Secrets from the Udupi kitchen

Malati Srinivasan who is now 83 began cooking as a young woman Born into an orthodox Madhwa Brahmin joint family a community of Karnataka originally from Udupi she spent her childhood in Bengaluru where she watched her aunt Padmavati Bai affectionately called Athi cook Ritual purity restrictions did not permit me to enter the kitchen so I watched from the door and keenly observed the intricacies of the processes involved As a housewife I honed my skills by cooking for four children she reminiscesVangi Bhat Spicy rice with aubergineBooked over UdupiDecades later her children coaxed her to pen down the familys traditional recipes so they could use them The result is The Udupi Kitchen a cookbook that Srinivasan coauthored with her daughter Geetha Rao 66 While Srinivasan managed to jot down 175 recipes from memory approximately 100 of those recipes feature in the book Through the recipes that span categories such as spice powders lentils vegetable preparations salads snacks puddings and confections the book documents indigenous foods and practices that were a part of the family and communitys food history Srinivasan is a culinary expert whose recipes have been published in various magazines Rao has three decades of experience in the travel and tourism business and is currently the chairperson of the Crafts Council of KarnatakaHesarubele Tovve Green gram with ridge gourdCommunity chroniclesOver the years the community spread out to different cities in Southern India and Maharashtra and some of the recipes took on new names and other changes explains Srinivasan Rao emphasises that though the Udupi cuisine is famous for its tiffin or snacks such as dosa idli and vada that are wholesome and inexpensive it is also much more than just that People are not aware that the cuisine has a vast variety and this books aims to fill that lacuna Many regional cuisines of India remain within the confines of homes They have not been documented and published I suppose that is why there is little awareness However now restaurants are increasingly featuring regional fareFrom left Geetha Rao and Malati SrinivasanThe motherdaughter duo worked on The Udupi Kitchen for 25 years and surmounted challenges such as living in different parts of the globe Rao lives in Bengaluru while her mother resides in Toronto Canada To cater to an Indian and global audience the book has a multilingual glossary and uses internationally accepted terminology and measuring aids Editing and kitchen testing the recipes also took a lot of time Another challenge was the photoshoot Preparing for the shoots by leading food photographer Sanjay Ramachandran was like preparing for a battle a challenge yet great pleasure mdash 36 dishes were shot in four days recalls RaoThe Udupi Kitchen Malati Srinivasan and Geetha Rao Westland Rs 495 Available at leading bookstores What makes Udupi cuisine uniquegtgt UdupiMadhwa cuisine is a major vegetarian cuisine of Karnataka which includes a combination of cereals pulses vegetables and spices gtgtAt its core is the food that is grown in the Parashurama Kshetra land of Parashurama the axewielding sixth avatar of Vishnu consisting of the narrow fertile coastal plains that lie between the Arabian Sea and the mountain range of the Western GhatsgtgtTraditional Brahmins of the region ate only satvik food or vegetarian fare without onions and garlic Tubers like yam gourd pumpkin and different parts of the banana plant were used Fruits like ripe bananas mangoes and jackfruits were plentiful Udupis presence along the coast meant an abundance of coconuts which were predominantly used in the cuisine Desserts often combined coconut milk and jaggery However in time English vegetables like potatoes tomatoes and carrots began to be used and were integrated into the cuisine gtgtItems like the signature dish Bisi Bele Huli Anna Idlis and Dosas combine cereals and pulses that help to provide a protein component in a vegetarian dietUdupis in Mumbai Udupi eateries in Mumbai were started by several communities from Udupi such as Shivalli Brahmins a subsect of Madhwa Brahmins Hollas Goud Saraswat Brahmins Nayaks Kamats Shanbags and Bunts mainly Shettys from Udupi and surrounding areas These restaurants serve tiffin snacks like dosas idlis medu vada and upma Some restaurants serve meals rice thalis and meals on banana leaves Restaurants that serve tiffin serve more or less the same fare Eateries like Udupi Sri Krishna Bhavan started by A Rama Nayak in 1942 serve authentic GSB community meals Their clientele include a large component of nonSouth Indians and by eschewing onions and garlic in their menus they cater to Jain customers also shares RaoKitle Hannu Sippe GojjuOrange peels in a sweet sour and spicy gravyIngredients6 loosejacketed oranges14 cup lightly packed tamarind pinched into small pieces14 cup oil1 tsp mustard seeds14 tsp asafoetida powder14 tsp turmeric powder1 12 tsp salt or to taste2 tbsp gojju pudi or gojju powder4 tbsp grated jaggery12 curry leavesMethodgt Wash oranges and peel them Scrape off and discard the white pith from the peels Cut the peels into 12 piecesgt Soak tamarind in 1 cup of warm water for about 5 minutes and squeeze out the thick juice into a bowlgt In a heavybottomed pan heat oil and add mustard seeds When they splutter add asafoetida powder and orange peels and fry for about 2 minutes till softgt Add turmeric powder salt and tamarind juice and boil for about 3 minutesgt Add gojju powder jaggery and curry leaves and simmer on medium heat for another 3 minutes Removegt Serve with hot rice or chapattisGojju PudiGojju powder for sweet sour and spicy graviesIngredients4 cups whole dried red chillies2 tsp oil2 tbsp fenugreek seeds1 tsp asafoetida powderMethodgt Snip the red chillies with a pair of kitchen scissors into 4 pieces each and measuregt In a wok or kadhai heat oil Add red chillies fenugreek seeds asafoetida powder and roast on low heatgt Spread on a large plate and coolgt Grind into a fine powdergt Store in airtight containersgt Use as per recipe to make gojjuMuchhoreRice and roasted gram flour crispsIngredients12 cup roasted Bengal gram bhuna chana2 cups rice flour1 tbsp white sesame seeds14 cup unsalted butter at room temperature18 tsp asafoetida powder1 tsp salt or to tasteTo fry 3 cups oilMethodgt Grind roasted Bengal gram into a fine powder Sievegt In a bowl combine all ingredients except oilgt Gradually add up to 1 cup of warm water and knead into a soft doughgt In a heavybottomed wok or kadhai heat oilgt Fit a threeholed star disc into a chakli pressgt Form a large orangesized ball of dough and place the chakli pressgt Press the dough through the disc directly into the hot oil using a large circular motiongt Deepfry on medium heat till light golden brown and crisp turning with a slotted spoongt Remove and drain on a paper towellined plategt Repeat the process till all the dough is usedgt Cool Gently break into sticksgt Store in airtight containers