Good Things From Hyderabad

I think there are a total of 2 things.

Biryani from The Nizam Club and biscuits from Karachi Bakery.

from the Jobless Pictures Archive. Items brought back when my sister did a "parcel" of the biryani from dinner and came to Bangalore the next day.

Small Town Food

This weeks issue of the Outlook is a special devoted to food from small town India and it's most certainly worth a read.

Pankaj Mishra writes on looking for vegetarian food and his reminisces about the best idlis and anda bujiya he's ever eaten.

There's things you didn't know about Surat and the magic of Undhiyo.

And about fudge that's been localized in Almora. Or has it been?

Who knew that Bikaner produced close to 40 tons of bhujia a day?!

That a paan shop in Varnasi is the equivalent of the local tea shop in the South.

Guntur is a riot of red when chillies are harvested and the local economy runs of chilly power.

Of port and sausages and feni and pao in Mapusa.

Potato-less samosas in Allahabad, sitabhog in Burdwan, the original Kholapuri mutton and fun things to eat in Tamu and their local disdain for "local" liquor.

I've been to Rampur but didn't know of it's regal heritage when it came to food. So much to try.

Konkani food in Karwar is besieged by alien cuisines. I'll vote for the former, how can a ghee roast chicken lose to an anonymous butter chicken?

Frogs and worms and all things crawly in Kohima are on the menu.

Chettinad food must be had in Karaikudi. Everything else is a bastardized version. Can't say I disagree.

Of a Sufi food tradition in the heart of Punjab. With bhatti da murg, degh ka gosht and communal harmony in Malerkotla.

Missing spices and Telicherry, now Thalasserry, Black Pepper and superlative, yet light biryani.

Laila Tyabji extols the virtue in the uniqueness of Indian food.

And the Editors moan the virtues of those that couldn't make the issue.

As an aside, this is one good reason why the processed food industry is still so nascent. We have no pan-Indian flavours and it's too damn hard to cater to every regional fancy. Well, it's too difficult for large companies which is why smaller food companies prosper. It's also why the most popular processed foods in this country are essentially alien to us, Maggi Noodles, Top Ramen Smoodles, Knorr Soups and Sunfeast Pasta even if they are "localized" in some generic fashion.

I'm sure there are exceptions, like bhujiya, but not too many.

I'd love to hear from you, on small town food and processed food in India.

Update: Dhoomk2 shares his take on the Outlook story.

"... like anyone will actually turn up in Surat or Almora for a bite. I have had some of these impostors preening off as cuisine..."

My Link List

Hey! You! Yes, you dear reader!

Now that I've got your attention can I ask you to direct it to our Link Blog? Go on, take a look at it and you'll find the most interesting reads such as:

Google road maps for Bangalore and other Indian cities.

A History Of Religion in 90 Seconds.

Ever Wonder what became of Winnie Copper from the Wonder Years? Wonder no more...

Know what Drinking a Coke does to you?

Banquet Menus from the Nobel Prize Ceremonies

Heck, and that's just for this week! Go on, read it, or better yet, subscribe to it.

You know you want to...

Kerala

I had to make a quick trip to Kerala for an aunt's 50th birthday and while there, I visited both of my ancestral homes. They've recently been spruced up by the family and are looking fabulous, if a wee bit inauthentic. Some of the houses are quite outstanding, they are an all-wood construction, with even the hinges, locks and rafters being made out of wood. They're both located on the backwaters and till recently, the only way there was by boat, or a kettu vallam. On the boat ride, saw a brace of ducks and paddy fields that are five feet below the level of the river. Roads have arrived, so has civilization and all that's attendant.

A few pictures from the trip, please click on them to view them full size, and two videos that will appeal to the power hungry, male readers.

A long-ish video of my boat ride from the Kottayam Sailing Club to the Mankotta House. Dang, it was fast, at 60 MPH!



And this was the 200BHP, V6 monster driving us along. Apparently, it gives close to 5 MPG! Power! Power!

Neemrana

While in Delhi last week, I made a quick trip to the Neemrana Fort Palace to attend Alu's wedding. It's some place. It really is.

As a wedding location it is stunning. However, it does have one drawback. Nine levels of steps that can be treacherous when you've imbibed more than your fair share. And when it's dark, it's downright scary. The food was simple, but very good. The views National Geographic-esque and even more pretty at night. They put on a wonderful fireworks display and the place was decorated with flowers of every hue. It was wonderful.

Go! Go! eM, do you hear me?

Old Delhi. And New.

Following Chamique's take, I did a few touristy things in Delhi. Like riding the Metro and gawking like wide eyed villagers at the progress our Capital has made, breathing fresh, relatively unpolluted air that CNG has wrought and marveling at the history within the city. The sound and light show at the Red Fort was worth every paise of the fifty rupees we paid. It's amazing how they've crammed Metro stations into places like Chandni Chowk and Chawri Bazaar.







Lastly, never forget:

Food In Delhi.

I spent some time in Delhi last week and the inescapable conclusion is that the food there is far more varied than that in Bangalore. It's also far better and far more expensive but then I'm not so concerned with the latter. Over the course of a week, I tried Alkauser, Laidbackwaters, Azzuro, Swagat and Flavours. They were all outstanding bar one.

Alkauser

The kebabs were bloody marvelous. The house specialties were Galouti and Kakori kebabs, both of which were out-fucking-standing. Melt in the mouth, enough fat to make your arteries harden with fright, and they were served with a superb parataha, the name of which eludes me. We also ordered some Dal (kinda boring, but it was okay. Not good.), paneer tikka (very, very good. The Northies know their paneer.) and some surprisingly excellent fish tikka which we had to bribe them to obtain as it was the last plate. The biryani, Lucknowi, was startlingly boring. And wet. And the meal only cost us 200 bucks a head. Paisa vasool wonly.

Laidback Waters

Went here the night we got in. Uber-kewl joint it is at the Qutub. Like a lounge bar crossed with a harem. Managed to get the nicest seats, nay beds in the house. Their drinks a pifflingly weak but the food more than makes up for it. We tried some chicken tartlets (inventive but weak on execution.), saffron prawns (fresh but too much saffron.), fish finger-lets (gut. zehr gut.) and a gigantanormous bread basket with the pick being the rasin-nut bread. Main course was a Goan fish curry with rice which made us sing but it lacked in texture, as if they had run the sauce through a blender. Others had lamb with polenta, chingri malai curry and a baked potato and vegetable thingy that was good but preferable as a side to a roast leg of lamb. Dessert was superb with the wine and chocolate cake being the pick. Expensive? You bet. 12K for the five of us.

Azzuro

Small little Eye-Talian place in Saket. But this belies the price (gah! Horrendous!). Food was acceptable. Not outstanding. Fish fingers, bruschetta, red snapper in leek and cream sauce, sole with lemon butter , Caesar's salad and a very very good take on the ubiquitous chocolate fondant. But don't go there. Horrendous service. You're likely to gray waiting for your food. Seriously. I'd much prefer Sunny's or Herbs and Spice.

Swagat

Very nice place where a Southie like me feels at home, with waiters shouting in Kannada. Food is much like Anupam's and as good too. Which is something because the nearest water body is the Jamuna. Very fresh kane rawa fry and prawns koliwada to start with and the main course consisted of prawns, Manglorean and Chettinad, and some ghee roast chicken. A most excellent meal it was and most reasonable priced too.

Flavours

We had a good salad and some wonderful wood fired pizza here. I'm told the pricing is reasonable by Delhi standards but would be expensive by our Southern standards. Food is pretty good, desserts are nice but the service is a bit stuck up.

Other than these, we did the chaat routine at Chadni Chowk (dang, I'd eat chaat if they could make it like that in Bangalore.), hot chocolate fudge at Nirula's (sucks donkey's balls. You don't know HCF till you've been to Corner House.), lots of wedding food (some simple, some extravagant but all of it brilliant.), McD's (which does take away and only then do you realize how ghastly it can be.), house part food (Penne alla Vodka, and a cold macaroni salad and some eggs and some meat.) and a few more meals on the run. Oh, and Momos at Dilli Haat. Not bad, I expected better and have been told Chanakyapuri is where it's at.

Mostly, I was very impressed with the food and the city. But more on the city later. The only pity was that I wasn't able to visit TC's which was just around the corner.

Oh, did I mention that I was shacked up with the Recluse? Thanks dawg.

Heart Attack

So Munnabhai spent a few months in Gujarat, working at IIM and trekking across the countryside. He said the food was vegetarian and rich. I had no idea how rich food could be till I saw a video he shot. It's called a butter vada pav. And I just had to show you didn't I! Here's that video:



And I felt my heart quiver just looking at it.

India Habitat Centre

Foist, hat tip to MayMad for recommending the place to kill time while in Delhi. It was the highlight of my trip there. Outstanding place.

Quote below the IHC logo of Jawaharlal Nehru saying "You should not tolerate ugliness anywhere in your life, in your activities, in your buildings." RSP Architects and Thomas Associates should learn this dictum and apply it to their work.




At the Visual Arts gallery, Osian's was hosting this cool Asian Art Exhibition to coincide with their Asian Film Festival.

Samurai armour. Tom Cruise, anyone?


Tourism posters from Asia peddling India and the rest of the Orient.
Clockwise, left to right: Visit India with an Image of the Sanchi Stupa, Orient Calls, Kanchenjunga, Visit India with a reproduction of a fresco from Ajanta.


Film posters from South East Asia and India.

Clockwise from top left: Unidentifiable, Unidentifiable, Kurosawa's Ran, Ran, Ran, Kurosawa's Seven Samurai.
(Of course, unidentifiable (UI) means I wasn't paying enough attention)


The coolest exhibit on show. Poster of Apocalypse Now.


Right wall Clockwise, top left: Benegal's Junoon, North by northwest, UI, The Seven year Itch, UI, UI.
The 2 UI posters on the left are of Satyajit Ray film shows. Complete with date and hall location, sweet!


Clockwise, top right: For a few dollars (sic), The Good, The Ugly and The Bad (sic again), Vertigo, UI.



Cartoon from the 70s by Something-Prosad Ganguly.

Reminds me of the time I was trying to misappropriate Mohayana's Mao T-shirt. Back in the day in China, posters were the most effective and economical form of spreading the word, apparently. Better than radio, even.



Outside the Visual Arts Centre, in some random lobby were these 2 Madhubani Paintings.



Sculpture tiled Adam and Eve.


In a place reeking with Indian culture and other such, it's strange to find The All American Diner. Complete with Wurlitzer jukebox.

Dilli

Went to Delhi for a day and a half. The weather aparently had cooled down to 30 deg C, ridiculous I tell you. Still, it was decent enough weather ie cloudy, to walk from place to place and catch a rick to here and there.

Lots of pictures were taken at a lot of places. Couldn't go to Karim's in Old Delhi with food that "physically elated" Bangalore Bytes, or Turquoise Cottage that I constantly read about here. Anyway, here is a sample - the rest in dedicated posts.

Lift in Yardbird's apartment in Gurgaon. Scared of the 13th Floor? Don't have one!

Table covered with tarpaulin outside the apartment building selling Tropicana Premium Gold, amongst other things.
Delhi Metro. Good stuff.

Update: Other posts here and here.

Bombay, We Salute You.

"If you are late for work in Mumbai and reach the station just as the train is leaving the platform, don't despair. You can run up to the packed compartments and find many hands unfolding like petals to pull you on board. And while you will probably have to hang on to the door frame with your fingertips, you are still grateful for the empathy of your fellow passengers, already packed tighter than cattle, their shirts drenched with sweat in the badly ventilated compartment. They know that your boss might yell at you or cut your pay if you miss this train. And at the moment of contact, they do not know if the hand reaching for theirs belongs to a Hindu or a Muslim or a Christian or a Brahmin or an Untouchable. Come on board, they say. We'll adjust."

from Maximum City by Suketu Mehta

Quote courtesy tamasha on SM.

The Panjab. And Delhi. And Inbetween.

Just a big random bunch of images from a work trip to Panjab and Delhi. Some from the road. Some from hotels. Quick review, awesome roads and other infrastructure. Crazy food, panner and/or ghee/butter/milk/cream in everything we ate from Channa to Rajma to Dal to Rotis to Kheer. The craziest bit was the deep fried, tawa cooked paratha served with butter and curd. Like that only the place is. And who would have though, fabulous Vada Sambar at the Ludhiana train station.

A view of the Delhi Ridge from the Maurya.

The lobby at the Maurya.

More ridgey goodness.

Full fat Dahi, served with the aforementioned Paratha. Look for the fly in the curd!
Party bar in Ludhiana! Open till 3 AM. Take that Bangalore!

Mmmmm... fried goodness. Chandigargh.

More of the same!

Sambar Vada, as attested to above.

Dhabha meal between Chandigarh and Ludhiana.

One whole liter of Lassi.

Green, green fields of home. They grow paddy in Panjab. Who knew.

Same. Like that.

Ketta cool mode of transport.

Question, if any, in the comments and I'll answer 'em all.