Chennai :

It’s an heirloom Anglo-Indian cuisine food festival at the Vivanta by Taj-Connemara, a top chef said, proudly showing a 108-year-old notebook containing recipes of a bygone era.

“The deciphering of the handwritten recipes in the notebook was the only challenge we faced while bringing back to life the dishes mentioned in it,” Arzooman Irani, executive chef at Vivanta by Taj-Whitefield Bangalore, told IANS here.

He was here to host the “Chronicles of Whitefield” Anglo-Indian food festival at Vivanta by Taj-Connemara Chennai located on the Binny Road here at The Verandah restaurant Aug 22-31.

The Made in Austria note book contains the recipes of around 120 dishes.

“It was the family recipe book handwritten by Harry Blake, one of the original settlers of Whitefield near Bangalore. The notebook was handed over to us by his granddaughter,” Irani said as he served a ginger wine.

The non-alcoholic drink surprised one with its sweetness – and the ginger flavour that followed.

What is unique about the dishes is that they are not very spicy nor are they bland. The dishes are very tasty, flavourful, mild and light on the stomach.

The only spicy item is the fried masala prawn which Blake himself has termed spicy prawn.

“The dishes are made with locally available ingredients. While Blake made his fish curry with the fish caught in the local lake/pond, the prawns came from Madras (Chennai),” Irani said.

He said the whereabouts of Blake’s granddaughter are not known as she has shifted after her husband’s demise.

“She gave us the notebook two years back. We started our work after that and launched the menu at our hotel in Whitefield recently,” Irani remarked, adding that 35 of the 120 recepies were being served.

The ginger wine was followed by mulligatawny soup – a broth made with lentils and pepper. Blake gave a fruity twist to the soup by adding finely cut apples.

For the main course, Irani offered rice varieties – coconut, tomato, cabbage – along with vegetable stew, muttonball curry, country captain chicken curry and Blake’s signature dish – Harry’s fish curry.

The vegetable stew made with coconut was different from the Kerala variety, which is spicier than Blake’s stew.

Similarly the muttonball curry and the country captain chicken curry were very flavourful and not spicy and could be safely consumed by children as well as adults.

The tasty fish curry gave out the good flavours of mustard.

“True the dishes are not very spicy. But this is how the Anglo-Indians settled in Whitefield cooked their food and ate. We also checked with other Anglo-Indian families there who said their dishes are not spicy,” Irani said.

“For the present generation, we offer an experience. It is an experience of going back into the history and tasting the dishes made during those times,” Irani said.

A meal for two, without alcohol, would cost around Rs. 3,500 including taxes, said Irani.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> LifeStyle> Food / by IANS / August 21st, 2014

Bangalore :

The aircraft  lands on a  narrow piece of land that leads straight to a valley. And that valley was where an ill-fated aircraft had crashed a few years ago.  That is all I could think of during my descent into Mangalore. I held onto to the sides of the chair and hoped that I would live. It was a smooth landing and for once I was grateful for that sharp brake. Once out of the airport, I caught a cab and headed out to the hotel.

But I wasn’t ready for what was coming next. On steep roads, swirling down the hill was  like going down a softie curl. And then my first glimpse of the glimmering city. It looked beautiful.. laid out in front of me like a carpet of twinkling lights. I passed by a group of people – a large family with adults and children. I wondered what they were doing so far from the city at 9.30 pm, and then I saw a  plane in the distance. It made sense. With heads lifted and upturned faces, they watched the flight come closer and got their fix of the day.

And that got me thinking about Mangalore. In my first 30 minutes here, I had moved from extreme fear to delight to warm-fuzziness. It had a small-town quality that  made me wish for more.

Historically Mangalore is grand, Tipu Sultan had been here. It has had an important place in history. But what had happened to it now? Was it just another mid-sized city, now? I didn’t associate it with the grandeur of a big city or a city that had dynasties fighting for it. I associated Mangalore with crime and communal tensions, and that was all I knew about it. But surely Mangalore is much more than that.

The next morning, with just four hours before I made my way to Kasargode, the actual destination of the holiday, plans had to be remade. Maps were scrutinised and the reception lady thoroughly grilled. The plan was  finalised- the day would include Sultan Battery, the College Chapel, the Mangaladevi temple and a stop at Ideal Cafe since everyone was raving about it.

The driver of my car was not from Mangalore. He had no clue where Sultan Battery was.  He tried asking local people who didn’t seem to be very clear either, but were aggravated that  I did not know how to pronounce the word ‘battery.’

Then Google Maps came to the rescue. On the way, Mangalore refused to let me get surly by tempting me with vistas of green spaces and simple but beautiful houses.

Sultan Battery is situated on a bend along a river as it snakes through to the sea. It seemed to have a very strategic position, overlooking both sides of the river. Built by Tipu Sultan, this was a watch-tower to see if anyone was crossing the river and coming over with dark intentions.

Built with black basalt rocks, with viewing holes lining the entire wall, the structure seemed almost too simple in today’s complex understanding of war and defence. But then you put on the perspective of more than 200 years ago, and it seems that the location was indeed perfect for the purpose.

With every dynasty’s uprise, there is growth and also destruction of legacies. Legend has it that the rocks used to build this watchtower could have come from places of worship though no one knows for sure.

There were a few ships next to the river and we decided to go and take a look. It was a ship-building yard. It took them three months of hard work to make just one ship and then she took off, to prove herself worthy of the toil.

I watched the imposing Vajralaxmi enter the water for the first time in awe. Though there were some other ships  too that looked gorgeous. Funnily these ships looked battle weary even though they were all brand new. These were meant to serve as fishing trawlers and were not built to be gleaming and swanky.

I left Sultan Battery and  made my way to the College Chapel. Again, no one knew where it was, and even Google seemed flummoxed this time.

It took me around 20 minutes to find a person  who could give me directions. Important note to self: don’t call a chapel just a ‘chapel’, when it’s called ‘College Chapel’.

I got to go on a lovely personal tour courtesy the person-in-charge. The entire place is painted beautifully, and when I say entire… I mean every inch! What looks like marble at first glance is not, it’s art. What seems like a painting on a curtain and hanging on the wall, is also a painting.  The  illusions go on and on.

It was time for lunch and stomachs were grumbling all around. And so the next destination was Ideal Cafe! The food was okay, nothing exceptional but it was definitely the coolest restaurant in Mangalore and everyone with some time to spare seemed to be there.

The filter coffee that everyone praised was not that great. It had a rough, burnt taste with some of the coffee residue at the base. They say that’s how Turkish coffee tastes, so there might be some who like it.

But if you are someone with a sweet tooth, skip a meal to just have  ice-cream at Ideal Café. It was simply fabulous.

The last stop in Mangalore was the Mangaladevi temple. This is the temple that Mangalore is named after, so it had to be seen. A large temple, it was quiet and peaceful all the more as it was shut for the afternoon. We weren’t allowed inside as the Gods were sleeping and so we were asked not to disturb them.

Mangalore was quaint. A neat and clean city that still seems enveloped in the past and happily so, given the rapidly changing face of every city in the country. I wouldn’t say it surprised me, but it didn’t disappoint. It was small, roads were relatively peaceful and the streets were still lined with houses exuding old-world charm.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Mangalore / by Bhavani Blogs / August 21st, 2014

The must visit tourist destination cries for restoration

by S.N. Venkatnag Sobers

Following the list of the heritage sites in Mysore city is the Majestic Devaraja Market, a product of visionary Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. Devaraja Market popularly known ‘Dodda Market’ in Mysore was constructed in the year 1900. Though, the construction was started in the year 1900, it was developed stage by stage over the years.

The market was named after the late Devaraja, one among the 25 Kings of Mysore, who was instrumental in constructing steps to the Chamundi Hills and also installation of Nandi Statue atop the hill. Devaraja Market has been built using Wattle (a composite building material used for making walls with wood and mud) and each of the walls at the market is of 13 inches. There are around 700 to 800 shops in the market which have been a major source of income to vendors. It has four entrance points two on the Sayyaji Rao Road, one each from Dhanvanthri Road and opposite to Dufferin Clock Tower.

It is also said that a small market was functioning at place during the rule of Tippu Sultan which was later developed into a market. Devaraja Market, which is now around 114 years old, is a place where all kinds of items are sold.

The vision of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar was such that the market was divided into various divisions with separate sections for selling flowers, vegetables, fruits, coconut, puja materials, Onion and Potato, Jaggery, Puffed Rice and others. This was one of the unique markets in the then Mysore State.

According to historians, the first class of 1st batch of Mysore Medical College (MMC) was held at Devaraja Market premises. The building also housed Devaraja Police Station and Railway Office of Mysore State. At the time when Sir Mirza Ismail was the Dewan of Mysore, Devaraja Market hosted annual fair which was held continuously for 30 years.

Unfortunately, the Mysore City Corporation (MCC) has failed to maintain the heritage structure which has contributed for the dilapidation of the building. There was a major fire accident in 2005 which ravaged 18 shops. The vendors have been requesting the authorities to take up repair works as they fear that the ancient structure might collapse like it happened with Lansdowne Building.

Though the authorities have been informing about the plan to restore Devaraja Market, nothing has been executed so far. There have been several inspections made by officials but no solid solution yet.

Now, after several agitations and discussions, Rs. 10 cr has been allotted for restoration of Devaraja Market in CM’s special grant of Rs. 100 cr to Mysore, said former Deputy Mayor and Area Corporator M.J. Ravikumar, speaking to Star of Mysore.

He said that the market will have all modern facilities and would be restored keeping the heritage structure in mind. “Heritage Street Lamps will be installed at various places in the market to give it a heritage look. This apart, the vendors at the market will be re-allotted their shops after the renovation works are completed,” he said.

According to sources, the Mysore City Corporation (MCC) has sent a detailed project report on the restoration of the Devaraja Market to the State Government which has been cleared.

Sources added that the works would be taken up only after Dasara festivities and would be completed as soon as possible. With the Devaraja Market crying to be restored, the officials need to speed up the process to retain the heritage structure.

Boti Bazaar: There have been constant complaints about garbage being dumped near the Devaraja Market by the meat vendors of ‘Boti Bazaar,’ which is located adjacent to the main Devaraja Market. Tonnes of meat is sold every day in the market, but steps have not been taken to dispose the waste scientifically.

For people commuting on the road, it has become difficult as the waste is dumped on the roadside. Though, the MCC has been clearing the waste on a daily basis, much more has to be done to provide healthy and hygienic environment around the market.

There are around 100 meat stalls in the newly constructed meat market, but the authorities have not taken measures to prevent the meat being exposed to street dogs. It is also a favourite place for the rodents which are seen moving around freely inside the market.

The market is a source of daily bread to around 150 people who work in the meat market. Earlier, these shops were functioning outside the newly-constructed market, as the MCC has vacated them after having promised to construct a new market area. Few of the vendors had also filed a case against the Mysore City Corporation against allotment of shops through tender process.

The new meat market is constructed at a cost of Rs. 1 crore and was inaugurated on April, 2012. With meat vendors not agreeing to the terms and conditions of the Mysore City Corporation, the newly-constructed building had been laying vacant since one year.

It was only recently that the problems related to the allotment of the shops had been settled and vendors decided to shift inside the new meat market. But, still there are a few vendors who continue to operate outside the market.

Market needs to be upgraded and most importantly there is a need for the City Corporation to initiate measures for maintaining hygienic environment in and around the market

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / August 09th, 2014