Just Walking Around

Desi Fizz….

Growing up as kids the best attraction during birthday parties was the cold glass of fizzy drinks like Goldspot or Thums Up. Till date we are habituated to drinking these carbonated drinks during dinners or at home for the fizz and most often than not to relieve us of the bloated feeling we get after a heavy meal.But sometimes you can try some offbeat drinks which not only give the end result but are great in taste too.

What do think when you hear the word ‘GOA”….Beach , Beer , Babes ..Fun ..Frolic but did you notices those small shack like shops dotting the beaches or the pathway toward the famous temples like Mangueshi or Shanta Durga Temple. On any given scorching day you will find some cold drink –beverage shop for the average teetooler like selling those cool cool drink made from the odd looking green bottles. If you keen observe these bottles they are deep biottle green with a contorted neck capped with a you guessed it right a marble or a Goti in local Konkani / Marathi language. Ask the fellow selling them to make you a drink and like an expert bartender , he will mix a little sugar solution from his earthen matka / steel drum ,with some jaljira masala , squeeze a juicy lemon into the galss and then finally top it up with the bubbly soda from the green bottle. The marble will be depressed using a mini wooden mallet and the soda flowing out with the gas holding the marble to the bottle mouth with a squeaking sound….chooooiiiii. This is expertly mixed in the glass and served with ice. Drink it to quench your thirst and feel releaved from the heat and humidity of Goa. This local fizzy drink is local to Konkan and some parts of Norther India where it is known as “Banta”

Banta also known as Fotash Jawl in Bengali, Goli Soda (Goli = spherical object in Hindi) or Goti Soda (Goti = marble in Hindi) is a colloquial term for a carbonated lemon or orange-flavoured soft drink popular in India. Though the origin of its name is from Punjabi word for marble (banta), Banta has been sold since the late 19th century,long before popular carbonated drinks arrived. The drink is often sold mixed with lemon juice, crushed ice, chaat masala and kala namak (black salt) as a carbonated variant of popular lemonades shikanjvi or jal-jeera.It is available at street-sellers known as bantawallahs.

And if you are in and around Vadodara you can always go to the local Soda Shop . You can identify the small shop which is always surrounded by a crowd of about 30 people.It consists of two soda dispensers and several employees. On the counter will be a wooden box sectioned into a few dozen compartments, each with a plastic cup of soda - sort of an assembly line, allowing the staff to handle many orders at once. Several plastic bottles sit on one end of the counter. fashioned into squeeze bottles, some will be filled with fresh lemon juice and plain or flavored syrups. There will be canisters with spices and rock salt. A couple of employees fill the cups with soda water and placed them in the compartments for a third employee — the flavor man — to finish with syrups and spices. You will be amazed at how quickly and gracefully they move, like dancers, effortlessly squeezing fresh lemon juice, squirting in syrups and mixing in condiments, handing the finished sodas to customers. I remember the first time I tried a nimbu soda. The first sip flooded my mouth with fresh lemon and spices that I'd never expected in a cup of soda: chili pepper, cumin, ginger, black salt. Sweet, salty, savory and a bit funky all at once. This was not just soda. This was masala soda, the single most flavorful sip of my entire trip, and I needed more.

The flavor I tried was the aerated cousin of nimbu pani, a sweet and salty lemonade or limeade that many Indians drink to stay hydrated during hot summers. But there's a myriad other flavors. The masala could contain as little as white salt, black salt and cumin, or an endless list of spices including amchoor (dried, powdered sour mango), black pepper, ginger, chili pepper (dried or fresh), turmeric, asafoetida, mint, even anar dana (dried pomegranate seed powder). A popular flavor in Mumbai and the state of Gujarat is jal jeera, a spice mix with roasted cumin that's otherwise used for another traditional summer drink of the same name — jal jeera literally translates to cumin water. The other most important ingredient of this masala is the kala namak, or blac black salt.

It's a rock salt containing sulfur, which lends a pungent, almost eggy smell to the drink. Carbonated water gives the drink effervescence, which can be further enhanced with a simple syrup and nimbu (meaning lemon or lime) juice or a fruit flavored drink called sherbet. Sometimes its even served with commercial sodas, like Thumbs Up (an Indian cola) or Sprite. But the best combination is when had with pure soda .A drink with a punch and bubbly but with out the side effect effects of an alchoholic drink…

When down south in Chennai, a mysterious drink with a hint of dark fruityness flourishes in refrigerators all over the Tamil Land. Its placebo effect in case of an upset stomach is legendary. Locals will tell you that it is the one thing you should drink after a kari dosa or other fiery eats from the Chennai’s streets. So when crates of Kalimark’s Bovonto are unloaded from the local old cycletrailer at small tea stalls , there is a happy clamour. “Bovonto is timeless,” says  owner of Zam Zam Tea Shop, receiving three crates of south India’s oldest homegrown soft drink. Forty-seven-year-old Mani, one of over two dozen Kalimark distributors in town, supplies to 60 shops every morning before popping open a bottle of grapey goodness for himself. I don’t think Bovonto

will ever go out of business. For a generation of Tamils, soft drink is “colour” and colour is the neon orange pop of Torino or the caramel tint of Bovonto. A true-blue Indian soda pop that refused to cede the battleground to multinational colas, Bovonto is a formulation of the century-old Kali Aerated Water Works. Worth over Rs 100 crore, it continues to expand its footprint in south India.

Every year, the cola wars pit blue against red, Pepsi against Coke, 7Up against Dew as the multinationals stake out their territories across India. But, like the last outpost of Gaul defiance against the Romans, homegrown sodas survive in many parts of India — their fabled histories reminders of older times, their quirky flavours a part of many memories. In 1977, as Coca-Cola was beating a retreat from India under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, Torino, an orange soda with a prodigious use of sugar, entered the market in south India. In no time, they had captured 90 per cent of Karnataka’s orange soda market, says Pankaj Lakhani, the second-generation owner and MD of Bangalore Soft Drinks runs the business now. Torino has since been re-launched in PET

For homegrown soft drinks, trouble began to bubble over with the consolidation in the Indian carbonated beverage industry in 1993. Coca-Cola staged a comeback, acquiring Parle’s classic Indian sodas — Thums Up, Limca, Citra and Gold Spot — and small local brands began a slide to obsolescene. PepsiCo picked up Duke’s stable of masala sodas and Campa-Cola, a relic of socialist India, fizzled out.

A few unlikely survivors of the cola wars are now riding a wave of nostalgia and slaking the thirst of middle India. Torino, Bovonto, Sosyo and other sodas today cater largely to a niche outside the big cities that has tended to slip through the cracks of multinational brands. Even if they haven’t been as fortunate, other brands continue to be a part of the lore of the cities they sprung up in. Like Delhi’s banta. A lemon soda packed in quaint Codd botttles, and spiked with a kick of kala namak,

they are sold in carts across the city. Pandit Ved Prakash Lemon Wale, a shop in Chandni Chowk, has been selling the lemony drink for “at least 150 years” now. But local suppliers say the drink has lost its edge to bigger brands.

Of the triumvirate of raspberry sodas —Duke’s, Roger’s and Pallonji — of the Parsi community in Mumbai for over a century, only one remains. PV Solanki has been bottling Pallonji, a drink with a 149-year-old legacy, since 1979. He can not  take on big brands, and if they flexed their muscles, there is no way he would be able to survive. So Pallonji’s  decided to make their own market, as Solanki. Instead of servicing Mumbai, Pallonji is distributed within a 100-km radius of its only bottling plant in the suburb of Mankhurd. Within city limits, you can find it at Irani stores and select

petrol pumps if you are lucky. With a turnover of Rs 1.45 crore, Pallonji employs all of 40 people and Solanki says the business continues to be profitable

A trip to Surat in Gujarat is incomplete without a glug of Sosyo, a local pre- Independence-era soft drink that was an offshoot of the Swadeshi movement. Launched in 1923 by Hajoori & Sons in Zampabazaar, Sosyo’s theme was “Apna desh apna drink” and its USP an alcohol-like flavour. The manufacturers recently repackaged and re-launched the product to survive competition, but there was a time when Sosyo was the only drink Surtis ever needed. It combined the flavours of apple and grape to position itself as an alternative to wine in a dry state, an afterdinner digestive and a refreshing aerated beverage.

Indians love their masala sodas so much, that even global and regional companies are now bottling them. In 2012, Coca Cola relaunched a bottled masala cola called RimZim that they bought in 1994, and PepsiCo India released 7up Nimbooz Masala Soda.

But these commercial sodas lack customization and the atmosphere of a soda shop, which is a big part of the masala soda experience. As I learned in Vadodara, these Shops  are also social hubs, especially in dry states like Gujarat that lack bars. It's a meeting place where people gather to sip masala soda and talk with their friends.

I tasted one my favorite masala soda from one such street vendor in Mumbai. It was made from kokum (an Indian mangosteen), which is not available commercially. For 20 rupees , I sipped my sweet, sour and mildly savory soda as I watched small groups of friends come and go, drinking their sodas and chatting. The taste and memory have lingered on till date.

And to let you into a family secret . A standing joke in our extended family is that whenever we go out for a family dinner, the bill is never requested till my wifey Kashmira asks for a Fresh Lime Soda – sweet and salted. That is the sign that the family dinner has come to a close much like a closing ceremony of a super special event.  After a lot of leg  pulling  and laughing at her expense ,everyone on the dinner table has a sip of that cool drink .Finally with a large burp of satisfaction over the food we ate , there is a smile on our lips and fond memories of time well spent….

So Enjoy these Desi Fizzy drinks till they are still around fighting the large MNC’s . More power to these real foot soldiers of the Make In India campaign….

Just Walking Around

Matunga Special

I have been writing about a lot of things , about my experiences while travelling through the lengths and breadths of India , its cultural diversity , natural landscapes and of course the gastronomical delights . But how can I forget my sweet old Matunga , that quaint little place some where between Dadar and Sion whose boundaries though not well defined but filled with  unique & mesmerizing shades of emotions like a flamboyant painting with the sky as the Canvas made by the Creator Himself.

Figure this where do you remember having qued up the last time around. May be at Siddhivinayak Temple for the Darshan of Lord Gajanana , or at the movie theater if you have not booked your tickets on BookmyShow , or outside some government office for getting some important documents or if your are the old school outside the Telephone or Electric Company office to pay your bill. But have at any time come across an shop selling Agarbattis so famous that people que to get them.

Its here in Matunga in on of its by-lanes you will fiind Acharya Products largest traders of agarbattis or incense sticks since 1956 that you will find literally people queing up on occasion like Gudi Padwa or Pongal or the upcoming Dushera . The serpentine que starting at the shop on Laxmi Narayan Lane right upto the Kabutarkhana in Matunga market a good 100-150 meters. Acharya Products was founded by K Y Acharya in 1928 as a incense trading house and later started manufacturing some of the brands themselves. Currently managed by the 2^nd generation and head of the family Raghu Achrya. They are sole distributors for nearly 32 manufactures and 500 fragant varieties of incense sticks beside another 10-12 manufactures of Dhoop sticks and brands.The first thing that hits you when you enter the shop is the heady mix of fragrances of all the incense sticks. Theres the strong smell of Kevda or a Mogra , mild scent of Champa or the sweet smell of Chandan . The shop is strewn with row upon row of neatly stacked packets of incense sticks in various sizes from small 10 stick pack to 100 stick packs to the packet on weights of 100 gms to 500 gms. They stock the usual variety of Gulab , Jasmine , Chandan & Lavender and even exotics fragrances like Musk , Akashphool, Amber and Marie Gold . Even some trending scents like Citronella and Fruit Blast.You will not only find individuals buying these incense sticks in small lots but also small retailers coming from across the city to buy in bulk quantities. As habit they keep small smples of the latests fragrances to be included in these large orders as a way of Marketing their stock.

If you ask Raghu Acharya who sometimes sits at the cash counter , what is their specialty , he proudly says , their expertise lies in accessing and assisting their customers requirements in regard to quality of incense , fragrance and packging.They have earned their reputation for maintaining strict delivery schedules and by offering competitive prices. They have huge stock of all leading brands and even have an listed Export company to ship these products to 58 countries like US , UK , Eupore , UAE and even some African countries where there is a large population of Inidans. They pride themselves on their products not containing any restricted forest produce or any species of wild fauna and flora and which are listed in the Appencices of the Convention on Internation Trade. A notice to this effect prominently dispayed in the shop.They have been awarded the Top Exporter in Handicraft category for 3 successive years between 2002-2204 and the only company in this category to get this Hat trick of a award.To cater to the Western world they have now expanded into Natural oil based Soaps and Toiletaries and even Aroma oils for Aroma Therapy at leading Spa’s .So next time you are in Matunga and need some incense stick or dhoop sticks trust your sense of smell and walk in the direction your nose tells you in this bylane and you will find yourself standing in fornt of Archarya Product  written in bold Red on a Turmeric Yellow backdrop and with an interesting tag line “Bhakti Me Laye Shakti”…

If you trust your sense of smell walk just opposite to a small hole in the wall kind of shop just next to Hotel Ram Ashraya called Quality Tea & Coffee. If you are a lover and a Cofee / Tea addict this is the shop for you. They have been serving their loyal clientele since 1958 . This too started as a trading shop selling tea and coffee from tea estates especially from the south in Coorg and from up east in Darjeeling. They have now started manufacturing their own blends of both tea an coffee under the Quality Tea & Cofee brand. Here you will get the finest variety of coffee which can be custom blended in 60:40 or 70:30 ratio of Coffee Arabica & Chicory. Or you could pick the pre-blended French coffee a strong brew to release your day long stress . They also sell coffee beans – Peaberry beans , Plantation beans in raw or roasted form which can be hand crushed or crushed using coffee machines to brew you own drink.

For tea lovers like me they have a wide selection from the standard CTC to Hiltop dust which is extra strong. Some other blended variety like A1 Premium , Mast ,Rasrang and Radical CTC .Where CTC referes to the tea processing term of Cut Toasted and Curled .They even keep  newer Falvoured teas like Jasmine tea, Peach tea Orange Pekos , Premium Green Peko and Green Tea .Other flavours suited to the hard core teaf buff are Lemon Grass (Gavti Chaha) , Cardamom (Elaichi), Cinnamon (Dalchini) , Tulsi , Ginger and even Rose flavored .Brew these in milk as per tradition or drink it black to savoir its flavor .

Ek chuski chai ki ek pyaali sehath ki……

As I said Matunga is a place I am still discovering even after staying here for 40 years there are still secrets that lay hidden in its by-lanes like layers of  a rose petals that need to be peeled one by one to reveal its beauty and fragrance…

Just Walking Around

Bandra Fair…..

When you say Fair or Jatra what comes to your mind..the huge crowds , floodlight paths leading upto the sanctum sanctorum of a holy place, giggling kids , protective parents hold their children, the.. Ferries Wheels (Giant Wheels) , the food stalls , all the nick-knacks and the hearts filled with joy. Last Sunday we as in me and the missus decided to relive our childhood days through our kids Netra and Bhakti.We decided to visit the famous Bandr Fair..

The Bandra Fair is celebrated in the pious vicinity of the Mount Mary Church in Bandra . It starts on the Sunday following September 8^th , the birth day of Mother Mary , mother of Jesus the Son of God.The Bandra Fair is commemoration of the Nativity of Mary or the Birth of the Virgin Mary and celebrated at the Basilica of Our Lady of  the Mount or locally called as the Mount Mary Church a Roman Catholic Church located at Bandra . According to historical records, the statue of ‘Our Lady of Navigators’ was in the chapel at the mount from 1700 to 1760. It is said that in 1760 Arab pirates attacked Bandra and they chopped one of the arm of the statue. The statue was later reinstalled in 1761. Over the years the Virgin of the Mount came to be known in different names in colloquial Marathi, ‘Matha Mavli’, ‘Mothi Mavli’ and now ‘Mot Mavli’ The 9 days before the Bandra Fair, from 1 September, 2017 to 9 September, 2017, Mount Mary Basilica performs “Novena” (prayer) for the Blessed Virgin Mary

The actual fair starts on the 10^th day .It is estimated that the Bandra Fair is around 300 years old. The fair started when a statue of Mother Mary was found floating in the Arabian Sea between 1700 and 1760, which, according to a legend, a Koli fisherman had dreamt about a few years earlier.

During the Bandra Fair, the entire area is decorated with festoons and buntings. Besides the religious experience, Bandra Fair also includes the social experience of relaxing, camaraderie, alms-giving and enjoyment. There is an atmosphere of fun as we go through the various stalls that constitute the Fair. During Mumbai’s Bandra Fair, 430 temporary stalls selling religious artifacts, food, toys, clothes, handicraft items, etc, are set up at Mount Mary Church, Kane Road, Mt Mary Road, Eastern steps of Mount Mary Church, St John Baptist Road and Rebello Road. Most of these stalls are allocated to local residents.

We took a rickshaw from Sion to reach this place. In hindsight it was the best deciosn as we could avoid getting trapped in the traffic jams along the road as the rickshaw wallah deftly maneuvered the rick going extreme left or zig zag thorugh the bumper to bumber traffic from Bandra Reclamation towards Mount Mary Roads. We alighted at Kaner road and decided to walk the rest of the away to experience the thrill of the Fair. Our forst stop was obviously the Giant Wheel for the kids , though little Bhakti was a little terrified still she enjoyed and had fun holding her elder sister Netra for dear life. 

Next stop was the multi coloroured merry go round in shape of gleaming cars and all lighted up. This Bhakti enjoyed with full vigour. Once done we started to walk further looking at all the stalls lining the streets. We picked a couple of Tiara’s for the kids with white flowers , wearing them they looked like cute Flower girls from a Christian weddings. We mobved along , a stall selling bright pink Cotton Candy Floss caught my eye as also of my mischievous little princess. Bought the soft candy floss and enjoyed its sweet flavor. As we walked further we noticed many more stalls.

There were stalls , which sold roasted grams, sweet items, religious objects like wax figures of the Virgin Mary, along with an assortment of candles shaped like hands, feet and various other parts of the body. The sick and suffering choose one that corresponds to their ailment and light it in Church, with the pious hope that Mother Mary will consider their appeals for help.

As we reached the Church we could see the preparation of the late mass in the small ground adjoining the Chruch. We then entered the Church to a spellbinding view. The Statue of Virgin mary with the child Jesus was decorated with fresh flower arches and satin ribbons. Looking at her face you could feel the energy radiating in the holy precinct. We folded our hand in reverence and prayed . It does not matter of which religion you belong as long as you have faith in the Higher power in the sky. We saw many non catholics who had come from far sub-urbs with families in tow offering candles and offering a silent prayer. I enjoyed looking at the frescos on the walls of the Church depicting the birth of Christ , the The 3 wise men and teir joyney to find the baby Jesus on the dark and silent night of Christmas eve.The rising star and the smiling baby Jesus born in the barn.The experience was exherelating .We then moved out to see the spectacular and prestine white Arches brightly lit with the staue of Mother Mary . The monument looking beautiful with the dark sky in back drop.

We decided to walk back to the base. Lining the church steps were stalls selling sweets and  food delicacies such as Mawa Pedha, Home-made Cakes (wine, Plum, walnut, dates), Guava cheese, Fuggias, Kadio Bodia (Goan dish made of sugar and flour), Sorpotel, Vindaloo, Dodol (Goan sweet), etc. Bought some Goan authentic Khaja those sweet sticks and later some toys from the neighbouring stalls. There were stalls selling the famous Aam poli and Fanas poli and some selling salted namkeens brought from Kerala.

 We descended the steps and reached the street below . Ready to leave I Looked back one last time at the Church , it was glowing in the lights or was it the rays of hope  emanating from the Mother herself , spreading a halo of reassurance among all those who visited her in this earthly abode…..

Just walking Around

Band Baaja …. Visarjan….

Last Tuesday was Anant Chaturdashi , Bappa’s immersion day . The end of the 10 day festivity when the much loved and adored God Ganapti Bappa the rotund Lambodar comes down from his abode in the heavens to stay with his devotees . Bhakts across communnties in huge pandals or in tiny homes. A mini vacation for the kids to revel in festivities , fun and sweets. Gobbling up the modak pedas like the god himself. A day of the final journey back to his abode in the sky. With a wish of every lips “ Ganpati Bappa Morya …..Pudhchya Varshi Lavkar Yaa”

Each year right from my childhood in this magical place of Matunga , this day of Anant Chaturdash is celebrated with grand fervor on the roads of Matunga. With huge idols of the Ganesha from various Ganesh Mandals of not just Matunga but its neighborhood’s like Sion –Dharavi-Koliwada (GTB Nagar) and even from as far as Chembur –Panjarpole- and Vashi naka ,being taken on Trucks and trailers to be immersed in the sea front at Girgaon or Dadar Chowpatty . We as a family make it a point to go down to the main raod of B.A. Ambedkar Road enjoying the sights and sound. Yes the immense sound of the Visarjan procession , each mandal trying to out do the other in terms of the song and dance routine played out on the streets. The noise pollution activist would be at their wits end about all this cacophony. But in the midst of all this cacophony there are certain gems.

Head to Ruia Naka for the now famous well choreographed and well co-ordinated procession . Organized by the College students of Ruia and Poddar this Ganesh Mandal boasts of nearly 20 year history of the “Vidyartghaynch Raja” among all the other Raja’s from Fort Cha Icchapurti Raja to the Chincjpokli Cha Raja to Parel Cha Raja to Andheri Cha Raja and the all famous Lalbaug Cha Raja. This Vidyarthyancha Raja is dedicated to the students and celebrated as the Vidya Daivat the Lord of Education. Hosted for 10 days at the Ruia Naka which otherwise is famous for Student gatherings and Gossip mongering or the acts of naïve romance and wooing. A Panda is hoisted at the corner or the road half on the footpath half on the road but not much disturbing the usual traffic. Each year the theme is about some current topic from Sprostwomen gettings us medals at Rio Olympics to this years 125 years of Sarvajaniik Ganesh Festival Celebration promoted by Bal Gangadhar Tilak or the Lokmanya.

On the immsersion day their procession is not to be missed for the real traditional fan fare. The show strats with special mandals brought from as far as Nashik , Pune and even Kolhapur. This year it was the turn of “Nyana Prabhodhini Mandal” to mesmerize the crowds with their traditional acts. The procession was lead by a group of nearly 20 -30 young men with wooden sticks called the Tiprya. Dancing to the rhythmatic beats of the Nashik Dhol and Tashaa. Starting with simple moves of beating the sticks to give a loud and steady click , to maneuvering themselves into a short dance much like the Gujarati Dandiya, but looking more masculine and filled with Veer Rasa as compared to Dandiya which more feminine filled with Shringar Rasa.  These dancers were followed by again a groups of boys / young men palying out a dance simply by clapping their hands and moving in rhythm to the beats of the Dhol. Again much similar to the Gujrati Garba but minus the huge circle in which it is played. The more different we think our communities are the more examples of similar traditions imerge in such art forms.

But the loudest cheer ad roar went out to the group of men carrying enourmous drums the “Dhol” requiring real strength not just to carry them but also to beat them in rhythmic action giving out sounds of “Dhum – Dhum” , drowning out all other sounds . If you listen closely you can hear the all pervading sound of the Omkar in its beats . The eternal sound from which this universe itself was created . Well supported by the strong sounds eminating from the flat drums known as Tashaa. The combined sound of Dhol and Tashaa reverberating in the sky and making the atmosphere magical. The procession winding down the by-lane and finally concluding as they reached the main road

This procession is always followed by a small mandal with its pristine Ganesh moorthi decked up on a small tempo truck. The uniqueness being the music being played out by the local boys in true Mumbaiyaa style – The Banjo Party. The Banjo or the Bulbul tarang literally meaning “waves of nightangle”. The Banjo or the Bulbul tarang is an instrument which employs two sets of strings, one set for drone, and one for melody. The strings run over a plate or fretboard, while above are keys resembling typewriter keys, which when depressed fret or shorten the strings to raise their pitch.The sound coming out a unique mix and when played by experts sounding ethereal . The current version used is the electric one with an amplifier plugged in and more sounding like a Rockstars Guitar. And the songs selected are typically loud but enjoyable by the masses . 

A sharp contrast is the procession of the richest Ganpati Mandal the GSB Mandal of Wadala where the Ganesh idol is bedecked with gold and diamond jewelry worth Crores. All part of the royal procession for the Visarjan. The Sevaks and the priests bring out the reagal moorthi amidst holy chants and brass bells rung and metallic gongs being struck. The idol is then placed on the Truck with all its majesty , decorated with freshest flowers and more jewellery fit for the King of Gods. The truck is followed by musical band performing on traditional south Indian drums called the Mridangam to be played sideways and Kanjira the more robust drum palyed with wooden sticks and held verial and hung from the players neck just like the Dhol. These are accompanied by the long wind instrument of Nadaswaram. Belting out traditional carnatic music and devotional songs. The procession winding down from the landmark temple of Ram at Wadala to the road connecting the Khodadad Circle od the Dadar TT circle. Led by the musicians followed by GSB sevaks dressed in traditional orange dhoti and white angavastram some chanting some playing the Thaalam – brass cymbals. Followed by the women folk in rich Silk sarees in a well disciplined line trowing petals and flowers in reverence to the Lord Ganesha lord of 14 Vidyas and 64 Kala’s , Ekdanta, Vakratunda and the destroyer of obstruction – The Vighnaharta….

The night of revelry coming to an end with the sounds getting milder milder till they disappear into the dark sky, only the faint chants reverberate the air as we bid good bye to the most loved God our Bappa with final cheers of Ganpati Bappa Moryaa…Pudchya Varshi Lavkar Yaa…

Just Walking Around

Off  Dips, Sauces , Podi’s and Chutneys …

If you have kids in the house I am sure you would have tried Italian or Mexican food multiple times. Or the other favoured cuisine Chinese you would have observed that the waiter brings a lot of salad dressing or sauces on your table much before your starter or main course order. If its Chinese you will find the typical 3 bowls of dark soya sauce , Chilly or Schezwan sauce and Chilly in Vinegar, these to be used in small proportion with your Fried rice to enhance the taste a little more . If you love the steamed dumplings or Momo’s as they are called you will be served a side dish called kimchi This puréed mixture of kimchi seasoning is a simple combination of red pepper flakes, garlic, ginger, sugar, lime juice, water, salt, and fish sauce. It's punchy and sharp, tangy, and incredibly invigorating.

Another dipping which is typically served is the Black Bean-Peanut Butter Dipping Sauce With Maple Syrup Chinese fermented black soy beans are eye-bulgingly salty and all kinds of funky. And the jarred sauce, which is usually spiked with some additional seasonings, isn't exactly the kind of thing you'd want to eat with a spoon. But some unlikely additions anchor that powerful saltiness and let the black beans' more subtle flavors shine. Maple syrup coaxes out a distinctive layer of sweetness, while creamy peanut butter softens the blow of that sharp, fermented tang. Chili oil ties it all together with some warm heat, and a splash of water thins it out just enough. The result is thick and rich, but still very much dipping-friendly.

In Italian and Mexican cuisine dips and dipping sauces are fundamental to most of the dishes / recipes. A dip or dipping sauce is a common condiment for many types of food. Dips are used to add flavor or texture to a food, such as pita bread, dumplings, crackers, cut-up  raw vegetables, fruits, seafood, cubed pieces of meat and cheese, potato chips, tortilla chips, and falafel. Unlike other sauces, instead of applying the sauce to the food, the food is typically put, dipped, or added into the dipping sauce (hence the name).

Dips are commonly used for finger foods, appetizers, and other easily held foods. Thick dips based on sour cream, crème fraîche, milk, yogurt, mayonnaise, soft cheese, or beans are a staple of American hors d'oeuvres and are thinner than spreads which can be thinned to make dips. Alton Brown suggests that a dip is defined based on its ability to "maintain contact with its transport mechanism over three feet of white carpet"

Dips in various forms are eaten all over the world and people have been using sauces for dipping for thousands of years.

More so in our Indian way of life. Growing up in a house hold where most of the food was home made we always had stock of typical side dishes like the dry chutneys which would be eaten during heavy rains when even the standard vegetables become scarse. You could then eat a bhakri with a simple onion and a dry chutney mixed with a little oil. Another  Maharashtrian traditional dry chutney is the  Methkut, a mixture of  rice ,wheat, udad dal , chana dal ,moong dal  in equal quantitities  alongwith small quantinties of coriander (dhania)seeds , cumin( jeera) seeds , methi (fenugreek ) and pinch of khada masala like hing , dalchini , jai fal all finely powdered in the grinder to give a dry chutney. This is best had with soft  a spoonful ghee ans pinch of salt. A filling but soothing dish for the hungry tummy.

These dry chutneys are also called Podi’s in South of India. Dry chutney powders are a kind of chutney which are in dry powdered form. In every South Indian house, it is very common to find at least one or two podi varieties at all times. The Telugu people and Tamil Brahmans mostly like to start off their meal with a little podi rice. A little podi is mixed with steamed rice and some ghee is drizzled on top. After having this, rice is had with other curries and sides. Even in traditional restaurants podi is surely served.

Usually wet chutneys cannot be stored for more than a couple of days. These dry chutney powders can be stored for 3-6 months in air tight jars. It can be served with rice or other food items like idli, dosa, uthappam, paniyaaram etc. It is typically mixed with some ghee or sesame seed (gingelly) oil and consumed. The best thing about having these podis on hand is that they make busy mornings and evenings on a working day very easier. Instead of making a curry, rice or idli or dosa can be instantly served with some podi. Its not only satisfying but very tasty too. These podis come handy during long road trips or train journeys. Rice or Idlis with some podi stays good for more than a day in room temperature. Podi varieties are a good companion to hostelers. College students who are away from home can still enjoy some homemade podi with rice.

There are many varieties of podis made depending on the region. There is the idli podi from Tamil Nadu, kandi (red lentil) podi from Andhra Pradesh, poondu (garlic) podi, chammandhi podi (with roasted coconut) from Kerala, peanut podi, curry leaf (karuvepilai) podi etc. There are also podis made with vegetables which are dry roasted. The shelf life of these may not be very long. There is also podi made with dried fish (karuvaatu podi) and with dried prawns (chemmen chammandhi).

Most widely eaten  podi is the Milagi Podi made famous by the numerous Udipi Resturants serving the hot piping idli’s and dosai’s. There are people like me who love to have this as an accompaniment even if there is sambar, chutney or other curry as a side for idli or dosa. It is so tasty, you have to try it to believe it.

Then again the taste of fresh wet chutney is all to gether different. Mostly in coconut base there atleast 50 varieties in India to make you smack your lips.

The most widely accepted and eaten wet chutney are those served in Udpi restaurants along with Dosa’s and Idli. There is the white chutney with a hint of asafoeteda (hing) and spiked with a tadka of mustard seed and red chilly most likely the southern variety of Bedgi . Then there is the red chutney with a spicy touch best eaten with crispy Rava Sada or smeared on the Mysore Sada. If you order the need dosa that soft velvety dosa made of rice flour and which melts in your mouth while eating , you will be served with 2 more varieties of chutneys the green one made with coriander and a hint of lemon to give it a tangy taste and a simple sweet chutney made from jaggery and desiccated fresh coconut.

If you are in Hyderabad , formerly in Andhra Pradesh and now part of the new state of Telangana ou will be fascinated with their rich culture of chutney’s . Each made of unheard of ingredients and excotic to the person north of the Vindhyas. They have the Carrot Chutney made of sweet carrots which goes well with the Dal wada or the Pessaratu Dosa, then there is the thick an delicious Penut Capsicum chutney which is served even with thier rice preparations. Or some unusal one like the Dondakaya Pachadi or the Tindora chutney as known in Hindi. Another unique chutney is made from Gongura or the sour leaves known as Ambadi in Marathi and Pitwaa in Hindi. A blackish semi dry chutney served with Southern Paratha .

But if you are a fan of the samosa or kachori do head to D.Damodar’s at Dadar TT circle and ask for their kajur (dates) and imli chutney a sweet sour combination which goes well with the hot farsan snack. If you buy fresh fafda a typical Gujarati farsan snack you can ask for the special yellow chutney , a sweet and salty combination with crunchy taste mostly served at Tea time in morning. Fafda made from Gram Flour and Chutney combination of Gram Flour with Curd, Green Chilies.

Another typical regional delight is the sweet curd based chutney served with Maharashtrian fasting snack of Sabu dana wada. A mixture of coconut , peanuts and curd and lightly sweetened to give a unique taste. If youa are the spicy type do try the Kolhapuri thecha a pure fiery chutney made of what else but chillies . Eaten with Bhakri this is sure to put your mouth on fire and smoke through your ears .But you will love the taste so much you will surely ask for more with your teary eyes.

So try these mouthwatering accompaniments with your dished .

Try them one by one and enjoy your meal with Dips, Sauces , Podi’s and Chutneys …