N.T.Rama Rao gaaru Prasadaumm

Lakshmi, our cook is one of my rare finds in the land of Pohe, Upme. This land consists of Marathi cooks who can only prepare Pohe, Upme and if you push them – dal-roti , roti-dal and er.. dal-roti. Lakshmi hails from the land of NTR, Jr.NTR, Aavakkai and cooks awesome food especially South Indian for our ‘varanda’ tongues suffering from the boring bland roti-dal.

Most Marathi cooks will never learn to make new cuisine (Rasam, Sambar, Koottu, Pasta, Pulao types) and even if they do know how to won’t admit they know for fear of being asked to make them. They are quite content making Pohe-Upme day in and day out. The best part about Lakshmi is that they makes stuff on her own without being asked to. Her kuzhanda manasu   is one of the other reasons we are quite ok with her bunking 5-6 days a month unannounced. The other day she had made this awesome Gongura chutney, on her own. Had tweeted a picture of the chutney and a couple of people wanted to know the recipe. So here we are.

Ingredients for Gongura Chutney

1. Puliccha Keerai { Tamil  }/ Ambadi (bhaji) in Hindi  / Sorrel leaves { English } – 2 bunches
2. Tomatoes    - 2
3. Red chillies – 7 numbers
4. Garlic           - 1 small pod
5. Jeera             - 2 big spoons
6. Urad dal/Ulutham parupu – One small spoon
7. Chana dal / Kadalai parupu – One small spoon
8. Kadugu / Rai – One small spoon
9. Kadipatta / Karuveppillai – a few leaves
10. Asafoetida - a pinch
11. Salt to taste            
12. Gingelly Oil / Nallennai

Gongura chutney is very easy to make and you will be done before the end of the 2nd commercial break of a movie on “Indiya tollaikaatchigaLil mudalll Muraiyaaga…”.


As you are all set to watch a movie on TV, when the movie starts, as the credits roll watching TV....

• Wash and Remove the leaves of Pulicha keerai / Ambadi
• Cut tomatoes into medium sized pieces

During the 1st commercial break

• Put a little bit of oil  and fry the tomatoes and the Greens for 5 minutes
•  Let this cool
• In the same kadai, fry 5 red chillies .Let this cool

Come back to watch the movie. When the 2^nd commercial break starts

• Put the red chillies, add salt, jeera (without frying) and garlic (without frying) in the mixie and blend    these.
•  To this, add the tomato and greens and blend it to a paste

By this time the movie must have started again. If it hasn’t , good. You can do the taalichal/ tadka. Else increase the volume on TV so that you don't miss out on the action and come back to the kitchen.

•      Fry Kadugu (Rai), Kadalai paruppu ( Chana dal) , ULutham paruppu (Urad dal), Jeera , 2 red chillies, Karuvepilai (Kadipatta), Asafoetida and pour it on the Gongura chutney. 
•       Your super duper chutney is ready!

Now go back and watch the movie. Don’t forget to carry a plate of hot rice, with ghee poured all over. Add a big spoonful of your Gongura chutney and eat with your hand. Do watch the movie while eating. There’s no better way to enjoy a movie than this. (It is boring to eat dinner sitting on a dining table with/without company)

Don’t forget to look at your expression in the mirror while you have the first kai of Gongura chutney saadam and that's most likely to be like this......bliss!

Now tell me, isn’t Gongura chutney truly the Prasadam (as Golts put it “Prasadauummnn”) of NTR?

Policy

You know what's kadi-er than attending a wedding ceremony ? The thought of attending a series of functions that follow a wedding in the coming months - seemandham, valaikaappu (both, forms of Godhbharai) punyavajanam (naming ceremony of a baby), Ayush homam (baby's first birthday), then baby no.2's naming ceremony, birthdays and so on.

Here's a little secret that even husband does not know (Now he will when he reads this post). Was a happy independent professional for almost 7 years doing some vetti freelance work. That also meant representing the family (that is the spouse and I ) for all functions of the extended family on week days. Spouse was travelling a lot on work and to his luck all these mega boring functions would happen only on week days. Since I was a 'freelancer' and could decide when I wanted to work, I had to be there at Vashi, Thane and other parts of the world that required a minimum two hours of travel for these 'functions' sitting there putting one smile waiting for the food to be served. And unfortunately as Tamizh culture demands, in these smaller functions, the ladies always eat after the first pandhi & second pandhi are over when maamas, extended mamaas and neighborhood thathas eat for a minimum 1 hour. What a bore to wait for your turn and what a bore-est to help people serve when you are bleddy hungry yourself! 

Anyway, that's when I decided to take up something full time. No jokes. Really was tired of going for the 'functions'. And a full-time job in media meant giving the best excuse possible - "Recording on Sunday" "Shoot on Saturday" and so on. And since the extended family even now has no clue on what I do at work (neither do I), it became semma easy for me to bunk.

The mega bore function and the mother of all Kadis  is the wedding. Given a chance, the husb would happily bunk off . But ha ha vidhi vilayadifyes always and the Seniorest citizen of his family would call him a dozen times reminding re-reminding, putting letter and couriering invite for the function. Bwahahaha! Thankfully food is never a problem at these marriage functions. You sit off in the first pandhi itself. The aruvai bit is sitting around doing polite conversation with people on the same old topic of What I do (in life), the weather in Bombay, questions on Madhavan's next film (who is bothered?) and so on till the Taali is kattufyed. A couple of wedding ceremonies happened on week days and I was thrilled! Bunking was never a problem. But people are getting smarter and smarter. A couple just like us in the family I guess also started giving similar excuses bunking these wedding functions. So, the Seniorest Citizen mama took a stand and ended up fixing wedding dates on Sundays. Baah! That means putting full attendance for Saturday and Sunday. And it is increasingly becoming difficult to give those "working on both days" excuse for me.

Met a Delhi-based friend recently and he too has this problem of attending weddings of extended family and friends. But pal is super smart. According to him, whoever pressurizes him to attend a wedding, he announces his "policy" to them, the policy being he never attends weddings. Recently his wife travelled from Delhi to Gwalior for a wedding. He did travel with her but didn't go for the wedding. Opted to stay at the hotel, do some good bit of site seeing at Gwalior and drove her back to Delhi. 

Think it's a fantastic idea to make a list of policies for one self and publish online. My draft (work in progress) reads

-> Won't attend Weddings, Valakappus, Seemandhams, Gruhapraveshams, Ayush homams of ex..tended families.

-> Will avoid picnics / trips / movie outings where friends insist on bringing their mothers, school-time friends, twitter pals and kids.

-> Won't wait for the first and second pandhi to be over at functions (if at all I attend) and then have food

-> Will put #onetightslap to all those asking questions on "Starting a family" 

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Glossary

1. Kadi - Aruvai, Blade, Bore to the power of 100

2. Vashi, Thane - 'Oragadam' of Bombay

3. Vidhi Vilayadifies - Fate plays game

4. Taali - The one the wife worships everyday taking His blessings. No, not huspand.. It is the Mangalsutra

5. Seniorest Mama- The one who says "Enna late-a?" when you attend a Vashi based function at 7.30 am on a Sunday.

Samayal Sodappal

Somehow, cooking has never interested me. May be because it needs a lot of patience, waiting at the stove, kinding, keLaring and before all that cutting the damn vegetables, which takes forever.

The one person I cannot live without in my life is my cook (Ayyo, I am not like 'that' variety please). Given a chance I'd play the 'cook' version of 'ManamagaLe marumagaLe vaa vaa' every morning and evening when she comes (Again, ayyo not to be taking in any 'other' sense. I am sincere and 'straight') . No jokes, but the highest point of my day is when I see the cooks reporting to duty. Yes, I said cooks because there is one in the morning and the other in the evening so that we are not dependent on one person since these Pohe, Upme peoples always have 'Ganpati festival' for 10 days, 'Tulsi ki shaadi' (not the TV serial one, this is the deity), 'Choti holi, badi Holi,' excuses to bunk. Have moved homes some 7-8 times and hence had to put up with atleast 10-12 of these Pohe, Upme peoples , in the last 15 years. The cook is an indispensable part of my life because of my hatred towards this thing called samayal.

There are a lot of blogs around us that have simple, complicated, super confusing recipes with wonderful pictures. I guess that that person, that that interest. All I can do is put clap on the super duper cooking blogs. 

Thought, why not talk about things that I am good at? Like Samayalil Sodappuvadu eppadi? It is not that I get to cook very often (Thank God!). Even the smallest of 'tadka' / 'taalichal' annoys me since the Urad dal / Ulutham paruppu always turns black. Eyyuck! Yesterday was Holi-p-pandigai and the evening cook bunked and the morning cook refused to come in the evening may be 'coz she wanted to put one number Bhaang and relax.

It was too late when we realized the evening cook had ditched us. Was too tired to eat out and both husband and I aren't great fans of Pizzas. There aren't decent restaurants around that deliver good food. The local departmental store too failed to deliver a loaf of bread ("Holi" it seems. Deei! Niruthunga da!) . The husband made maggi which I was told was terrible and hence I didn't want to taste it. Decided to sleep off after a glass of milk. No that was not helping. Semma pasi happened at 10 pm and I decided to make the world famous MTR Readymade Upma. Simple you may think. Not for me. Here you go.

Samayal Sodappal - Recipe for Upma from MTR Breakfast mix packet

Step 1 - Take the MTR breakfast mix packet . Mine was one kasangina packet stuffed inside a big dubba squeezed amidst a million other ready to mix packets.

Step 2- Ignore all the stupid instructions in the packet of cutting onions-u, boiling peas-u, mannangatti and terupuzhudi. In my opinion, ready made means ready made. You put in water, it should apdiye come like Upma. What's the use of promoting these are ready to eat etc when you end up wasting your precious energy cutting veggies?

Step 3 - Boil water (sorry no picture) in a kadai, add a spoon of oil or ghee.

Step 4- Put this MTR breakfast mix in water. Mix well. 

Step 5 - Try and eat. If you are a believer of your own work - a person of self confidence - an epitome of self righteousness etc. you will eat .. eat atleast half of what you have made, with a great smile and a sense of pride and contentment on your face.

Step 6 - This is what it looks like when you chuck most of what you have made after all the build-up of pride, self righteousness, epitome, contentment etc.... THE REMAINS IN THE DAMN SINK!

I hope I don't get to update more on this 'Samayal Sodappal' series since that would mean both cooks mattam pottufying which will be doomsday for me. But yes, if you my dear readers encourage me by liking this post, posting on fb, RT-ing on twitter etc, I may look at a you tube channel exclusively for Samayal Sodappal and you never know, I just may get spotted by some producer, actor and could be offered (ahem!) to write and direct a movie that'll obviously be titled 'Samayalil Sodappuvadu Eppadi?' Help pannunga please!

"So, tell me about yourself"

Sounds very familiar? You have obviously attended a lot of job interviews. This is the single most annoying question that the interviewer can ask. This means the interviewer has not read your CV that you have painstakingly made after using dictionary, correcting grammar, justifying lines, asking Peter Ponnambalams about the language to be used in the covering letter and all, sending it to him/her months ago. The interviewer summa comes and asks this ondrai ana annoying koschan. I wonder what they expect you to say that is not there in the CV.

Let me confess, I love giving interviews. Unlike you less fortunate makkal who go formally attired with coattu suittu kannadi ours (the media hep types) are a little less formal and can be fun. The boss was slightly (no, verry) doped out in my very first interview ages ago. So I ended up asking more questions than he did and joined work the following day (ya that vetti, what to do?). Years later, during freelancing times, the interviews became more like cold calls when I'd land up at the door step of various production houses at Famous studios. Most of these were run by husband and wife duos where the husband was the director and the once-upon-a-time-vetti assistant director got married to him and by default became this annoying producer. So, during these interviews while he'd be busy discussing the CV, Producer Madam would be checking me out, staring to see if you are potential purushan stealer. If a Madras ponnu like me could get that looks I could only pity the olli piccchan Delhi girls.

Apart from the profile of the job, the space as in physical workspace is something that I am particular about when choosing a potential employer. Five years ago, when I was on yet another interview giving spree, had almost said a yes to this production house. In the second and almost final interview when I had to meet the team, realized that their office , a make shift apartment in the lanes of Bandra was too dingy, with hajjar assistant directors, freelance producers sharing a cramped work station, the lunch being served at the receptionist's desk and all. Konjam Pukeshwari happened! The boss out there and I were discussing the salary bit but all that was running in my head was a picture of self sitting in one of the cubicles working with twenty others wanting to pull my chair in that office! By the time I was back to reality, realized we had already agreed upon the remuneration , had said a Yes and was back home. With great difficulty I had to pull myself out giving vague reasons on why I wasn't going for the offer. Two years ago, gave an interview with the rival company to the one I am working with. The interview happened over a video conference at their Bombay office. The first impression of the office was terrible.Eerie is the word. Very boring post office employee looking boring crowd, badly lit office, cramped etc. I soooo didn't want the job there. Thankfully they never got back to me post the interview.

The aruviest part is not being interviewed but being the interviewer especially when it is

a) candidates who are in the category of sending "I want to be copywriter" CVs marked not just to you but to those in other companies as well.

b) And there are others whose work (scripts for ads) is of superlative quality when they send it across to you along with the CV. When you meet them there is one mega distance between the Amaavaasai (scripts) and the Abdul Kadar (Candidate). Don't understand why they surutufy someone else's work and post it as theirs.

c) The over smart 20 somethings who think they know it all. Have had candidates saying "Nothing. I am good at everything I do" when asked about that one thing that they think they don't do well and need a little bit of improvement / training. #onetightslap.

d) People with chipped nail polish, dirty nails.

Every once in two years, even if one is not bored of his/her job one should summa attend interviews like I do. These days, I am back in the interview circuit not summa but seriously. It is increasingly getting difficult to think of excuses to get out of (present) office for interviews. How many times can I visit the doctor every week and sound like a perpetual noyaali? How many times can I get out for "bank work" or "rental agreement registration with tenant"? But kinda managing well till now I think. These days the interview locations and those who interview have changed. Coffee shops, South Indian restaurants have replaced dingy offices. Twitter makkal have replaced faces I have seen only in afaqs articles. The one thing (but for one or two occasions) that still hasn't changed .. almost every interview starts with a "So, tell me about yourself".. arrgh!

Met A R Rahman!

It was a dream come true. Never thought I'd meet A R Rahman again, chat with him, take his autograph (yet again) on the Rockstar CD and click two lovely pictures!

Classic Incantations - The Babelsberg Film Orchestra is in India performing A R Rahman's background scores as part of the year of 'Germany in India'. "Let's make it happen!" was Rahman's one-liner sent to Dr.Marla Stukenberg (Director, Max mueller Bhavan) when she discussed the idea of the project with him, two years ago. In this five city tour, Germany's oldest film orchestra from Babelsberg are playing Rahman's famous and popular compositions arranged by the London-based conductor, orchestrator Matt Dunkley.

As media partners we were assured of an interview with Rahman and other dignitaries part of the project during the press conference in Mumbai. Honestly, I wasn't sure. There were more than 20 different crews from the electronic and print media but my colleague and I thought we'd wait and see if we could manage an interview with Rahman, when we reached the press conference on the 19th of January 2012.

The press conference started with a ten minute piece the orchestra and K M Music conservatory choir performed. What an experience! Watch it here . Here is a picture from the press preview performance.

The best part about the press conference were the strict instructions from the organizers that questions were to be only on the project and not anything else (read- Bollywood etc). But media being media had to , just HAD to ask Rahman about the Hosanna controversy . Thankfully, the organizers stepped in and requested the members of the press to avoid such questions.

(Pic above - Rahman at the press conference)

We had our questions ready for the one-on-one but still I wanted to ask Rahman a question on the project and my colleague encouraged me to since I was a little hesitant. Went ahead, introduced myself and asked Him about the pieces they were going to play at the concert and what made them choose the 15 pieces considering Rahman has composed for more than 100 films. Was super thrilled when both Rahman and Matt Dunkley answered the question.

(Pic above- Rahman at the press conference)

As soon as the press conference was over, I climbed up on stage ran behind Rahman not (just) for the one-on-one interview, but for a photograph. His trusted aide Swamidurai recognized me from a project I was a part of where Rahman played a key role . "Epdi irukkenga? Enga irukkenga?" he asked. Felt sooooo good! The organizers asked me to step aside and get into the press room for the one on one but Swamidurai called me aside when I mentioned I wanted a picture with Rahman. I sneaked in and thanks to Swamidurai, managed to click a picture with Rahman. When I wasn't sure if the picture had come out well, Rahman told Swami to click another one. My jaws dropped.. literally!

(Pic above - Rahman & I (minus 'I'))

After the picture, I hesitantly reminded Rahman about the project we had worked together way back in 1997. He gave one vague look and said "Yes I do ( from the old project and old company) and I was wondering why you mentioned a different company's name when you introduced yourself at the press conference". Jaw dropped again! Quickly took out the Rockstar CD, mentioned the songs and got his autograph. Blabbered everything I wanted to about his songs being my suprabatham to Rockstar songs to his music to.... blah blah blah ...Had to pinch myself again and again!

Post the personal interview which my colleague recorded, it was time to say tata bye bye. With the organizers around, Rahman asked my colleague and I "you are coming for the concert tomorrow right?" . We said "No Sir, no passes available.. konjam recommend pannunga". He looked up , smiled and I gave a paavam look at our client, the organizer and pleaded to give me a pass. She assured that she'd try but wasn't sure.

We thanked Rahman and left. The following day and thanks to our client and the group manager of the sales team in my office, managed two passes at the very last moment for the concert. Couldn't believe I was going to watch the concert after all the futile attempts to get passes calling Max mueller Bhavan, fb requests to Lapp India the sponsors , smsing friends etc.

It was concert time. The Mumbai concert started with the Warriors of Heaven & Earth suite. Lagaan, The Rising, Passage followed. Goose bumps when the Orchestra played 'Tamizha Tamizha' a tune very close to my heart. Navin Iyer joined the Orchestra for the Roja themes.

After full-on applause suddenly someone walked up on stage. It was Rahman himself who was greeted with non-stop applause for more than a minute. The crowd just wouldn't stop. He then played the final climax fight clip from Robot and then left it to the Orchestra and the choir ("Arima Arima") who played live for the same clip. Awesome it was!

127 hours and Lord of Rings followed before the short interval break.

(pic above - from the concert)

The concert resumed with the lovely 'Bombay' theme. Up next was an important piece. Wonder if any other composer would have ever agreed to include another composer's piece in his concert. And this is why Rahman, in my opinion is different from all the other composers, not just with his music but as a person too. The next piece was a 'Tribute to Indian composers'. It started with his father R K Shekhar's piece, followed by M S Vishwanathan's Malarndum Malarada, Illayaraja's Sendoorappoove, Salil Chowdhry, Laxmikant Pyarelal (Hero), S D Burman, Jatin Lalit's Pehla Nasha, Shankar Ehsaan Loy's Kal Ho Naa Ho (there were a few more Hindi ones). And Shankar Mahadevan was sitting as part of the audience and imagine how wonderful it must've felt for him. Watch it here .

And for him to include a fellow composer who once mentioned something on the lines of "Piano play pandravan ellam composer illai" IS something else only! As someone on twitter mentioned his mantra to choose love over hatred.Hats off to you Rahman!

And this Suite (Indian composers) ended with Rahman's compositions including "Oruvan Oruvan mudalaaLi" Missed the Madras crowd I say!

Elizabeth and my most favorite, Bose themes followed. Post the Meenaxi Suite was the much awaited Slumdog millionaire suite. Asad Ali Khan, the sitarist joined the Orchestra with the man himself A R Rahman playing the piano. Goose bumps I say !

Many thanks to the KMM choir, Babelsberg film orchestra, Soloists Kavita Baliga, Asad Ali Khan,Arun H.K, Navin Iyer, Deepiga ,Matt Dunkley and ofcourse Rahman for a magical experience yesterday.

It has been an extremely overwhelming, joyful two days. Can't quite describe the entire feeling you know. Rahman is God to me. Given a chance I'd keep his photo in the poojai room. More on the craze about Rahman and music later on another post.

Just want to thank Rahman again and again for this awesome experience. Thank you ARR!