January 14, 2018 by Chris

Pongal festival

Pongal is a four day Harvest Festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu and dedicated to the Sun God. The celebration dates back over 1000 years and falls during the month of Thai (January-February) during the season when rice and other cereals, sugar-cane, and turmeric (an essential ingredient in Tamil cooking) are harvested.

The First Day

This first day is celebrated as Bhogi festival in honor of Lord Indra, the supreme ruler of clouds that give rains. Homage is paid to Lord Indra for the abundance of harvest, thereby bringing plenty and prosperity to the land.

The Second Day

On the second day of Pongal, the puja or act of ceremonial worship is performed when rice is boiled in milk outdoors in an earthenware pot and is then symbolically offered to the sun-god along with other oblations. All people wear traditional dress and markings, and in accordance with the appointed ritual a turmeric plant is tied around the pot in which the rice will be boiled. The offerings include the two sticks of sugar-cane in background and coconut and bananas in the dish. A common feature of the puja, in addition to the offerings, is the kolam, the auspicious design which is traditionally traced in white lime powder before the house in the early morning after bathing.

The Third Day

The third day is known as Mattu Pongal, the day of Pongal for cows. Multi-colored beads, tinkling bells, sheaves of corn and flower garlands are tied around the neck of the cattle and then are worshiped. They are fed with Pongal and taken to the village centers. A type of bull run also takes place where young men run and attempt to grab the bull by the horns and force in to submission.

The Fourth Day

The Fourth day is known as Knau or Kannum Pongal day. On this day, a turmeric leaf is washed and is then placed on the ground. On this leaf are placed, the left overs of sweet Pongal and Venn Pongal, ordinary rice as well as rice colored red and yellow, betel leaves, betel nuts, two pieces of sugarcane, turmeric leaves, and plantains. In Tamil Nadu women perform this ritual before bathing in the morning. All the women, young and old, of the house assemble in the courtyard. The rice is placed in the centre of the leaf, while the women ask that the house and family of their brothers should prosper.

We went to Kothagiru this morning to observe some of the rituals.

January 14, 2018 by Chris

Cooking with Renu #1

Matar(peas) Paneer

1/2 litre milk

1 1/4 t vinegar

Boil milk. Add vinegar very slowly, while stirring milk. When it has separated scrape from side of pan and drain in a sieve. Pat in to rectangular shape while pressing out excess liquid.

Matar:

Asefitada

1.5 t cumin seeds

1 bay leaf

1” piece cinnamon

1 dry red chili

2 tomatoes puréed

1/2 t coriander

1/4 t chili powder

1/4 t paprika

1/2 t salt

1c peas

1 T chopped cilantro

NOTE: when using Asefitada never use garlic and vice verse.

2 T oil in pan – heat.

Add pinch of asefitida, cumin seeds. Let pop. Add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and chili. Add tomato purée and cook down. Add remaining dry spices to the tomatoes. Add peas and paneer.

Cut the paneer in to cubes and brown lightly in a little oil.

Sprinkle with cilantro.

Baingan Bharta (Punjab/Rajasthan)

1 eggplant

Char over open flame.

1 tomato diced

1/2 red onion, chopped finely

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1T ginger, chopped

1t garlic, chopped

1/2 t salt

1/2 t paprika

1/4 t chili powder

1/4 t turmeric

1/2 c yogurt

Handful of fresh mint.

Heat 3T oil. Add fennel seeds and let pop.

Add onion and cook until light brown. Add ginger and garlic

Add tomato and cook until soft. Remove from heat.

Peel and chop eggplant. Add to tomato mix. Add dry spices, yogurt and half the mint, chopped.

Chop remaining mint for garnish.

Roth bread – an old recipe from Rajasthan.

This particular bread is eaten at the full moon in August. Married women fast for the entire day, and they prepare this bread serving the first piece to a cow, the second piece to their husband, and only then can they break their fast and eat themselves.

250g whole wheat flour

1 t salt

1 t carom seeds (Adjuain – good for digestion)

1 T ghee

Crumble ghee and add enough water to make a firm dough. Cover and let it rest.

Punch and knead lightly until smooth and even. Break off golf ball size pieces and roll to about 1/8”thick – about 6”diameter. Crimp the edges and stamp with wedding band to make rings on surface.

Bake on dry cast iron pan. Flip and brush ghee on browned surface. Flip again with ghee side down.

Credit: Renu Kamir www.explorindya.com

January 13, 2018 by Chris - 1 Comment

The NilGiris and Ooty

Morning broke with beautiful clear skies and views of mountains in the distance.

After breakfast we set off towards Ooty with a little diversion to take a walk through some of the older tea plantations. Various shades of green covered the hillsides and Rajat explained how individual plucking of the fresh shoots provides for optimal results, whereas some farmers have the shoots removed with a scythe which damages the twig and causes the bush to coarsen and turn darker green; the financial yield from this tea is much less. If the shoots aren’t plucked every eight days, the plant can easily get out of control and revert to being a tree – as we saw on some of the plantations. The temperatures were perfect and the scenery spectacular.

We visited the market in Ooty where preparations are in full swing for the Pongal festival which starts tomorrow, Sunday. Sugar canes and bunches of neem, with its frothy white flower, were all over and people were buying to ornament their homes, vehicles, etc.

Otherwise, deliciously fresh produce was in abundance and I have complete cauliflower envy – a huge head can be purchased for 75c!!!!

Banana fact: Each guest at EVERY Indian wedding (many with 2,000 to 3,000 guests) is given a banana! Two weeks from the date, the banana merchant is contacted and given the date and numbers. Banana branches are cut, wrapped in banana leaves, and stored in a cool dark place to ripen. One of these branches holds about 600 bananas!!!

January 12, 2018 by Chris

In to the hills

Our tuk-tuk arrived promptly to take us on the 30 minute drive to Ernakulam Junction for our train ride on the Bangalore Express to Coimbatore, and the next phase of our adventure. It took us a walk to the far, far end of the train (the trains here are looooong) and back again to find our coach with a/c and our assigned seats. The journey took almost four hours, during which food wallahs constantly plied the aisle with their “chai, chai” or “coffee, coffee”, and whatever other food items they were hawking.

Rajat met us in Coimbatore and we set off on the two-hour road trip to the NilGiris (blue mountains) with stops along the way. First stop was a large Tiffin (restaurant that is open all day serving Indian “fast food” – typically a light lunch. Ours was dosa with chutneys and sambal.

We stopped to look at plantations of curry leaf plants, something we have enjoyed in virtually every dish we’ve eaten. Rajat told us of its medicinal properties also. We were amazed by this young man who loaded two huge bundles of the leaves – each weighing about 60 kg – on to his moped and then gingerly took off to the wholesale market!

Just before starting our ascent, we stopped for a coconut milk and ate the deliciously soft meat from the coconut.

Up, up and round and round, we climbed to 6,550 feet passing lush tea plantations along the way. And here we are, in these beautiful hills, perched on the side of the hill. Renu and Ravi, our hosts, are delightful and full of stories and information.

January 10, 2018 by Chris

Punting on the backwaters of Kerala

Even though we are spending a couple of nights in Alleppey, we decided to take a day tour on the backwaters. This entailed a one-hour drive to the village of Vaikom. Our guide greeted us and organized us in to two long, wooden canoe-type boats with the oarsmen using bamboo poles to punt our way through the narrow channels.

It was so tranquil and lush, and so interesting to see life in the backwaters unfold as we floated past.

We made a visit to a hamlet where we saw spices growing. (Top l-r: cloves, cinnamon, coffee beans, tamarind. Bottom: pepper corns and nutmeg)

We learned that the cinnamon tree needs to have at least six years maturity before the bark can be peeled, and then it needs to be taken from branches rather than the trunk – which would kill the tree. Pepper corns grow on a non-parasitic vine (this one climbing on a mahogany tree). All peppercorns come from the same plant – green, red, black and white. To get white peppercorns the seeds are soaked and then the outer skin removed. The outer peel of the nutmeg is used in chutneys; inside – the flower or mace is used in cooking – especially Biriyani; peel that away and you find the nut, which is grated for use.

This man was particularly fun to watch as he was washing his calf and then tried to get it out of the water! As warm as it was, I wouldn’t have minded a dip myself!

These women are making rope from coconut fiber.

We had a simple, but delicious, lunch – served in an open air pavilion type building! They probably cooked very thing out the back on a single gas ring!!

After lunch we switched to a larger covered boat, that was also a punt, and travelled one of the wider channels back to our transport.

January 10, 2018 by Chris

Kathakhali dance and music

Kathakhali is one of the major forms of classical Indian dance. It plays out a story, but is distinguished by the elaborate costumes and colorful make-up. It developed as a Hindu performance in the Mayalam speaking region of Kerala, southwestern India.

Kathakali performance synthesizes music, choreography and hand (mudras) and facial gestures to express ideas, emotions and a story. Before the actual performance, the female dancer showed us the eye and hand movements, and also went through all the emotions and performed each one in an exaggerated way.

We watched the male performer apply his face mask (make-up) before the performance.

Photos of mannequins from the Kathakhali museum.

January 9, 2018 by Chris

Chinese fishing nets and more …

Our goal today was to meander through town and to see the Chinese fishing nets.

Nothing really opens much before 10a.m. But it was pleasant and not too hot with a light breeze blowing.

This is an ingenious fishing mechanism and technique -it allows one fisherman to operate a 20m wide net alone. The system relies on counter balance – on the end is the net and on the other end it is balanced with big rocks. The fisherman only needs to walk across the structure for the net to sink and be submerged at high tide.

Some of the historic buildings are beautifully maintained, while others are struggling or crumbling.

This nice young man makes and plays all these instruments. His lovely young wife and daughter.

The sister of the bride told us this was a “post wedding shoot” – yes, photographers were there also!

January 8, 2018 by Chris - 2 Comments

Dhobis, palaces, and spices

I grew up knowing that “Dhobi” meant washing/laundry, as that is what my father always called it! There are Dhobi ghats right here in Kochi – called Dhobi Khana. The origins of the dhobi khana lie in the colonial period, when British officers brought many Tamil villagers to Kochi to work as washermen and since 1920 they have been known as the Vannar community. To this day, most of the dhobis are Tamils. According to an article I read, there are about 40 families in the community who use this Khana. Each cubicle with wash pens and water tanks is allotted to one family.

The dhobis offer laundry services to private individuals, hostels, hospitals, and hotels. Many have been working there since they were young teenagers and are now in their 70’s and 80’s. The dhobi who was ironing let me feel the weight of the iron and told me it was 8.5kg, which I well believed!The laundry is soaked, pounded, scrubbed, rinsed, wrung and hung out to dry.

Some of the wall art at the Dhobi Khana.

Our next stop was at the Dutch Palace which the Portuguese built as a gift to King Veera Kerala Verma in about 1545. It came to be known as the Dutch Palace as it underwent major repairs at the hands of the Dutch. It now houses a museum, the Mattancherry Palace Museum. The interior has incredibly richly carved ceilings, beautiful murals and the displays include artifacts from the bygone eras of the Raj. A Hindu place of worship is on the grounds, and a spring fed pond is used as a swimming hole by locals.

This Hindu temple was on our way to the Spice Market.

Unlike the spice market in Dubai, this one consisted of some shops selling spices, to include a women’s cooperative. We picked up a few harder to find spices – like white poppy seeds and black cardamom.

We discovered that Bazaar Road was where the wholesale merchants were located. The street was a hive of activity as large trucks laden with sacks of rice, garlic, onions and more jockeyed for position to offload their loads. Men were busy counting money, giving orders, and doing book work – India still believes in the ledger!!!

This rather fancy hotel, renovated and converted from an old granary, was beautiful, but in a strange location.

January 7, 2018 by Chris

Shopping around Fort Kochi

We spent the (hot) afternoon wandering the streets of Fort Kochi and browsing the shops – gleefully when we came across one with a/c! As my granddaughter pointed out – there is a 100+ degree difference between here and Belfast, Maine!

A huge banyan tree outside our building.

Around a small part of Fort Kochi

Our tuk -tuk driver, Zakki.

plastic water bottles for recycling

Shopping…

January 7, 2018 by Chris

Kochi on Epiphany

Our three-hour layover at Bangalore airport was quite interesting and educational. When is people watching not just that? By the way, the airport is very modern, architecturally pleasing, and easy to navigate. We started with a breakfast of masala dosa attempting at all times to keep our left hands away from our food!!!

I was fascinated by some small groups of men dressed in black with orange and red bindis on their foreheads, and have since learned that they are pilgrims on their way to Sabrimala pilgrimage Center (Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple, dedicated to Lord Ayyappa). This temple being the most prominent among all Sastha temples in Kerala, is situated on a hilltop in the Western Ghats. It is not open throughout the year, but only open for worship during the days of Mandalapooja, Makaravilakku and Chitra Vishu. It is said that the pilgrims have to follow fasting for 41 days to cleanse their minds before going to Sabarimala, and the journey to the temple is to be taken on foot through difficult paths in the forest. We observed some other pilgrims at a local Hindu restaurant in Kochi.

Fort Kochi is just as I imagined and hoped. Very lush, old but not shabby, walkable; evidence of its history – Portuguese, Dutch, and British – is everywhere. We have not yet explored many of the sights, but we will!

This morning we walked to St. Francis Anglican Church for their 8 a.m. English speaking service. What a lovely experience, made even better by meeting John (Dundu) and Anna (Lilu). John was baptized, confirmed and married in the church. I was asking him about the long fans that run the length of the church. He told me they are called panka and were last in operation at his brother’s wedding 25+ years ago! After the service we were able to chat with some of the parishioners and learn more about the church, including its history.

St Francis Xavier’s Church at Fort Kochi was built in the year 1503, by Portuguese traders. Initially, the church was a simple wooden structure, dedicated to St Bartholomew. In 1506, the Raja of Cochin permitted the Portuguese Viceroy, Dom Francisco Almedia, to reconstruct the structure in stone. The new church was completed in 1516 and was dedicated to St Antony. The ownership of the Church of St Francis Xavier then passed into the hands of the protestant Dutch, who captured Kochi in 1663. They converted it into their government church and it remained in the possession of the Dutch until 1795. Ownership then passed to the British, when they captured Kochi from the Dutch. The church became a protected monument in 1923. In 1947, the congregation joined the Protestant Church of South India (CSI). St Francis Xavier’s Church is also famous because Vasco-da- Gama, the first European to discover a route to India, died here in 1524 on his third visit and was buried in this church. Though his remains were shipped to Lisbon, at the request of his son, 14 years later, the gravestone is still there.

As we were leaving, John asked if we would like to join them for breakfast! They took us on a mini tour of Kochi, pointing out places and streets of interest, and then to amHindu restaurant where we enjoyed idlis, dosa masala, and coffee which is poured from container to container to cool! We stopped at a fruit market and they delivered us back to our apartment. What a lovely morning!

Our apartment

January 6, 2018 by Chris

Learning Goan Cuisine – breads and more …day 3

We started with another impressive number of items to make during our session to include:

Chicken biryani
Prawn kadai
Naan bread
Poori
Stuffed poori
Chapatti
Dosas
Uttapam
Medu vade
Paneer kofta
Rice pudding
Coconut chutney

We started with the coconut chutney which I first discovered at the hotel in Mumbai, and fell in love with.

Next up was Uttapam – the “Indian pizza”- made with the idli batter.

Then came dosas mad with a watered down idli batter.

These three items were for our breakfast.

We started with making the dough for the chapattis, poori and naan so it could rest and rise.

Medu vade- a donut like, deep fried, savory made with a dough of the same Urid lentils used in idlis, with the addition of chopped onion, coconut, green chili, ginger and cilantro.

The chicken was marinated for the biryani, the rice was cooked, with the spices, and onions were fried to a delicious crisp.

The kofta were formed and then deep fried.

The kofta curry was made and the kofta balls were added.

The chicken for the biryani was prepared and then layered with the rice, sealed and baked.

The Kerai was made

Now time to knead, and knead some more; roll, fold, roll; flip, oil, flip; bake over open flame and deep fry the different breads.

The end product – yummy!!!!

January 6, 2018 by Chris

Exploring Panjim

Our plan was to explore the old, Portuguese influenced, area of Panjim; however, our driver spoke just a smattering of English and didn’t know the way! Iwas able to direct him to Se cathedral and the basilica (16c) using google maps!!!

Our sight seeing of the old architecture in town was less successful, and when we finally found the market, discovered that it was not nearly as nice as the one in Vasco de Gama. The ride to and from Panjim along the waterfront was interesting, especially the roaming cows, dogs sleeping wherever -to include in the road, and the brightly decorated homes (for Christmas).