedicated to Lord Ganesha. This day is observed in every Lunar month of Hindu calendar month on the fourth day of Krishna Paksha (dark lunar phase or the waning phase)special day of Lord Ganesha . On this day, the devotees observe strict fast. They break the fast at night after having darshan/auspicious sight of the moon preceded by prayers to Lord Ganesha. The Angaraki Chaturthi (angarak in Sanskrit means red like burning coal ambers and refers to the planet Mars, on whom Tuesday is named after) Devotees believe their wishes would be fulfilled if they pray on this day. Observing this fast is believed to reduce your problems as Lord Ganesha symbolizes the removal of all obstacles and supreme lord of intelligence.

Another thing about Sankashti is you need to keep a Prasad mostly a sweet, as a ritual and  make an offering the Lord Ganesha. The best Prasad’s are the Ukdiche modak the elephant headed God loves so much. Though there many mithai shops sell these on this auspicious day , the best ones you will get in Dadar . Head to Tambe Arogya Bhavan a small typical Maharashtrian eatery on the busy N.C Kelkar  Road . This eatery is run by an old lady a pucca KOBRA (Kokanast Brahmin) with sharp cat eyes and fit as a fiddle belying her age. Sitting there at the counter keeping a stern eye on the cooks and the waiters alike. But kind and very courteous to the loyal patrons who come there during lunch time to fill their stomachs after a hard days work. You will get the best ever Missal Pav a little masaledar and made to perfection with white peas , sprouted matki mixed with farsan and served with a pinch of lime to give it that tangy overtone. Wash it down with the thick and sweet Piyush a Maharashtrian equivalent of the Punjabi Lassi. Here you can also get special food during fasting days like Sankashti. Their Sabudana Kichadi liberally sprinked with penuts giving it the required crunch. Or the Farali Missal a little sweet due the batata chivda used instead of the farsan mixture Or try their crispy sabudana wada fried to golden brown and served fresh and not refried and given to you like in most other hotels. For sweet toothed persons they have the simple shrikhand puri or as dessert the dudhi halwa made from while pumpkin or lauki as its known . A light but tasty dessert with flavor of elaichi and a little bit of texture from the mava and raisins used in this dish. But 2 of the best sweets that you get here are the Ukdiche modak only available on Sankshti and the sugar coated dry Gulab Jamun. The Ukdiche modak are to die for , the outer covering made of rice flour not to thick and stuffed with saran made of grated coconut , jiggery , elaichi and roasted to perfection. Too little and it would get sticky , too much and it gets burnt and gives a bitter taste. But at Tambe’s this stuffing is just perfect. The modak is also steamed to the right temperature cooking the inside and out to give it that heavenly & mouth watering taste you will never forget when had with a spoonful of pure ghee on top of it. Eat it once and you will know why Lord Ganesha likes them so much.

If its these Maharashtrian snacks or mini meals that you crave you can also visit Prakash Shakahari Upahaar Kendra – a vegetarian hotel in Shivaji Park on the Gokhale Road. The most popular and amazing authentic food serving Maharashtrian Restaurant in the busy Dadar area of Mumbai. Prakash Restaurant has maintained the taste and traditionality of Maharashtrian food since last 30years. Excellent food and a clean ambiance. It consists of just 5-6 tables The staff is very polite too and they have guest serving ethics.

The place is always crowded and you have to wait till the table is emptied by pre-occupant. You may also would have to share the table with a stranger, in case, there a place to accommodate you. Be ready for that too – an incident to experience.


They used to  have  a handwritten menu which added to the old world charm .This joint  still retains its traditional look and feel. Here you can have garam garam puri bhaji ( yellow batata bhaji), crispy Bhajani Thalipeet a Maharashtrian specialty ,similar to dosa but made from a thick batter of multigrain tempered with onion and served with special white or green coconut chutney. Another unique dish available here and quite famous is the Batata Kachori , a mixture of boiled &mashed potatoes , grated coconut to give it sweet flavor , added taste comes from kala miri (balck pepper ) , jeera (cumin seeds) and green chillies . Made into round balls and deep fried to golden brown and served with sweet curd based chutney you will only get in this restaurant. The other favourite with the patons here are their crisply fried Sabudana wada and the friery yet lip smacking Missal pav.

If you want to eat a typical Marathi lunch head to a small restaurant at Shivaji Park going by the name Gypsy Corner. A restaurant started by the prolific entrepreneur Rahul Limaye way back in the 1980’s . It started off as a fast food joint serving Pav bhajji , Grilled Sandwiches , Veg Pizza’s and Chaats like pani puri , sev puri & dahi batat puri. Some where down the line Rahul along with his talented wife Smita decided to start a new chapter. A genuine Maharashtrian restaurant serving typical Kobra (Kokanst Brahmin) dishes and coming from typical Maharashtrian Kichten’s . Some recipes handed down by his grandmother. Today the menu list dishes like saadha vadan bhaat toop, aluchi patal bhaji, jackfruit bhaji, tikhat mithache sanza, dadpe pohe, pohe with poha papad, khapoli styled vada pao and fasting food such as sabudana khichdi, shingdana sheera and wadi with aamti.

The restaurant has consciously retained the non air-conditioned nature of the restaurant as he feels that it adds to the openness. If you get a table on the pavement then you can even look onto the greens of Shivaji Park at a distance. The place is popular with Maharashtrian theater actors who often meet here to discuss scripts. 


Other favorite lunch time menu are - the pithla, the bharli vangi with both rice and jawar bhakris, the kande poha with the fantastic pohe papad, the zunka bhakar. Besides these you can Choose from some of the lip-smacking dishes on offer Bharleli Bhindi bhakri , Tandalachi bhakari + wangyache bharit (like a baigan bharta) , Dalimbi usal (a unique mix of bitter pulse and sweet coconut flavours) bhakri , Masala bhaat Kala vatana usal (could do with a bit more salt) , Shreekhand (made in house) puri batata bhaji , Sabudaba khichadi with an interesting cucumber salad – khamang kakdi , Waran Bhat toop (apparently the ultimate Maharashtrian comfort food). After a heavy lunch you could wash it down with a Masala Chaas or the little sweet -sour  Sol Kadi.
So next time you want to eat Maharastrian food and go beyond the usual Vada Pav – Bajji Pav visit any of these restaurant to have your fill of Marathi food and enjoy a hearty meal.

Happy Dinning….