Memorable events related to food

Manipal - late 1990s

Between 1997-2000, our families had a chance to come together due to thread ceremonies of all male cousins. We had a gala time every summer vacation and the food memories from this time were beautiful.

The gobi manchurian, parcelled in banana leaves and brought home by uncle from a restaurant named Dwadashi in Kalsanka, Udupi. (closed now), was loved by all, due to its unique taste and aroma which is hard to find these days. We also had savoured a lot of Gud Bud ice creams in these days at multiple places, most notable one being at Lakshmi Soda Stall in Karkala. They used to prepare their own ice cream and it was fabulous in those days. Also to mention the soda sherbet, made with freshly prepared soda right out of the machine.

One day, the senior folks had also pulled off a tandoori party, grilling chicken on top of Srikar mam's terrace. It was a bit over charred, and not sufficient for our hungry bellies, but a memorable experience indeed.

We had also tasted Chole Bhature for the first time when all ladies of the house worked hard and prepared it under Meera Baliga akka's guidance.

The most fabulous Biscuit Ambade were enjoyed during the year of Pratap's thread ceremony, the ranpo maam had made such amazing light and crispy ones that i ended up eating 6 big ambades.

NSS Camp

We had been to the same village in 2007. The village is named Songarh and located in Raigad District, MH. The quality of food served in 2008 was on the other end of the scale compared to the one in the previous year. I remember seeing the men prepare the food on openfires, chopping cabbages with steel glasses etc. to prepare the stir fry, which was very lovely. Also got a taste of bhareli vangi made with small brinjals cooked on coal fire.

From the camp in 2007, only two food experiences are worth sharing. One is the amazing kanda poha made by he ladies in Kasarmalai. The poha was well made, fluffy and topped with freshly grated coconut and fried peanuts. We even got second helpings, which made us very happy, hungry that we were after having walked a good deal that morning. Another was the amazing chai and Parle G biscuits we had in a dhaba when Shantaram, Parikshit, Nikhil and I had gone to a nearby village for a small demo in the village school.

Here, one of the teachers had asked us what was being served to us for food and remarked that the non-veg is made very well in these sides, particulary Kombdi Wade - Chicken curry served with fried rice wadas. Interestingly in my last NSS camp of 2009, i tasted his in a village near Sai, located on a hilltop, which was a memorable experience in the cold winters of December.

Delhi-Sonepat-Chandigarh - 2012

This was the first time i travelled by Rajdhani express for Mitesh Sharma's wedding. The food was amazing on the train, along with the company.

Once we reached Hz. Nizamuddin station, we headed to Shashi's place where we had awesome noodles and manchurian prepared by his neighbour. Then we headed to Nishant Trisal's place in Rohini, via the Delhi Metro. Nishant's mom had made a lovely Kashmiri lunch for us, having palak chaman, nadru yakhni and authentic dum aloo. Also, awesome rajma curry and shahi paneer with the best paneer i have ever eaten. Superb rice and soft phulkas to eat these with. We were served kahva after the lunch and it is one of the most memorable experience i have had in this life.

In Chandigarh, the food was standard. For the reception in Sonepat, i enjoyed golgappa with varities of pani to be eaten with for the first time. The Soya Chanp kababs was out of the world and i was shocked that it was not chicken.

We also visited Delhi in that year and enjoyed deep fried parathas with banana chutney and lassi at Chandni Chowk, Kachaalu chat at Palika bazaar and amazing rasgulla and rasmalai a haldirams, chandni chowk.

Maitri Farms - 2015

During my first week on the farm, the helper was away due to his father's demise. We had to work on the farm in the day and cook at night. This was my first experience cooking on wood fire. I helped Jeetu, a villager who was there to help us, prepare a delicious stir fry with dried prawns. Then Shreesh, the farm owner, and I worked together to make the chapatis. Those were huge chapatis and fulfilling on our empty bellies.

Each morning and evening, black tea prepared with lemn gradd and lots of sugar was served. A British guy named Zeke Marshall had mastered it. It was amusing to seee him prepare it for all of us.

Once the rains had started, Jeetu would get mud crabs aka chimbori, from his rice farm. We too had ventured out in the night to collect them from the farm we were in, and got small ones. With these, amazing crab curry was prepared one afternoon, by the helper's wife. She had one day prepared amazing chapaties, gawar beans stir fry and thecha with garlic and green chilly. It was the best item i had eaten during my farm stay.