Sakura Season Treats of Japan

 

(This article first appeared online on 20th March 2024 on Live Mint, India https://lifestyle.livemint.com/food/discover/japan-sakura-season-foods-mochi-bento-box-111710855868529.html)

New Year Cakes Around The World

 

(This article first appeared online on 27th December 2023 on Live Mint and in print on 28th December in Mint newspaper India https://lifestyle.livemint.com/food/discover/new-year-cake-traditions-111703602732255.html)

Christmas Drinks From Around The World

 

(This article first appeared online on 13th December 2023 on Live Mint and in print on 14th December in Mint newspaper India https://lifestyle.livemint.com/food/drink/christmas-warm-drinks-recipes-111702454917451.html)

Poland's Christmas Markets and Festive Food and Drink

 

(This article first appeared online on 6th December 2023 on Live Mint, India https://lifestyle.livemint.com/food/discover/christmas-winter-food-drink-poland-111701796198786.html)

Mexico's Dia De Muertos A Food and Drink Fiesta

 

(This article first appeared online on 1st November 2023 on Live Mint, India https://lifestyle.livemint.com/food/discover/food-day-of-the-dead-mexico-111698808010431.html)

What's On The Menu at Oktoberfest?

 

(This article first appeared online on 20th September 2023 in Mint Lounge, India and in print on page 14 on 21 September https://lifestyle.livemint.com/food/discover/munich-germany-oktoberfest-food-111695162327406.html)

The Goa-Brazil Christmas Food Connection

 

(This article first appeared online on 12th November 2022 in Mint Lounge, India https://lifestyle.livemint.com/food/discover/how-goa-and-brazil-are-united-by-christmas-recipes-111670815157415.html)

Hot Desi Cakes

 

(This article first appeared in the 11th December 2022 issue of Deccan Herald newspaper's Sunday Herald section https://www.deccanherald.com/amp/sunday-herald/sh-top-stories/hot-desi-cakes-1169835.html)

Around the globe for Christmas

 

(This article appeared in the 20th November 2021 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 17 https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai-guide/mumbai-food/article/around-the-globe-for-christmas-23205822 )

 

Punch Drunk

 

(This column first appeared in the 19th December 2021 issue of The Hindu newspaper's Sunday Magazine section on page 8 https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/food/khimad-that-spicy-winter-punch-that-heralds-christmas-for-mumbais-east-indian-community/article37984765.ece)

Oblations to the Palate

 

(This column first appeared in the 5th September 2021 issue of The Hindu newspaper's Sunday Magazine section on page 8 https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/food/oblations-to-the-palate-the-ganesh-chaturthi-platter/article36267568.ece)

Xmas goes international!

Bringing an eclectic flare to your Christmas fare are a host of home chefs and small businesses dishing out everything from Swedish meatballs to Portuguese festive delicacies and a whole lot more.

By Raul Dias

Rummy’s Kitchen

With over a hundred varieties of vegetarian and meat pickles in her repertoire, Andheri West-based Inderpreet 'Rummy' Nagpal of the eponymous Rummy’s Kitchen decided to shake things up a bit this festive week with her rather 'well-travelled' Christmas special menu. “Having relatives all over the world, I thought it best to come up with a range of international festive dishes that I learnt to make on my visits abroad,” says Nagpal. On her a la carte Christmas menu that’s available from Wednesday to Sunday this week are dishes from America like a lemon herb roast chicken with cranberry meatballs (Rs 850) and braised pork ribs (Rs 850) with a side of the Italian staple of polenta. Accompanying these are her German stollen fruit bread (Rs 200), bacon bread (Rs 550) and a very unique Christmas tree pull apart bread (Rs 550). Desserts take the form of a Christmas cupcake with a rum and cream cheese frosting (Rs 150 for two) and a Christmas jar dessert (Rs 350) layered with spiced plum cake bits, cheesecake and piped chocolate ganache.

Call: 9769211608

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CAS

Egged on by friends who couldn’t get enough of his all-vegetarian lockdown dinners, fashion designer turned home chef Chintan Shah decided to start a small, luxury catering outfit called CAS (Culinary, Artisanal, Sensory) in earnest a couple of months ago. Operating out of his Peddar Road home’s kitchen, Shah bases his weekly vegetarian meal menus on his past travels to 101 countries. “My current Winter Wonderland Christmas menu is an ode to my trips to Switzerland where the food is hearty and warming,” says Shah. Packed for two, the three-course meal (Rs 1,900) available from Thursday to Saturday this week consists of a creamy asparagus soup, a Swiss chard, walnut and feta salad and a French baguette topped with the typically Swiss melted raclette cheese. Shah also sends in his wine and craft cocktail pairing suggestions with the meal. For an additional Rs 600, you can even get two servings of a traditional, boozy zuger kirschtorte cake with a nut meringue.

Call: 9969999699

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Cozinha Amorosa

“A loving kitchen” is what former lawyer and passionate home chef Anisha Andrade's three-month-old food business Cozinha Amorosa means in Portuguese. “I learnt the nuances of Portuguese cuisine from my mother-in-law, who, although Goan, has a strong Portuguese heritage,” says the Santacruz West-based Andrade. While her regular menu is full of traditional Goan dishes, she’s doing a number of Portuguese-style delicacies for this festive week. One can expect to relish dishes like a pork and bean stew called feijoada, an arroz con chorizo (sausage rice), a rare-to-find prawn cake called apa de camaro and a creamy tuna moulded salad which are all priced between Rs 450 to Rs 500 a portion, that Andrade says is enough to feed two. Desserts like the biscuit crumb serradura pudding and the tender coconut soufflé (both Rs 150 a portion) are just some of the sweet treats she has on offer. Andrade requires at least 48 hours advance notice for all orders.

Call: 9821399414

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Global Foodie

Taking the home diner on a whirlwind tour of cuisines from around the world is the Christmas menu by Global Foodie. Started a few years ago by advertising professional Prashant Pradhan, this Powai-based kitchen stays true to its name. “Our entire festive menu is made up of dishes from places as diverse as Brazil and Scandinavia to Korea and Italy,” says Pradhan who makes interesting dishes like Swedish meatballs served with mashed potatoes and blueberry jam (Rs 1,250 for a five-person portion). The menu, that’s available all this week, also has a Spanish seafood paella (Rs 1,600 for 1.5kgs), Italian porchetta pork roll (Rs 1,850 for 1.5kgs), Korean fried chicken wings (Rs 450 for a dozen) and Brazilian chicken croquettes called coxinas (Rs 1,400 for two dozen). To finish the feast off is the rich and decadent French chocolate terrine (Rs 400 for 300gms).

Call: 9967353332

(An edited version of this review appeared in the 23rd December 2020 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 19 https://m.mid-day.com/articles/christmas-meals-from-around-the-world-by-mumbai-based-home-chefs/23156210)

Some Like it Hot!

Move over icy cocktails, for it is time to make way for a plethora of boozy drinks—from hot mulled wines and warm spicy toddies this festive winter season.

By Raul Dias

Quick question: what are the first few things that come to your mind when you hear the word ‘cocktail’? Tall, icy glasses and tumblers filled with colourful, alcohol-laced libations and topped off with imaginative garnishes would be some of the first to describe the drinks that both refresh and give you a slight buzz in equal measure. 

Well, not quite in this case! We are here to shake things up (pun intended!) a wee bit with a few cocktail iterations that trod the off beaten path. A path that is ultra-seasonal and one that takes you on an alcoholic ride no less potent. We are waxing eloquent about the hot or at the very least warm cocktails that make their annual presence felt the moment the mercury takes a little a southward dive. 

Here is looking at everything from hot mulled wines to warm spicy toddies and boozy buttered rums. All perfect drinks to warm the cockles of your heart this festive winter season. And what is even better is that you can make each of them at home yourselves!

Spiced Cinnamon Hot Toddy

At Silver Beach Café, Mumbai

Bourbon and maple with hints of spice makes this hot alcoholic beverage conceptualised by Iven Henry Raghwan, Senior Bar Manager at Silver Beach Cafe, Bandra, Mumbai the perfect choice for a nippy evening. The flavourful sweetness of maple does not overpower the notes of the Bourbon, yet it allows the spices to take over subtly and hit the right notes, just like the perfect melody! 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup maple syrup or cane sugar 

3/4 cup warm water 

Red chilly to taste 

2 whole cinnamon sticks

2 squeezed fresh lemon

2 ounces Bourbon

Hot water (as required)

Star anise (for garnish)

Method:

* Add maple syrup/sweetener, water, cinnamon sticks, chilly to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook and simmer for 5 minutes. Then remove from heat and let it cool for 20 minutes or longer. Strain and store for use. 

* For one glass add half of the lemon juice, 4 tablespoons of the prepared spicy syrup, Bourbon and hot water to top.

* Throw in a stick of cinnamon and allow the drink to pull in the flavour of the spice.

* Garnish with star anise, a lemon slice and serve warm. 

Café Pluck Nutella Hot Coffee

At Café Pluck, Pullman New Delhi Aerocity

There is nothing quite like a cup of coffee, is there? Now, imagine few sips of the aromatic magic with an amazing combination of Nutella, and Baileys Irish Cream and you are suddenly awake and motivated to tackle your day head on. This hot cocktail, perfect for a chilly Sunday mid-day brunch is an explosion of flavours and textures and is the concoction of Café Pluck’s Assistant Manager, Mayank Pander all deceptively served up in a tall sundae glass.

Ingredients:

1 shot espresso coffee  

1 shot milk

1 tbsp Nutella

2 tbsp whipped cream

1 shot Baileys Irish Cream

Coffee, chocolate powder and chocolate cookies (for garnish)

Method:

* Take one shot  hot espresso in a sundae glass and slowly mix Nutella into the coffee.

* Add one shot of Baileys.

* Make a nice froth from hot, full cream milk and top it up over the coffee.

* Take whipped cream and nicely whip it over the coffee.

* Garnish it with crushed coffee, chocolate powder and chocolate cookies.

 

Hot Buttered Rum

At Artisan, Sofitel Mumbai BKC

This hot cocktail is especially popular in the fall and winter and is traditionally associated with the holiday season. “What makes it special is that it suits the Indian plate really well, with the use of spice and rum,” says Rajesh Singh, bar executive at Artisan, Sofitel Mumbai BKC who recently came up with this drink.

Ingredients:

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tbsp butter (soft)

1 dash ground cinnamon

1 dash ground nutmeg

1 dash ground allspice

1 splash vanilla extract

2 ounces Bacardi Gold Rum

5 ounces hot water 

Cinnamon stick (for garnish)

Method:

* In mixing bowl, combine butter, vanilla extract, sugar and spices. Beat until well combined.   

* In heat-proof glass or mug, combine aged rum with 1 ounce (2 tbsp) spiced butter mixture. Remaining mixture can be stored in airtight container in refrigerator for future use.

* Top with hot water and stir until ingredients are well incorporated. Garnish with cinnamon stick.

 

Mulled Wine

At Plum by Bentchair, New Delhi 

Dubbed the '#Plumazing Mulled Wine', this easy-to-prepare riff on a traditional mulled wine by Plum by Bentchair's Corporate Mixologist, Raj Negi is a beautiful meld of red wine, honey, orange zest, and spices to make you feel the pleasure of warmth in this chilly weather.

Ingredients:

150 ml red wine

15 ml honey

A pinch of orange zest

1 cinnamon stick

2 star anise

2 cloves

Orange slice and cinnamon stick (for garnish)

Method:

* Add all the ingredients in a saucepan simmer gently over low heat for 10 minutes.

*  Serve warm and garnish with orange slice and cinnamon sticks.

(An edited version of this piece was first published in the November 2020 issue of LuxeBook magazine https://www.luxebook.in/)

High on Pie

A symbol of today’s American holiday of Thanksgiving, the sweet Thanksgiving pie is a must have. We crash the party with a selection of the best iterations available in the city.

By Raul Dias

Pumpkin Pie from Milanda Jagtiani

This super-traditional seven inch Thanksgiving special pumpkin pie is as all American as it can get! Even the pumpkin puree and spice blend that goes into an all-butter shortcrust pie base is imported in from the US by its creator Milanda Jagtiani, who is famous as one of Bollywood's top go-to patissiers and party caterers. What we liked most about this not-too-sweet pie is that unmistakable pumpkin and nutmeg flavour and the luscious French whipped cream that’s piped on top of it.

Price: Rs.2,700

Contact: 9821045881

Thanksgiving Trio from Pies from Pie & co.

"Why settle for one Thanksgiving pie when you can have three?" We asked ourselves, as we called for the mini, four inch sized (left to right in pic) pecan-caramel, hazelnut-chocolate and custard-toffee trio of special Thanksgiving pies from Chef Aditi Goel of the recently launched Pie & co. Ensconced in an extra-buttery shortcrust pastry shell, each of the three try to outdo the others, with the custard-toffee one stealing the show with its creamy taste and beautiful lattice top decoration.

Price: Rs.1,000 (hamper of three)

Contact: 7208755043

Coffee and Chocolate Pie from Sofitel Mumbai BKC 

Rich and dark, with the heady aroma of freshly ground coffee beans melding with that of Belgian chocolate ganache, this 1kg Thanksgiving pie is all things decadent. Even the shortcrust pastry base is imbued with cocoa powder. While even more chocolate in the form of couverture spheres top the pie off, along with edible nasturtium flowers. Sofitel Mumbai BKC also has two more Thanksgiving pies on offer: honey pecan (see recipe) and a classic apple and cherry pie.

Price: Rs.1,500 ++

Contact: 9167391130

Pistachio, Cranberry and White Chocolate Pie from Kookie Cake Crumble

A modern riff on a Thanksgiving pie, still retaining the autumnal flavours of cranberry, this eight inch white chocolate pie by Swheta Mutreja Aggarwal of Kookie Cake Crumble is a treat to behold. Smooth and creamy Sicilian pistachio paste meets chewy cranberry bits and white chocolate ganache in a crispy and crumbly shortcrust pastry base to create edible magic. We also have our eye on their pumpkin and Lotus Biscoff pie for next time!

Price: Rs. 1,800

Contact: 9819844013

Recipe

Honey Pecan Pie

Recipe by Chef Rajat Sachdev, Sofitel Mumbai BKC

A. For sweet shortcrust pastry

Ingredients:

1,500 gms flour

500 gms icing sugar

1,000 gms butter

4 eggs

Method:

Mix the butter, sugar and eggs well by hand.

Fold the flour in and mix to make a dough.

Set aside and keep in the refrigerator to cool for approximately 4 to 6 hours.

Once chilled, roll out the dough while keep the thickness at about 4mm.

Align the dough into a desired pie tin and put in the oven to bake for about 10 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius.

Now your pre-baked pie is ready.

B. For honey-pecan filling

Ingredients:

1,000 gms sugar

625 ml cream

652 ml honey

825 gms unsalted butter

500 gms crushed pecan nuts (and a few left whole for decorating)

500 gms powdered almonds

12 eggs

5 ml vanilla essence

Method:

Heat the sugar, cream and honey together at 114 degrees Celsius. Once combined, set aside to cool.

Mix the powdered almonds with crushed pecan nuts and add this to the earlier mixture.

Beat the eggs in a separate bowl, pour in the vanilla essence and add this to the above mixture.

Take this mixture and pour it into the pre-baked pie mould and bake in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes.

Once done, arrange a few pecan nuts over the pie and bake for another 5 minutes.

After removing it from the oven, let the pie cool at room temperature for at least an hour or two before de-moulding and serving.

 (An edited version of this review appeared in the 26th November 2020 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 14 https://m.mid-day.com/articles/high-on-pie/23109240)

Death and All His (Mexican) Friends!

Celebrating death in myriad ways, with no excuses made for its intimacy with life, is Mexico’s idea of a good time

By Raul Dias

There is a heartbreakingly beautiful saying in Mexico that goes something like this… “you never really die until your name is spoken for the last time”. 

This is perhaps why the concept of death in Mexican culture is one that is so unique and unlike any other in the world. As I travelled around this wonderfully ‘alive’ country a few years ago, I discovered that as much as they mourn death, Mexicans also celebrate it with joy and unbridled mirth. Bordering on a defiant nonchalance, one might even say. But not quite.

And there is no day more poignant than today’s North American holiday of Halloween to put the Mexican attitude towards death into perspective. Now, while the average American approaches death with fear, turning the dead into monsters—worthy, only of being paraded around as fancy-dressed, macabre creatures as they go ‘trick-or-treating’ about their neighbourhood—the Mexican prefers a riotous co-existence. All this, along a colourful path of both least resistance and total abandonment!   

Living Death

It is no great surprise then that one of Mexico’s most important festivals celebrates not life, but death with the greatest of abandon. Día de Muertos—which takes place on the second day of November each year all over Mexico—is a fusion of the Catholic feast of All Souls’ Day with the day of the dead of the pre-Hispanic Tarasco people of Michoacán. It is believed that the dead return to their earthly homes for one day. Quite like in the animated movie Coco (2017), the underlying philosophy here is that death is not a full stop put at the end of a life, but a continuation of it in a parallel dimension.

I was lucky enough to witness one such Día de Muertos in Mexico City that changed the way I looked at death forever. As much as two days before the festival, Mexicans visit the graves of deceased family members, adorning them with brightly coloured paper decorations and marigold flowers known locally as cempasúchil. The brightness of which, they believe, evokes the sun. Small gifts called ofrendas in the form of glittery, sugared skulls and dancing skeletons called calaveras are left behind at the graves by the relatives. This, after they spend at least 24 hours in the cemetery, communing with the dead in a sort of hybrid tailgate party-meets-picnic. Highlighted by plenty of eating, drinking and playing of music.   

Double, double toil and trouble

“Que buscabas?” was a question hurled at me by almost every smiling shopkeeper I encountered. “What are you looking for?” they asked. I found myself at the Mercado de Sonora on a rather chilly Autumn afternoon. Dedicated solely to witchcraft, potions, and other death rituals, this market located just southeast of Mexico City’s main center—in a neighbourhood known as Merced Balbuena—truly is the place to go to to get your freak on. 

To the average José, it might appear to be a normal place. Food stalls selling everything from tripe tacos to luridly-coloured fruit drinks called aguas frescas decanted into large glass containers are all lined up in neat isles. Letting my olfactory senses take lead, I sauntered down to the back. Into an area of the mercado that is not for the faint of heart.

Rows of shops peddling a virtual menagerie of dried up, dead animals and reptiles, from snakes to armadillos, come into sight. Tiny vials of love potions to more sinister ones of the ‘ruin-your-enemy’ kind were thrust under my reluctant nose for perusal. Soon I was accosted by a rather scary-looking woman and offered a quickie limpia con hueve. A harmless kind of spiritual cleanse, I was told that involves rubbing a fertilised chicken’s egg all over the ‘cleansee’s’ body, before it is smashed onto the floor to disperse off the bad vibes. I quickly skulked away into the incoming human traffic, profusely apologising in my terrible Spanish.

I had been warned that this might happen and to steer clear of it. The mercado is full of quacks and imposters, I was told by my friend Paz. A Mexico City local, Paz claims to have once been tricked into a similar limpia by a self-proclaimed witch, who turned out to be the market’s cleaning lady. 

Saints and sinners

I soon learned that on the first day of every month, thousands of people flock to an altar in a ramshackle part of Mexico City to honour a ‘saint’. One that the country’s all-controlling Catholic Church vehemently denounces. But this denouncement did not surprise me as I joined the thronging devotees on a morning that happened to be the first of November. The number one attraction of the city’s rather rough Barrio Tepito neighbourhood is the shrine dedicated to the scythe-brandishing skeletal figure of Santa Muerte (Saint Death), always garbed in a white sequined wedding gown.

Once again, blending pre-Hispanic rituals with that of Catholicism, Santa Muerte is said to be an avatar of Mictlantecuhtli, the ancient Mexican God of Death. Over the years, this dreaded figure has come to be associated with drug runners and gang members who look upon her as their de facto patron saint. Leaving her candles and bottles of tequila as part of their obeisance is the norm.

Getting into the ‘spirit’ of things truly seems to be a Mexican way of life!

TRAVEL LOG

Getting There 

As there are no direct flights linking India with Mexico, one can get into Mexico City via connecting flights from most major US airports. Travel within Mexico City is extremely easy with plenty of transport options including taxis, public buses and the super-efficient and cheap metro train system. Indians require a visa to visit the country that can be procured from the Mexican Embassy in New Delhi. However, the visa requirement is waived off for those in possession of a valid multiple entry US visa.   

Stay

In-keeping with a city of its mammoth size, Mexico City has every sort of accommodation option to suit all tastes and budgets. Located in the heart of the city in the Centro neighbourhood around Zócalo plaza, Downtown Mexico (www.downtownmexico.com) has a boutique hotel vibe with reasonable room rates, starting at Rs 2,100 for a double room without breakfast. Set in a modern building that is a short walk away from the Cuauhtémoc metro station, Gran Hotel Amazonas (www.hotelamazonas.com.mx) offers rooms starting as low as Rs 1,600 for a double without breakfast.

Tip

* If you are still craving some more chills and thrills, then head to the super-creepy floating Isla del las Muñecas doll island in the canal-infested Mexico City suburb of Xochimilco. Here you will encounter garlands of dolls festooned from almost every gnarly tree’s branch as well as the island’s spooky doll museum. 

(An edited version of this article first appeared in the 31st  October 2020 issue of The Hindu Business Line newspaper's BLink section on page 18 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/cover/mexicos-day-of-the-dead/article32978112.ece)

Notes from Baijnath

 

By Raul Dias

For a handful of places across India, the celebration of good versus evil, that today’s Dussehra festival espouses, is not as definitively black or white as most would like it to be. But then, nor is the mythology that birthed it and thousands of other festivals—both religious and otherwise—not just in India, but around the world as well. Myriad interpretations abound, each shining light on hidden facets.

Just ask the inhabitants of the sleepy little town of Baijnath in the Northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh! While this year’s Dussehra festivities might be muted ones across the country due to the pandemic, in Baijnath, Dussehra is an annual no-show.

Unsung hero or wrathful foe?

Perched at an altitude of 4,311 feet on the Himalayan Dhauladhar mountain range, Baijnath is one of those rare places in India where neither Dussehra has ever been celebrated, nor the ensuing drama of the Ramleela ever played out. All this, thanks to an unlikeliest protagonist at the very vortex of it all—Ravana. 

Legend has it that the ‘demon king of Lanka’ was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and prayed to him deep in the Himalayas seeking immortality. In return for which Ravana chopped off his own ten heads at the altar. So impressed was Lord Shiva with this act of devotion that he is said to have restored the heads. Only this time, six of the heads for the six Puranas and four for the four Vedas. 

The 12th century Baijnath rock temple constructed in the Nagara style of architecture and the surrounding town of the same name were built upon this myth. And to this day, in honour of Ravana’s dedication to Lord Shiva, neither is Ravana’s effigy burnt by the residents, nor do they buy sweets or light any fireworks. Interestingly, the town is also totally devoid of jewellery shops. This is apparently to mourn Lord Hanuman’s torching of Ravana’s Lanka which was said to be made of gold. 

However, according to some, it is not entirely the respect for Ravana and his devotion to Lord Shiva, but also that all-consuming emotion of fear that prevents any Dussehra celebrations from taking place in Baijnath. As in most small towns across India, myths of destructive wrath and punishment abound here too. Everything from decades of bad luck to more ominous ones in the form of an unnatural death to those who take part in any Dussehra festivities, keep the Baijnath townsfolk away, come Dussehra night.   

Dussehra dodgers

Baijnath, however, is not alone in its shunning of Dussehra festivities. There are other Ravana-sympatico places in India where the shine of Dussehra is a tad diminished, if not fully taken off. While the people of Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh refer to Ravana as their ‘son-in-law’ as they believe that their town is the paternal home of his wife, Mandodari, Bisrakh in Uttar Pradesh claims him as its own. According to local belief, Ravana, the son of a sage named Vishrava and Kaikeshi, a Daitya princess was born in Bisrakh.

As it is believed that Mandore in Rajasthan is where Ravana married Mandodari, on the day of Dussehra, priests of the local Ravan Ki Chanwari temple perform the shraadh ceremony for his soul. In Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli District, the village of Paraswadi is nothing but a glorified hamlet, home to a handful of people from the Gond tribe. They call themselves Ravanwashis or descendants of Ravana, resolutely refusing to be identified as Hindus. 

Perhaps there is no better place than one actually named after Ravana to seek an answer to the million dollar “was he good or evil?” question. Ravangram in Madhya Pradesh is a village that has a legion of devotees who actually worship a 10-feet-long reclining statue of Ravana in an ancient temple constructed by a sect called the Kanyakubja Brahmins that Ravana was said to be a member of.

Putting it all into perspective, one cannot help but ponder on a rather controversial quote often attributed to Winston Churchill. Is history truly written by the victors?                      

(This column first appeared in the 25th October 2020 issue of The Hindu newspaper's Sunday Magazine section on page 7 https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/travel/notes-from-baijnath/article32931241.ece)

Today’s ‘Wrap’ Star

Every 15th of August, Goa celebrates both the nation’s Independence Day as well as the Catholic feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary by indulging in the patoleo—a medicinal, festive treat that is so much more than a mere sweet    

By Raul Dias

Like most Indian micro communities, we, the inhabitants of the tiny state of Goa have our very own set of peculiarities. Chief among these is our all-consuming fixation with hypochondria, where running to the doctor at the slightest hint of a malady is almost a state pastime. A close second is our unbridled love for feasts of all kind. This could take the form of village feasts, religious feasts or agriculture-based ones that pivot around sowing/harvesting seasons. 

Interestingly, this truism is augmented by the fact that in Goa, every feast day and almost every ailment has its own ‘patron’ sweet treat. One that helps celebrate, and the other that helps cure, or so is the belief. The humble patoleo has the distinction of holding sway over both ‘portfolios’…and then, some more!      

 

Leafing Through

Loathe as we are to call it a mere ‘steamed dumpling’—even though the patoleo is made with just three main ingredients viz. red, parboiled local Goan rice called ukda tandul, dark palm jaggery called madachem god in Konkani, and fresh coconut scrapings—it is anything but simple to us Goenkars. Even its full name is a tongue-twisting haldikolyanche patoleo, with the first part referring to the all-important haldi or turmeric leaf that the sweet is ensconced in before steaming. For it is this crucial catalyst that gives the patoleo its gingery, almost floral fragrance and taste when steamed in a traditional copper vessel with an airtight lid. Known either as a komfro or chondro, depending on which part of Goa—Bardez up north or Salcete in the south—one comes from.

But what brings the patoleo into focus is the fact that it is today, the 15th of August, that we Catholics observes the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A big feast day celebrated all over Goa, usually with street processions and dances, and always with plates overflowing with the hallowed patoleo. This is also the time of the year when churches across Goa celebrate the harvest festival—again with patoleo—that is multifariously known as the Festa de Novidades, Novem or the Konnsachem Fest, symbolising the holy day of thanksgiving and gratitude to God. 

Now, coming to the medicinal properties of patoleo, it is said to be a great antidote to whooping cough among children thanks to the antiseptic, Ayurvedic properties imbued in the turmeric leaves. With early August, in particular, seeing a profusion of turmeric plants shoot up all over Goa and India’s other western coastal regions, there truly is no better time of the year than now to celebrate the patoleo. 

Community Spread

But it would be very remiss of me to shamelessly co-opt the patoleo into being a Catholic Goan sweet only. For, in Goa, it is also prepared by the Hindu Goan community to celebrate the festivals of Naag Panchmi and Ganesh Chathurti. In fact, the Hindus celebrate the aforementioned harvest festival on the second day of the Ganesh Chathurti festival. In neighbouring Karnataka, a salt-bereft version of the patoleo that is called haldi panna pathali is even offered to Goddess Parvati, who, according to legend, used to crave the preparation during her pregnancy.

While researching her book—The Culinary Odyssey of Goa—that she’s currently working on, author and Goan food historian, Odette Mascarenhas dug up some interesting patoleo factoids. The most surprising of all being the possible origin of the sweet in far Bengal. “The patoleo is quite similar to the preparation called pitha in Bengal which is also a rice batter and coconut-jaggery stuffed steamed dumpling made in January for the seasonal harvest of rice there. I believe that migration—particularly after the 1009-1026 AD invasions of Bengal by Mahmud of Gazni, when families fled to the Konkan coast—brought it to Goa,” she opines.

This is probably true, for the patoleo can even be found among Mumbai’s East Indian Catholic community where it is called pan mori and patoley by the Mangalurean Catholics.   

Different Strokes

While the ground rice and salt paste smeared onto the turmeric leaf is the base for all patoleo, each family makes a few minor tweaks to their recipe, mainly in the coconut-jaggery filling called chun that sits in the center of the leaf. “The inherent diversity of each household in Goa brings uniqueness to the precision with which the dessert is prepared, as a curative snack or as a prized festive dessert. Every home has its own unique patoleo recipe,” says Jerson Fernandes, executive chef at the Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort Hotel, who has researched the sweet and come up with versions that use everything from ghee-fried charoli or chironji seeds (buchanania lanzan) to cardamom flvaoured chun iterations. He claims to have even come across a highly non-traditional patoleo version that is steamed in a cup-like parcel fashioned out of jackfruit leaves.

And speaking of interpretations, the Mumbai-based modern Goan restaurant O Pedro recently took things more than a few step further when their pastry chef Heena Punwani sent out her jazzed up version of the warm patoleo. She teamed it with a light palm jaggery caramel, poha granola and a vanilla bean ice-cream on the side.       

Deliciously blasphemous enough to send any patoleo-loving, hypochondriac Goenkar scurrying to the nearest doctor, I would say!  

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(recipe)

Patoleo

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup parboiled Goan red rice (ukda tandul) 

¼ tsp salt

1 cup fresh coconut (scraped) 

100 gm dark jaggery (madachem god)

10-12 turmeric leaves

METHOD:

1. Soak the rice in water overnight.

2. The next day, after draining the rice, grind it in a food processor along with the salt till the mixture resembles a smooth, but thick slurry. Use a little water, if needed. Let the mixture sit for 1-2 hours.

3. For the filling, melt the jaggery in a pan and add the fresh, scraped coconut, mixing well. Turn off heat and allow to cool down to room temperature.

4. Clean and wipe the turmeric leaves with a damp cloth.

5. With wet fingers, gently spread the rice paste along the surface of the leaf, making sure to not tear the leaf and to leave a little space along the edges of the leaf.

6. In the center of the leaf, place a tablespoon of the coconut filling, spreading it outwards (make sure to not overstuff the leaf as the filling will ooze out when steaming).

7. Fold each leaf in half lengthwise, pressing gently with the palm of your hand to seal the edges.

8. Without overcrowding (you can make them in batches), steam the patoleo for 15-20 in a covered, pre-heated, water-based steamer till the leaves turn a dark green.

9. Serve warm.   

(An edited version of this article first appeared in the 15th August 2020 issue of The Hindu Business Line newspaper's BLink section on page 22 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/cover/a-goan-sweet-for-august-15/article32350189.ece)

Sanna—The idli’s fairer cousin!

A savoury-sweet Goan and Mangalorean rice cake and idli-lookalike, the sanna is delicious duality at its best, evoking fond childhood memories of Lent. 

By Raul Dias

One of the greatest joys of being a child is that intoxicating cocktail wherein a dash of hope is blended with a healthy dose of anticipation of almost anything! Two very pertinent emotions that all of us are grappling with in these dark days of extended social distancing, self-isolation and Sunday masses that stream online.
Will all be well before Easter Sunday, exactly a week from today? Will our dining tables literally groan under the weight of all those perennial Easter goodies like always? Sadly, the answer this year has never been a more resounding “NO”. But where’s the harm in a bit of vicarious feasting, right? 
Growing up in a devoutly Catholic household, hope and anticipation of the edible kind were in ample supply for us kids, all through this ongoing 40-day period of Lent. Beginning with ‘Fat Tuesday’ where we gorged ourselves silly on white crêpe-like pancakes made of flour and eggs, their portly bellies stuffed with a lurid pink sweet coconut filling. Little did we know then that the white pancake signified the body of Christ and the pink stuffing, his blood. But morbidity aside, it was always the food, pre-, during and post-Lent that was much anticipated.
And one such Lenten delicacy always found sitting higgledy-piggledy atop each other on our dining table was the sweet-savoury steamed rice cake called sanna. With Mum not very well-versed in the art of making sannas, we’d always (and still do) rely on the skills of Rosy Aunty here at home in Mumbai for our almost quotidien Lenten supply.
Also known as ‘idli wali Aunty’ by her rather clueless Maharashtrian neighbours for whom an idli and a sanna are “same-same”, the octogenarian Rosy Britto has been making sannas for as long as she can remember. Her bifocal spectacle lenses perpetually fogged up by the plume of steam issuing forth from her faithful copper sanna steamer called a chondro in Goa and tondor in Mangalore.

Not same, just different
Often mistaken for an idli, a sanna is a Goan-Mangalorean festive delicacy made from a fermented mixture of fat-grained parboiled rice, coconut, sugar, salt and that all-important leavening agent of the sap of the coconut palm that is colloquially known as ‘toddy’ or sur in Konkani. Though many these days prefer to substitute the hard-to-procure toddy with dry yeast granules. This, much to the chagrin of any true-blue Goan or Mangalorean foodie like yours truly who craves that slightly fermented, sweet-musty taste brought on only by coconut toddy.
This use of toddy is also one of the main differences of a sanna vis-à-vis an idli, where urad dal (black gram) is used in the latter’s fermentation. Though, I do believe that there are versions of the sanna, both in Goa and Mangalore, that are known to use white urad dal. Forsaking an idli steamer for a funnel-topped chondro steamer, a sanna is always spooned into small, steel vatis (bowls) also called gindlaan in Mangalore which give it its round, cake-like shape as opposed to an idli’s convex contours.
Texturally speaking, a sanna is much spongier, with a glossy white countenance as opposed to an idli’s granular crumb. Though often the red Goan parboiled rice we call ukda tandul in Konkani imparts a few tiny red flecks onto a sanna’s surface. Its accompaniments too are very different from those of an idli. No chutneys or sambar here!

With or without? 
Like a few others I know, I have always liked to eat a sanna by itself, sans any savoury or sweet accompaniment. But I must admit to several rather unsuccessful pairing attempts over the years with everything from Nutella to BBQ sauce. As a child, I’ve even once convinced our cook to deep fry a few bits of stale sannas to disastrous results, with the porous rice cake retaining oil like the Hoover Dam does water!
But for most, the duo of sanna ani dukramaas (pork meat) is what is considered the ultimate way to relish this rice cake. While a rich, fiery red pork stew called sorpotel is the de facto plate fellow in Goa, in Mangalore the preferred accompaniment is a robustly spiced pork bafat, with the curry’s spiciness often tempered down with the addition of a little roce (thin coconut milk).
For sweet lovers like me, there is even a dedicated sweet iteration of the sanna called godachi sanna that is made with jaggery and best enjoyed at tea time. Interestingly, just like the steamed rice and milk dish called kiri-bhat in Sri Lanka and Kerala’s bamboo-steamed coconut and rice cake puttu, sannas crushed with a little milk, sugar and ghee are often fed to infants as their first solid meal.
As I put my finishing touches to this piece, a little ray of hope beams its way down to me in the form of a reply to a panic-tinged text message I had sent out to someone important a few hours ago. “Yes, you’ll get your dozen sannas this year, too!” Rosy Aunty reassures me, as I smile to myself in relief, hope and anticipation of that one constant. 
       

SUNDAY RECIPE
Sanna 

INGREDIENTS:
Parboiled Goan red rice (ukda tandul) 1 cup
Fresh coconut (scraped) ½ cup
Coconut toddy 1.5 cups
Granulated sugar 4 tbsp
Salt 1 tsp

METHOD:
1. Soak the rice in water overnight
2. The next day, after draining the rice, grind it along with half a cup of toddy for a few seconds. Add another half cup of toddy along with sugar and salt and grind till the mixture resembles a coarse slurry.
3. Now add in the grated coconut and the remaining half cup of toddy. Grind for a few seconds more. Adjust sugar and salt, if needed.
4. Transfer to a non-metallic container and cover with a damp muslin cloth. Allow to stand in a cool, dark place for a few hours till the batter doubles up in volume.
5. Spoon the batter into 12-14 lightly oiled small steel vatis (bowls), making sure to not fill to the top as the batter will rise again while steaming.
6. Place the vatis in a steamer. Cover and steam for around 20 minutes or until a skewer poked in the center of the vati comes out clean.
7. Unmould the sannas immediately and place them in a serving dish lined with a damp muslin cloth or oiled banana leaves.
8. Serve sannas piping hot, either on their own or with curry.

(An edited version of this article first appeared in the 5th April 2020 issue of The Hindu newspaper's Sunday Magazine section on page 8 https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/food/sanna-idlis-festive-cousin/article31247135.ece)

Christmas around India!

(This article appeared in the 21st December 2019 issue of the Mint Lounge newspaper, India on page 14 https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/features/where-to-find-the-perfect-yuletide-spirit-11576857488372.html)

The Magical Christmas Quintet!

From a traditional white Christmas in Finland to an Aussie one where having a beach barbeque is the norm and a whole lot more exotic experiences in between, Raul Dias celebrates the diversity in Yuletide festivities from five unique parts of the world. 

By Raul Dias 

Celebrating with Santa
Rovaniemi in Finland
There is probably no other place in the world than Rovaniemi, Finland to spend the ultimate Christmas Day of your life. For it is this snow-blanketed, tiny town, neatly tucked away in the far north of the country’s Lapland that is considered the ‘Official Hometown of Santa Claus’. A month before Christmas, the festivities are put into full throttle here as Santa Claus declares the Christmas season open in Santa Claus Village. Another highlight of the year is December 23rd, when Santa departs on his mission to hand out presents to children all around the globe. And not to forget good old Rudolf, for Rovaniemi is also home to countless reindeer that one can interact with and even go on a sledge ride with. For those travelling with children, SantaPark is a must visit. It is at this underground toy factory where Santa’s elves create all the presents for children around the world. It’s a wonderful place for children to explore and a fantastic place to get in the spirit of Christmas in Lapland.

Tacos, Tamales, Tequila, anyone?
Mexico City in Mexico
It is in mid-November each year, when the Christmas festivities are kickstarted in bustling, colourful Mexico City. This takes place with the lighting of the Christmas tree in the Liverpool Insurgentes mega store on the third Saturday in November. It is THE most visited store during Yuletide season by Mexican families, for its Christmas village is one of the most spectacular and entertaining of the city. Besides the impressive Christmas tree, it features an ice slide and activities for children to write their letters to the Three Wise Men. From then on, families begin to prepare for the holidays where plenty of food, fun and colour define the fiesta. Think copious amounts of traditional Christmas delicacies like a large fritter known as a buñuelo, ponche navideño (a Christmas fruit punch) along with the usual Mexican cuisine staples of tacos and tamales stuffed with turkey—all washed down with some tequila. Christmas markets like the one organised in the Coyoacan Market or the Grand Christmas Bazaar in the Lázaro Cardenas Market are also wonderful places to get the festive vibe going. Another magical place in Mexico City during Christmas is the Zocalo square in the heart of the city where a giant ice rink is set up for people to skate and make merry.

Christmas in January
Lalibela in Ethiopia
Probably the most unique Christmas celebrations, and not just on this list, but in the world, Lalibela in Ethiopia does its version of the festivities very, very differently. For starters, Ethiopia celebrates Christmas on January 7th, not December 25th. Called Ganna, Christmas here is preceded by a special Advent fast for 43 days before Christmas. It starts on 25th November and is known as the ‘Fast of the Prophets’ or Tsome Nebiyat. During this time, traditionally only one vegan meal is eaten each day. On the day of Ganna, people get dressed in white, wearing a traditional shawl-like garment called a netela. It is a thin white cotton piece of cloth with brightly coloured stripes across the ends. People go to mass on Christmas Eve (called the Gahad of Christmas) at 6.00 pm and the service finishes about 3.00 am on Christmas Day, making it one of the longest and yes, most fascinating Christmas services! This is followed by a traditional Christmas feast that includes a thick stew called wat which can be made with meat, vegetables and eggs. The stew is eaten with roll of injera which is a flat fermented bread made from an indigenous Ethiopian grain called teff.

Joyeaux Noël
Montreal in Canada
Infused with a deliciously French flavour, given the city’s deep French conection, Christmas in Montreal is celebrated very differently than it is in other parts of Canada. Simply called ‘Noël’, it begins with the Défilé du Père Noël, aka the Montreal Santa Claus Parade that has been a tradition since 1925 with about 15 to 20 floats proceeding along the downtown artery and top shopping destination, Ste. Catherine Street, from Fort to St. Urbain. Another beautiful way that Christmas is celebrated here is with the Montreal Christmas Parade (Marche de Noël aux flambeaux) where one can join in the candlelight procession with over 10,000 other people to celebrate the season along with Christmas carolers who walk along the route from the city’s L’Avenue du Mont-Royal. As for those all-important Yuletide treats, you can indulge in an array of goodies like the ‘Bûche de Noël’ Yule log, pork pies called tourtières and yummy gruyère gougères, bursting with the goodness of cheese.

Beaches, BBQs and Bikinis
Sydney in Australia
Surprising as it may sound, but some of the best Christmas Day feasts in Sydney involve going to the city’s many beaches, donning bikinis, board shorts, thongs (as flip-flops are called in Australia) and indulging in a grand barbeque feast with family and friends, where plenty of grilled turkey, burgers and ice-cold beer take center stage. Iconic beaches like Bondi, Tamarama and Manly are the most popular ones to hang out at and enjoy the blazing Christmas summer sun while working on that festive tan. But this is not to say that some of the more typical trappings of a ‘traditional’ Christmas are totally ignored by our friends down under. In fact, the Yuletide festivities are kicked off on the last Saturday of November when Santa Claus and Sydney’s Lord Mayor light the giant Christmas Tree at a family concert in Martin Place. Another popular thing to do during the season is to check out the beautifully decorated Christmas window display dioramas at the David Jones store opposite St James Station, which each year tell a different Yuletide story.

(A shorter, edited version of this article first appeared in the Oct-Nov-Dec 2019 issue of HDFC Imperia magazine)