Food Trails Of Mannapaapu Mane

FOOD TRAILS OF MANNAPAAPU MANE Soumya Rao

Copyrights 2018-2019 Student Document Publication (for private circulation only) All Rights Reserved Final Thesis Project (Undergraduate Professional Programme) Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology Bengaluru - 560064, Karnataka No part of this document will be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopying, scanning, photography and video recording without written permission from the publishers namely Soumya M and Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Bengaluru.

Written, edited and designed by Soumya Rao Printed at Kolor Kode, Bengaluru The recipes have been written in keeping with the way in which Indian cooks describe ingredients and processes in approximation, rather than through exact measurements and time taken. Also, to keep it simple, ingredients have been identified by their commonly used Indian names.

Picture credits : Mr. Adve

Manu

Sangeetha

Kalavathi and Godav

Purushotham Adve

Nanda Kishore

Kalavathi and Godavari Paravathi Phadke Rashmi Phadke Raghuram Phadke

Inspiring individuals of Mannapaapu Mane who added colour to my experience.

Food trails of Mannapaapu Mane is a travelogue written by Soumya Rao. In this book, She has attempted to capture the air she breathed during her stay in Mannapaapu Mane, through the lens of food. An interest for travel, food, cooking and people set her out to explore the food culture of this rich heritage.

Through the book, she is sharing her experience with food along with several lesser known facts, stories and recipes of food culture of Mannapaapu Mane. As an add-on, she has included brief anecdotes and narratives about the people and places associated with the recipes. The focus of the book extends beyond the mere narration of recipes, and gives a detailed insight into the lesser-known cultural background surrounding these recipes.

17-22

23-24

PRESERVED KITCHEN HELPERS

12-14

10-11

KITCHEN AND ITS ESSENTIALS

IN CONVERSATIONS WITH

TO BEGIN WITH

C O N T E N T S

25-26

27-47

48-51

52-53

HOMEGROWN

COOKING COURSES

FEASTING MANNAPAAPU MANE’S STYLE

TO END WITH

To begin with ‘A way to a man’s heart is through his stomach’ stands particularly true in the Indian context. Food is an intrinsic part of all cultural and religious celebrations across the length and breadth of the country.

The distinguishing aspect, central to Indian home cooking is the regional variations it offers, specific to the place it is born into. Legend has it that the flavour of the food is derived not merely from the variety of ingredients used, but also from the utensils and the techniques of cooking. Over time, despite all technological additions, the authenticity of the Indian kitchen has continued to hold steady-foot, carrying along whiffs and remainders of the past.

My journey to some of these interesting and uniquely designed kitchen products and beliefs, enriched my understanding of a facet of Indian culture and as well as its identity. The following pages take one through such a journey of food culture along with some interesting stories (memories) about the culture I was brought up in.

Kitchens are not just a place where food is prepared, but skill, traditions, habits and beliefs are created and passed on from one generation onto the next. They are not just contained in a four-walled dingy room but expand outwards to verandas where neighbours/ women of the house chop vegetables together and drop subtle suggestions on cooking methods. It extends even to the backyard where papads and achars (pickles) are sun-dried. Ergo, kitchens are fluid in nature and they expand and promote seamless intermingling of cultures; they become a place where not just food, but stories are nurtured.

10-11

Purushotham Adve Purushotham Adve is an artist by profession. Now he works in revival of folk art forms, and skill sets and about sustainable living. Whenever he was passing by the ranges of Kudremukh, he dreamt of having a property at the foothills of these mountains. And so it happened.

He bought a property with a house which was named Mannapaapu Mane (which means mud bridge house in kannada) and he continued to use the same name.

Though he came here with the mindset of being an agriculturist, his ideas transformed minimalistic and natural living. He started concentrating more on creating a more habitable environment to the many species of animals around the area. He dreams of creating a place where natural order is not disturbed by humans, and animals completely coexist.

Manu Nackathaya After having studied Engineering and working as an IT employee for 2 years, Manu got disillusioned by the corporate culture and lifestyle.

He wanted to pursue his passion in tourism and adventure sports. As he knew Purushotham Adve as a family friend, he visited Mannapaapu Mane and fell in love with the place and the thoughts of Mr.Adve. Now he is a host at Mannapaapu Mane; he is learning about wildlife in the surrounding and learning to live with nature.

bug

Kalavathi, Godavari and others Kalavathi and Godavari, the cousin sisters from Sirsi ensured that I was offered not only delicious three meals a day, but also wholesome ones.

Back home in Sirsi, they are closely involved in the food catering business. Their day starts as early as 6 in the morning, after performance of some daily tasks, they proceed to prepare tea/coffee as per demand. They strongly advocate for a heavy breakfast, which is an essential fuel for bodily functioning, and hence they continually ensured the preparation of rich breakfast. No sooner the preparation of breakfast, than they proceed onto the preparation of lunch.

Pertinent to note that their lifestyle provides no scope for lazines or lethargy to creep in between the cooking of meals. Their company during this mundane everyday task, is each other’s constant chatter and occasional banter. One of my foremost apprehension about this experience was the possibility of a language barrier. And, how wrong was I! I was pleasantly surprised to know that my severe weakness in communicating with them in their local language, was neutralised with their great effort at understanding my incessant queries, and doubts.

The few words and sentences I had picked up during my two long decades in the State, finally seemed to come to my rescue.

Once when I was back from the trek, barely alive, I was comforted by the aromatic smell emanating from the kitchen. Godavari was kind enough to allow me to taste all the dishes in the midst of preparation– majige huli, sambhar, kosambri, a drink; they were also kind enough to ask for my opinion on the same. Nearly a week away from home, this gesture brought back fond memories of my mother and my grandmother back home.

lizard

Mannapaapu Mane We arrived at Mannapaapu Mane around 4 PM, while the scorching sun persisted. Truth be told, the short walk spanning over 15 minutes activated all my dormant muscles. Adding to my misery, I not only had to manage my own weight but that of my heavy backpack and handbags. The steep pathway was of no assistance either. This exhausting walkway led me to Manu - the ever-smiling host, ready to welcome us. Meeting him, I realised that the exhaustion of the walk was abundantly visible through my body language, despite my best efforts to the contrary. Being the great host that he was, he offered help with my luggage, which I politely yet with a stubborn undertone, refused. Moments later, I instantly regretted this decision.

On the footsteps of Kudremukh Range, in the Western ghats, there, lies a sparsely populated village - Mala, barely 16 km from Karkala Town in Udupi District, distinctly away from any trace of the urban world, which is home to Mannapaapu Mane. It is a 200-year-old house restored artistically using locally available material by the owner Purushotham Adve. It allows you to experience nature in its fullest glory - the rustling trees, the chirping birds, the swirling streams and the unrelenting winds carrying the fragrance of wild flowers. Mannapaapu Mane is not merely a home but also, a museum housing in itself an impressive range of modern, classical and folk art adoring its walls.

Sweaty, tired, hungry and exhausted, I dropped off my bags in the corridor and entered the house through a beautiful antique door decorated with rice grain Thoran/ Kaduru and mango leaves. Hanging mango leaves on the entrance door is something that I saw my mom do during festivals and special occasions and it is commonly found in most South Indian houses. The tradition of hanging mango leaves at the entrance of the house is believed to ward off any negative energy entering the house. This is changed by the next festival. What was interesting was at the rice grain toran/ kaduru, the ritual of tying toran is followed during Navratri after the harvest of rice, it is believed to bring peace and prosperity in the house. This is changed every year during Navaratri. Not only is rice important as food, it is an integral part of rituals and social beliefs.

As I entered, the beautiful aroma of hing (aesofotida) wafted through the air - almost overpowering but balanced out perfectly, with a faint touch of coconut and curry leaves. Two women in saris were busy preparing our lunch and smiled at us. The two hundred year old house looked beautiful as the sunlight fell through the Manduva/ Mutram (traditional open courtyard in the middle of the house) as the art pieces took me back in time. Aaja Re Pardesi – a 90’s song, played from a Carvaan music player placed on the kitchen slab.

15-16

ellu

jeeregey

sasive

Kitchen and its essentials Unlike typical Indian kitchen corridors, the one at Mannapaapu Mane stood long and elaborate across the hall. As I stood there, boiling water, I closely observed how the kitchen extended beyond the elaborate space, onto the extended area. Sunlight came in from the Manduva, through the kitchen window and also through the door in the extended kitchen. The roofing of the kitchen was made of wood. The manner of organisation of the kitchen mirrored a strong scientfic understanding.

There was a gas stove with two burners on the slab. The wall behind the stove housed a shelf in which common, everyday ingredients were kept. These were- Sasive (mustard), ellu (sesame), hinguva (asafoetida) and jeeregey (cumin). There was a biruva (cupboard) on the opposite side of the stove which was placed on top of a table shelf (3ft broad). Rice, rava (Semolina), pulses and other grains were stored in the biruva. The table shelf had all sorts of utensils from nonstick to stainless steel.

A peep into any kitchen in India will show an array of utensils used to prepare various dishes. Whether to roll a simple roti or to cook an elaborate meal, a wide range of utensils are used. The food prepared in these traditional kitchens were aromatic, flavourful and delicious.

Indian utensils, despite their evolution, have not forgotten their essential purpose. The cookware that originated in the original Indian kitchen is very different from what is available today. The materials used, the different manufacturing processes for producing these utensils, & the ease of cleaning are the factors which have facilitated such changes. However, traditional methods of cooking /preparing food are still preserved for its taste and authenticity and the flavour that they add to the meal.

Mannapaapu Mane gets water from the streams that flow through the mountains. The stream water is channelized using pipe lines.

This stream further joins the river Swarna. The water from the pipe lines are further filtered using an aqua guard before drinking and cooking purposes. There was a banana gele (bunch) hung from a thick thread at the right end of the kitchen. I was informed by Manu that the rationale underlying the same was to ensure their fresh and to prevent any extrinsic damage.

bananna gele

KITCHEN MAP way leading towards backyard wash basin

dust bin

biruva(shelves)

slab

bathroom music player entrace

K I T C H wood fire stove E N EXTENDED

refrigerator

aqua guard

sink big burner

gas stove

way out to the garden window

shelves

17-18

Three stoves

soot

aluminium utensils

Unlike in most urban households, kitchen stoves here relied upon the application of direct heat for the cooking process. The kitchen had three different stoves used for cooking. Two of those were placed in the extended kitchen area, one being a wood fire chula (stove made up of stone) and the other, a big gas stove - used to make large quantities of dishes and other one two burner gas stove. Each stove is associated with a particular dish, exclusively made only on that stove, and none other. The utensils utlised on these stoves are also at variance with the otherwise ordinary ones that one comes across. Aluminium and indolium utensils were used for cooking on the woodfire and big gas stove as these are faster heat conductors than the stainless steel.

While using wood fire chula, the utensils, however acquire a charred black discoloration – as result of the unburnt carbon particles called soot. When a hydrocarbon is burnt, the major products are energy (fire), carbon dioxide and water vapours along with oxides of other elements present in the fuel.

I was also informed by Manu that they prepare ganji (dish made up of unpolished rice) on the wood fire, which though takes longer than the gas stove, tastes better. The firelight casts its spell over the room and infuses everything cooked on the chula with a touch of magic. The gangi which they served us on the last day that been prepared on the wood fire chula. It had an acrid smell derived from its unique style of preparation.

wood fire chula

por ke

big burner

The big gas stoves are used when large utensils are used for cooking. Yele Kadubu (a dish) was made on the big gas stove. I must admit, I was startled to see a kaddi porke (broomstick) – made using coconut leaf, placed right next to the stove. When asked about the same, the women, responded, rather nonchalantly that it was for the purpose of cleaning the kitchen.

The two burner gas stove is the most widely used. Ogarnes (tempering), sambhars, rasams, tamblis, palyas are preapred on this. The utlisation of utensils is not restricted in the sphere, a wide variety from stainless steel, to non-stick utensils are all used.

gas cylinder

It is pertinent to note that each dish that is prepared with the aid of a particular stove in order to bring forth authentic flavours onto the plates.

two burner gas stove

19-20

Rubbo kallu

rubbo kallu

oggarane patre

Rubbo kallu (stone grinder), is a traditional method of pounding masalas and batters. I had seen the last of these at my ancestral home, wherein it was the part and parcel of the flooring itself. The one at Mannapaapu, was however, movable and I was particularly informed of their utility in the pre-mixer and grinder era. Sambhar powder, dose/ idly batters and chutneys were made using this. It added flavour and enhanced the taste. Unlike, in the modern day kitchen, this involves streneous physical repucussions, in the absence of one button which yields the end product. Needless to state, the material (stone) imparts its magic onto the ingredients.

From stainless steel to clay pots, a variety of vessels were used to serve. Usually the vessels in which they prepared the food was directly bought to serving. Banana leaves were used to cover the food, instead of a steel plate. There were very specific spoons used for serving the food. Broader spoons for serving rice, deep round spoons (like a semicircle) for liquids, and semi flat spoons for palyas (curries).

There is a separate oggarane (tempering) pan used only for Oggarane.

It’s a small bowl that fits in one’s palm. It is usually hung next to the stove, and most importantly ogarnes are put in most of their dishes and the aroma that spreads during oggarane acts as an indicator of the completion of the dish.

rice spoon

palya spoon

for liquids

dosa spoon

Godavari

hermane

Hermane Hermane (Grater) – a stool like structure made up of wood has a knife and grater (stainless steel) attached to it. It is placed on the floor and a person sits on the stool to cut vegetables and grate coconut. The coconut and vegetables were cut on this by Kalavathi and Godavari.

This is also one of the tools that I came across in my ancestral home. It requires extensive flexibility and skill.

There are several unique tools used in Indian kitchens,these tools assist the prior kitchen preparations, before the commencement of the main cooking activities. Cutting, chopping, grinding, extruding, squeezing, stirring are some of the many processes that are required for preparing different food items in Indian cuisine. Each tool carries out one specific function, irreplaceable by none other. With the passage of time, these tools have gained a rather sophisticated colour, however, their core function continues to remain unchanged.

21-22

Preserved Kitchen Helpers Oggarane dabbi (Spice box) Oggarane dabbi, made up entirely using jackfruit wood. Nomadic Arabs and Phoenicians were the first to arrive in Kerala and the Portuguese in 1498 for trading them.

Marige Marige is a vessel, made with jackfruit wood used for serving.

Kodanti Kodanti was used during the harvest season to tighten the thread to hold the cut crops together.

Shyavige ottu Shyavige ottu, a traditional tool for making shyavige (noodle) maker as well as a lemon squeezer. It is made up of jackfruit wood.

23-24

Homegrown Ghandhara menasu

ghandhara menasu

Mannapaapu Mane was in the midst of a dense forest. Godavari took me all over the garden and introduced me to some of their home grown organic plants. One of them, Ghandhara menasu (chilli) is around 3-5mm long and I was told not to be misconceived by its size as an accurate indicator of its heat. Unfortunately, the plant is now scarce due to the heavy rainfall in the region. In order to prevent the heavy rainfall, it is often grown in the house, in a controlled enviornment. An absolutely delightful experience was to taste the famous tea is created by Purushotham Adve which infuses a balanced out flavour of the home-grown chilli. After tasting, I can state with certainty that I’m glad I overcame the initial hesitation, and took the plunge to try the chilli infused tea. The home-grown chilli is also used to curate a special Ghandhara menasu pickle; pungent and tasteful, it goes well with rice, doses and rotis, and never fails to awaken one’s senses.

Cocoa tree

cocoa leaves

Cocoa trees were also growing in abundance, being an intercrop with coconut and areca nut plantation. The Cocoa tree is a South American tree that found its way through India in the early 18th century. Later, Cadbury introduced the tree to the farmers in Kerala for its own benefit of producing cocoa powder. This cocoa tree later spread across the regions of the Western Ghats. The climatic factors, particularly temperature and rainfall, are important in encouraging optimum growth.

Cocoa is a perennial crop, and it can withstand different seasonal variations with good health and yield potential. Cocoa is normally cultivated at altitudes upto 1200 m above MSL with a minimum annual rainfall of 1000mm to 2000mm and a relative humidity of 80% with maximum 35°C and minimum temperature of 15°C. It is predominantly grown on red soil. These available growth conditions have invited the tree not only to Indian land but also into their local cuisines.

black pepper

Black pepper Black pepper is a perennial vine grown for its berries. It is extensively used as a spice and in medicines. Black pepper is a plant of humid tropics requiring high rainfall and humidity. Similar to the cocoa tree, climatic conditions are required for pepper cultivation. There are multiple varieties of pepper and these vary in growth, characteristics and yield. The most commonly found varieties around Mannapaapu Mane are the Pournami and Karimunda. Karimunda is the traditional variety that is commonly found. Higher elevation and more shady areas are ideal for its growth. The plant has ovate small leaves with even margins. Its leaves are dark green with spikes ranging between 4-10 cm long. It yields upto 3-5 kg per vine. Pournami possesses tolerance to drought and also produces high yields upto 2333 kg dry pepper/ha.

Coconut Coconut trees are very commonly seen here, this answers the abundant use of coconut in their dishes. I was informed of the trouble caused by the monkeys, which often pluck the coconuts before it is ripe.

They often utlise the ones fallen onto the ground, in the absence of which they resort to taking the help of a person to pluck out the same.

Failing these two, neighbours are always there to share!

coconut

There are various soppus (greens), Ladies finger, Briyani plant is small, a species of ‘pandanus’, often found planted in kitchen gardens.

The leaves have a characteristic smell, a little piece of this leaf put in the pot of rice does the trick and also this leaf is put in the boiling water and the water is used for drinking, colocasia leaves (used to make patrode, leaf is stuffed with rice flour and seasoned with spices, tamarind and jaggery) grown in their backyard.

25-26

Cooking courses Yele Kadubu Around dusk, the ladies begin their preparation for the subsequent morning’s brekafast. I entered the kicthen to find a rather unusual sight, of a white batter being applied to cocoa leaves. The dish, fondly known as Yele Kadubu, where ‘yele’ means leaf and ‘kadubu’ is a rice flour dough with a sweet filling. A dish, although consumed all year round, is particularly unmissable in the festivities of Ganesh chaturthi.

coconut

jaggery

My curiosity grew as to the need for such a long-drawn, elaborate process, when I was informed that the preparation for the same began soon after lunch, despite the dish being consumed only at breakfast, on the subsequent morning. Thanking my lucky stars, I was glad to have entered the kitchen at the time when it was being prepared so I could have a tasting of the small hand-rolled ball made up of jaggery and coconut shavings. Subsequently, she plucked around 25-27 cocoa leaves from the backyard. The leaves were 30cm in length and not too broad, perfect for the placement of the right amount of the filling. The leaves were cleaned using a dry cloth, cut off from the ends, making them two equal at the ends.

As we were talking about the batter preparation, Manu enters and informs me about the manner in which they use cocoa leaves to make Yele Kadubu - the cocoa leaves are grown in abundance locally, and it is only by the trial and error method that they found this leaf to be suitable for preparing Kadubus. Purushotham Adve often experiments with cooking and this was one of his creations. Back in my home town, I have eaten kadubus steamed in banana and turmeric leaves.

rice flour

hot water

batter

1

2

Cocoa leaves are cleaned using a dry cloth and the ends of the leaves are torn by using hands. This is to ensure both the ends fall on top of one another when it is folded into half.

Batter is applied by following the spokes on the leaf. Kalavathi aunty gave me a tip. Make a boarder using the batter and fill the inside with the batter. While applying the batter the leaf part should be visible. 1-2inch which is left around the leaf to avoid any spillage of the batter when folded and put for steam.

3

4

Sprinkle over some of the delicious hoorna (filling) on the batter. Kalavathi gave me a ball of the hoorva to eat while making. It was so delicious that it could also be eaten directly.

Now carefully fold the leaf into half.

I was unable to contain my temptation to take part in its preparation! Owing to the convenience of my daily life, Kalavathi understood my incapability to sit on the floor and make the kadubus. I, rather embarassed, pulled a low chair to assist me in the process. Let me now state, in no uncertain terms, the physical difficulties involved in preparing this dish. It was rather a task to place the leaf on the floor, stretch for the batter and then apply it along the leaf’s length and bend forward again to reach out for the sweet filling, phew! I could not withstand this difficulty of the dish, and thought to myself, “I’m better off just eating it, rather than be in the process of making it.”

And thus, moments later, I managed to carve out a silly excuse for my escape!

INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

1.Cocoa Leaves 2.Rice flour 3.Hot water 4.Jaggery (sugarcane) 5. Grated coconut 6.Steamer 7.Ghee 8.Flexibility and Love.

FOR THE BATTER 1. Mix hot water into the rice flour till you get a thick gooey consistency.

FOR THE SWEET FILLING 1. Using a thick bottom pan (to avoid burning), add jaggery and let it on the stove on a low flame till it turns liquid.

2. Add the cococnut to the jaggery and mix well, it’s important to constantly mix the two ingredients to avoid burning.

3. Cook till the mixture from the coconut is gone, but make sure it is not too dry.

MAKING 1. As we apply the batter onto the coco leaf and sprinkle the filling on top and close it into half as instructed and learnt by Jyothi and Kalavathi, now is the time to steam these. It takes around 15 - 20 min for it to get done. Serve it with ghee on top.

30-31

kudumu

Ganesh Chathuthi Celebrations 2018.

The idol symbolises Lord Ganesha. often ivoked in prayers for good education. Here you see an idol made purely out of mud, lacking any colour, in order to avoid any water pollution that may occur during visarjan (the idol is to be immersed in a river or the sea symbolizing a ritual see-off of the Lord in his journey towards his abode in Kailash while taking away with him the misfortunes of his devotees). Palavelli is a mesh made of wodden sticks .It is decorated with flowers and fruits and placed above Lord Ganesha.

modaks

Why are 21 modaks served to Lord Ganesha during the festival?

I found out from the Hindu Mythology how these delicious modaks were born. The story goes that Anusuya (wife of Atri, an ancient Rishi) invited Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, along with Lord Ganesha, to visit her and give her their blessings. Lord Ganesha was served food from different places with different flavours and textures, but nothing was able to sate his hunger. All this was being witnessed by Lord Shiva who was waiting patiently to eat as he was also starving. Ganpati ate whatever he was being served, but still felt hungry. Finally, Anusuya thought of serving something sweet to Lord Ganesha and she served him modaks which finally made his stomach full, and he burped, satisfied. Interestingly, Lord Shiva and Ganesha burped for 21 times to prove that they are done eating food. This incident made Parvarti very curious as to what exactly Anusuya served, and she learned about modaks.

Buddhism and many other Hindu gods made their way through the trading route called as “Silk Road� around the 140 BC. Ganesha, was worshipped then by the trading community made its way to Japan and even today he is worshipped in Japan as Kangiten. Kangiten inherits many names and characteristics from the Hindu god Ganesha.

In Japan, a sweet similar to modak and known locally as Kangidan, is offered to god Kangiten. Kangidans are made from curds, honey, and red bean paste. They are wrapped in kneaded dough made from parched flour and shaped like a bun before they are deep fried.

32-33

Moode Moode is a delicacy from Udupi; they are idlis wrapped up in screw pine leaves. The pandan leaves (screw pine leaves) add a distinct taste and aroma to idlis and make them special, unique and delicious. Screw pine leaves are weaved into cylindrical moulds and the batter is poured into each of these moulds and steamed. Steaming is when the magic happens. These cylindrical shaped idlis, are known as ‘moode’ in Kannada. They are made during festivals, and are a must for the Krishnajanmastami festival where they are served during breakfast.

During my visit to Udupi, I have seen idlis being steamed in other leaves like jackfruit and banana.

The art of making these moulds is slowly dying. I have seen people buying the moulds from roadside vendors around Sri Krishna Matt in Udupi. Traditionally, it used to be an everyday affair to make them at home where women of the house gathered to do it while conversing.

But due to the elaborate process that goes behind making these, it is now sold in markets and has replaced itself by tumblers and stainless steel moulds in homes and restaurants. It thus offers increased convenience and lost essence!

moode

moode, hotel Woodland, Udupi

When I went to Udupi, they told me that they have found a variety of pandan without thorns. These leaves help save time and effort involved in removing the thorns off the screw pine leaves that are traditionally used. This variety of pandan is called mundaka in Kannada. It also grows easily in backyards unlike the screw pine variety with thorns, which usually grows along river banks and ponds in coastal areas.

After making the the moulds one needs to pour the batter carefully into the moulds.

• First, keep the screw pine moulds into the steamer lined up next to one another, we would not want to move the batter filled moulds as they are brittle.

• Pour fermented batter into the moulds upto 3/4th of the mould, as the fermented batter tends to rise and fill up the mould. If not they fall out of the mould.

• Steam them for 30 minutes on a medium flame.

After steaming, open the lid and put it back on with a little space for the steam to escape. Serve steaming hot moode by peeling the leaves after 5 minutes of steaming. They otherwise tend to break into pieces if you try to peel them soon after steaming.

• It was very interesting to open up the leaf and eat. Before you serve them, remove all the thorns used to keep the moode moulds intact.

It imparts a pale light green color onto the idly.

The impression of the leaf and the way in which it was rolled was imprinted on the idly. The fact that I’m seeing a regular idly infused with a beautiful aroma of the leaf and the cylindrical form changed my perspective of idlis from being boring to being exotic. Moode are versatile, they are traditionally eaten with butter/ghee/coconut oil on top and with coconut chutney, kadala (brown chickpea) curry, a sweetsour-spicy pineapple curry or with sambhar.

34-35

1

2

3

4

Drinks, Anyone?

Tea Purushotham Adve makes tea using locally grown Ghandhara menasu (chilli), methi (fenugreek) seeds, salt, sugar and a squeeze of lemon.

This tea has a refreshing and rejuvenating impact on our bodies.

The heat from the chilli, activates energy levels by kicking off any tiredness. The bitterness from the methi seeds balances out the heat from the chilli and perfectly blends with the sugar and salt.

The sourness from the lemon acts as a refreshing ingredient overall.

Methi seeds are a great source of coolants for our bodies. One can substitute methi seeds with fresh methi leaves and gandhara chilli with green chillies. These ingredients have been blessed with medicinal properties that act as vaccines against cough and common cold. The balance of the ingredients in it is crucial. Godavari, from years of practice, is aware of the exact proportion of ingredients, without having to undergo the pains of exact measurements!

On the first day, tea was served to us before going to the ‘frog walk’.

It is the perfect drink to be served before and after an adventure. The ingredients have an overall beneficial and healing effect on our bodies.

If you are someone who enjoys sour, tangy and spicy elements in your food balanced with the addition of sweetness, then it’s a tailor-made drink to suite your taste buds.

tea

gandhara chilli or green chilli

salt sugar

squeeze a dash of lemon once the boiling is done

methi leaves or methi seeds

handi

To boiling water add the above mentioned ingredients except lemon. After 15 mintues or so, turn the gas off and filter the drink. Lemon is not added during the boiling because it will turn the drink bitter.

39-40

tamarind

Paanaka On our way back from a trek to Mannapaapu Mane, the Phadke family nearby was gracious enough to offer us paanaka. It offered us the comfort that litres of water failed to offer, and the stamina to continue with the long haul ahead of us. Though everybody had water bottles and were sipping throughout the way, nothing could have worked better than the drink that they offered to us. The lime, liquid jaggery with a little bit of ginger and tamarind, were all blended to perfection to make this drink the right solution for our exhaustion, particularly mine!

jaggery

lemon ginger

pepper

The sweetness from the jaggery blended well with the tamarind and lime making it refreshing. To begin with, bella (jaggery) or the traditional unrefined sugar, is believed to be a muscle relaxant, which helps in ridding fatigue. The peppery sharp, pungent, aromatic, and warm smell and taste of the ginger relieves tiredness from the body.

A similar dish is prepared during Ram Navami festival in Bengaluru.

Ram Navami is celebrated to signify the birthday of Lord Ram and falls on the ninth day of Ugadi. In Bengaluru, Ram Navami is observed very ritualistically in all pomp and glory in most temples with various programmes ranging all nine days. The delicious spread of prasad generally offered by temples to its devotees consists a ginger-pepper drink called Paanaka/Panankam and a green gram salad called Kosumbari.

This drink does not require a stove. Add some jaggery to the water and let it dissolve. To this add grated ginger, crushed pepper and tamarind paste. Soak the tamarind in water and squeeze out tamarind pulp. Add some lemon and a pinch of salt in the end.

At Mannapaapu Mane, they grow biriyani plant (a family of panda plant) in their garden. They add the leaf of this plant to boiling water where the aroma of the leaf is infused into it. This water is used for drinking as it is believed to be the perfect repellent for bodily exhaustion.

There are several such recipes that have medicinal properties without compromising on a great taste. The importance of the ingredients and the ability to balance it right makes it a fabulous drink, both in terms of health and healing. I am fondly reminded of my grandmother’s recipes- kashayas (drinks made up of spices, water/milk that mainly has a medicinal purpose behind) or even the simple turmeric milk given before going to bed were a part of their daily routine.

For the kashaya, into the boiling milk add half tea spoon of haldi (turmeric powder), 1/2 inch cinnamon, 1 cardamom and 2 crushed peppercorns. Boil them for five minutes and strain it before drinking.

To make it tasty I use to add sugar, but my grandmother suggests jaggery instead.

Ask your grandma. There’s nothing as precious as her recipes. The most astounding tastes are to be found in family cooking techniques, and old spice cupboards and mortar-pestles have their own culinary stories to tell. Each story has its own way to lure the tastebuds.

cardamomW turmeric

pepper

cinnamon

Ask your grandma. There’s nothing as precious as her recipes. The most astounding tastes are to be found in family cooking techniques, and old spice cupboards and mortar-pestles have their own culinary stories to tell. Each story has its own way to lure the tastebuds.

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Tambli, Hasi and Majige Huli These three dishes fall under the category of havyaka foods.

Havyaka are a clan of Brahmins who are settled in and around Shimoga, Chickmagalur, Uttara-Kannada and Dakshina-Kannada districts. They are pure vegetarians popularly known for their “grandmother’s recipes”. Their unique food system contains medicinal values and tastes delicious as well. Some of the food items include wild leaves, roots/herbs and processed tree bark.

They all have health benefits, particularly that of cooling effect on the human body. Considering the humid weather conditions, the cuisine is carved out in a way that helps deal with extreme soaring weather temperatures. Add to this, homegrown, locally available vegetables to bring about flavours of authenticity.

All these three dishes have two common base ingredients – Curd and coconut gravy. Similar to the style of preparation of kadhi, these are made of yogurt and spices. Just as besan is used in Kadhi, a thickening agent is added to these 3 dishes as well that is coconut.

These are more sour and thicker than kadhi – but with fresh boiled vegetables, and greens added. If you wish to prepare the dish, it is better to keep the set curds out the previous night and not store it in the refrigerator. Keeping the curd out will help build bacteria and make it sour. The temperature allows the formation of bacteria which wouldn’t be possible when stored in a cool place like a refrigerator.

All the three dishes slightly vary in ingredients and preparation.

Oggarane is added in the end of each dish (coconut oil + mustard seeds) Best eaten with rice.

curd

+

finely grated coconut

Tambli Thambli/tambli/thambuli is a variant of raita prepared across Karavali and Malnad region of Karnataka. Thambli is derived from the word ‘thampada’ + ‘huli’. Thampad translates to "cold" and huli is a general name for gravy recipes in Kannada language. So thambuli is a cooling food. Thambuli, being a curd-based dish, consumed with hot rice, typically with hot sambar. It is made mostly from several greens and is prepared by grinding the greens with the spices and then mixing it with yogurt. All ingredients are used raw, without any cooking. Many different seasonal vegetables/herbs can be used in the preparation of thamblis, Vitamin soppu/chandramuni Thambuli, Menthe Thambli, shunti (ginger) thambli, Basale soppu (malabar spinach), kakke soppu (Aaragwadha in Sanskrit), doddapatre soppu (cuban oregano), karibevu leaves (curry leaves) and coriander leaves, all of which are grown all over Karnataka. Thambuli is generally prepared mild and not spicy.

Vitamin soppu thambuli was prepared by the women of the household on one of the days of our stay, popularly known as sweet leaf bush is herbaceous shrub, 1-3 m tall, can go up to 6 m in the wild. It is a slender shrub, with short lateral branching. Leaves are ovate, oblong shaped, 3-10 × 1.5-3.5 cm, growing in distinctly opposite pairs along stems, edible with slightly nutty or pea-like flavour. Stems are vertical, somewhat woody. Sweet Leaf Bush is found in the Himalayas, from Nepal to Sikkim, also in Western Ghats, Ceylon, Indo-China, S. China, W. Malaysia, at altitudes of 500-900 m. Additionally, these leaves are used as a medicine for coughs and to soothe the lungs, as a tonic, and as a febrifugal to relieve internal fever.

doddapatre

kakke soppu

Majjige huli Majjige huli is a dish prepared with buttermilk and coconut. It typically includes boiled vegetables that are added to the coconut or buttermilk gravy. Many different seasonal vegetables are used in the preparation like baalekai (raw banana), kumbalakai (white pumpkin) and sorekai (bottle guard).

1

kumbalkai Cut into 1 by 2 inches small

=

+

+

jaggery as per choice

pressure cooker upto 1-2 whistles

salt as per choice

2

turmeric

3

mix step 1 and 2

+

+

+

green chilli

+ curd

coconut

=

mustard

grind with some water

Hasi Hasi in Kannada means ‘raw’. It is a dish prepared with curd and coconut. Popularly known as raita. The use of coconut is optional in this dish. Vegetables that require no cooking are typically used in making hasi. Onion, capsicum huli, cucumber huli are commonly prepared 1 +

+

+ salt

mustard

green chilli

+

+

grind them into a paste using water

coconut oil

sesame

urud dal

=

2 +

=

green capsicum

cut them into 1 by 2 inches. cooking them is optional.

onion

3 mix step 1 and 2 to

+

+ curd

coconut

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Feasting Mannapaapu Mane’s style Oota time or the meal time is the coming together of all family members to consume assorted delicacies, made all day long.

This time of the day has its own charm, particularly for us folks, who are perpetually consumed in our electronic gadgets during meal time! The delicacies varied from day to day, however, a typical Oota (meal) we had included the following dishes in the order specified and was served on a banana leaf/anjeer leaf - Uppu (salt), Kosambari (salad), Pickle, Palya (curry), fried dishes such as Aambode or Bonda, series of Saarus (liquids gravies). These are eaten with rice (unpolished rice) and thuppa (ghee). Our urge to jump onto the delicacies served must wait until thuppa (ghee) is served to everyone, the serving of ghee is the cue for the commencement of the meal. The meal is completed with a serving of curd rice followed by a sweet dish.

Mannapaapu Mane witnessed the balance between conservation of nature, while using the same, this is reflected in their use of banana leaves, which, though abundantly available is utlised only for lunch, while dinner is served on stainless steel plates, and breakfast on anjeer leaves. The rationale is to avoid excessive plucking of leaves on one plant. All the dishes were served in small quantities, but second helpings were always welcome, this served a two-fold purpose: helped avoid wastage, and ensure a tasting of all the delicacies.

Picture credits : Manu

living area used as dining area

Interesting, the wet waste collected during the process is used as manure for future cultivational activity.

In order to gain a wholistic experience, I took part in the serving of the food. seemed like a cakewalk at first, proved to be otherwise subsequently. The diificulty lies is carrying around the stainless steel buckets and handis, filled with food to the rim, add to this, the struggle of constant bending to serve the people seated on the floor. It was at the juncture that I took time out to appreciate our dining tables! Handis are a type of utensil that has a spherical bottom with a broad rimmed opening. They can be made of clay, brass or copper. The stainless steel handis have gained prominence over the others. The bottom-half of a handi is spherical and deep, and this tapers linearly onto a narrow neck towards the top. The diameter at the top is about 60% of the diameter at the bottom of the handi. The opening at the top has a narrow neck and flares out to form a rim. As there is no handle the utensil is lifted by holding this rim. Handis are used for boiling liquids such as milk, preparing semi - gravy food items like kheer, sambhar, rasam, thove etc.

Food is transferred either into clean steel buckets or the handis are directly used for cooking. The narrow opening at the top helps in trapping and retaining heat for a longer time.

48-49

The banana leaf is placed so that the wider side is on the righthand side of the person eating the meal. You have to eat the food with your right hand (no fork/knife/spoon/eating with left hand). Keeping the wider end on the right hand allows easy access to the side dishes which are then mixed with rice and eaten, also on the wider side liquid varients are served and it ensures no spillage. The left end is for the less eaten items (side dishes and seasonings) like salt and pickles. The order of serving varies among different communities. If the bananna leaves are larger in size, they are torn into two or more serving leaves. At the end of serving, the leaf will have: • Top half left hand corner will have pickles, fries and salt • And and then comes the kosambri, fried items and palyas (curries) on top half of the leaf from left to right with • Bottom half is for rice and sambar varieties.

Once the side dishes are served, they bring out the rice. A teaspoon of warm, melted ghee is poured on top. Once the dal is served, sambar is brought in. After sambar, it is time for rasam/ thambli/hasi/ majigey huli. After this, the side dishes are brought out to be served again. It is followed by curd rice and a sweet dish. These (sambar, rasam, dal etc) are mixed with rice and savoured with the side dishes served on top half of the leaf.

beans palya

rasam

thove

daniya rasam

sambhar

tambli

The meal at Manapappu Manu is always accompanied by a beverage, usually water and sometimes ghandhara menasu (chilli) tea. It is the second item served after the leaf has been placed on the floor. These are served in stainless steel glasses (two sizes -small and big). Small glasses are used for tea and big glasses for water, which is served in a lota. A lota is a small, usually spherical utensil made of stainless steel, brass or copper. It has a spherical bottom that curves into a neck, and the top of the neck flares out to form a rim. Its shape is such that it fits into the palm very well and makes carrying and pouring liquids easy.

Water is poured using a Lota.

lota

a meal at mannapaapu mane

One needs to be skilled and have the knowledge of serving food onto the leaves. There is an order in which food is served.

Serving involves a great deal of team work.

50-51

To end with Culture varies from one community to another - they give identity and show us another’s way of life. It was the love for travel, food and people that propelled me to take up this topic. The object underlying this book was to give voice to the “lesser known� that I had the privilege of experiencing. Another strong motivation to make this compilation came from the absence of existing literature in this field.

As an urban-bred kid, I found the way of life at Mannapaapu Mane interesting and astonishing in the same breath. My journey commenced with an eye-opener and ended with fully embracing the lifestyle of Mannapaapu Mane.

As a cooking enthusiast, I am seldom spoilt of choices when it comes to cooking recipes, this experience has not only widened my appreciation for cultural diversity, but also made my cooking style more inclusive of different cuisines

Picture credits : Mr. Adve

Behind the scenes, yet omnipresent - my unsung heroesmy parents, grandparents, friends and faculties have played an indispensable role throughout my journey with Food Trails of Mannapaapu Mane. Further, I would be severely failing in my duty if I do not extent my most sincere gratitude to Miss Anushka Pardikar, who has not only been a fierce content editor, but also my worse critique

52-53

Soumya Rao’s travelogue Food Trails of Mannapaapu Mane offers a rare glimpse into the air breathed during her stay in Mannapaapu Mane, through the lens of food. The focus of the book extends beyond the mere narration of recipes, and gives a detailed insight into the lesser-known cultural background surrounding these recipes.

Travelling, particularly to the lesser known brings about a positive transformation to the human mind.

It allows us to experience, adapt and embrace a contrasting culture; while broadening our thought process, making it inclusive of another’s way of life.

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