Adhi Potoba

I followed the one day international between India and England all day today and once again in true Indian fashion the 'Men in Blue' snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. If I had a dime for every time the Indian team let me down this way, I wouldn't be here writing this blog. Back home, news like is taken seriously and involves hours of pointless analysis over tea, rum or some comfort food. This analysis is usually done by people whose latest cricketing experience has been stumps drawn on a wall by means of a broken brick. A bat with a bare handle because the rubber went missing within the first week. And an MRI faux tennis ball that used to be some some what white when it was bought. And yes—the grand rule of 'one tuppa out'. Ah, I miss being a drawing room cricketeer. The absence of someone who even knows what cricket is, leave alone understands it, is really hard on a depressed fan such as myself. So today, I decided to make some comfort food for myself tha...

Our convent school was never really equipped for taking large number or students on trips and whenever an attempt was made it was an utter disaster that made for some really great memories. One of the great features of these overnight trips was that the food would be prepared by the students themselves. A great idea in theory. But not when the cooks in question have barely mastered long division. Never a great selling point, but looking back the trips were fun. The destination was always a small sea side village or one of Shivaji's many forts. Or in some cases both. When I was in high school, we went on one such trip to Sindhudurg . Sindhudurg was Shivaji's invincible fort in the Arabian Sea a couple of miles from land. We set camp on the beach right opposite the fort. We attempted to cook on kerosene stoves , but it was a disaster. The chapatis were rock hard, the fish was burnt and everything has a strong aroma of kerosene. Eating this food was mandatory or you'd face th...

The best fish fry I've had (besides my mom's kitchen) was at a small beach resort in Alibaug called Parnakuti. Well, it was more of a coconut farm on the sea with a few huts and some hammocks to sleep in. A bonfire to keep you warm at night and a complimentary tube of Odomos. Of course when you're 20 and with a group of people whose main aim in life is polishing off a bottle of Old Monk , purchased off city limits to avoid paying excise duty, the accommodations are just a minor detail. As dismal as the accommodations are, the home cooked food is spectacular. Mrs Padwal at Parnakuti cottages on Versoli Beach , serves usals and misals along with Konkan-style Bangda, Bombil (Bombay Duck) , Fried Pomfret, Surmai and Prawn Curries. It is well worth the 3 hour drive from Pune to Alibaug for some really good seafood. Ingredients 1 lb Mahi Mahi Fillets cut into 1" thick strips. ( Pomfret or Surmai is much better). 1/2 Cup Buttermilk 1 tsp Chilli Powder 1/2 tsp Turmeric 2 ...

A big part of one’s childhood in Pune includes going to every useless function your mother drags you to. ‘ Satyanarayana chi Puja ’ is on of those events. Having attended my share of Satyanarayans, I still couldn’t tell you what it is for. What I do know is that the ‘Prasad’ is the most awesome Sheera you’ll ever have. Actually, it is worth hauling your behind to a Satyanarayan just for the Sheera. I happend to talk to my mother about why that particular version of Sheera tastes good as opposed to the low-budget version we sometime have with out afternoon tea. Apparently all ingredients come in a 1:1 ratio. i.e. 1 cup sugar : I cup ghee : I cup of milk : I cup dried fruit. I think it should also come with a defibrillator. So in the interest of coronary health, here’s a recipe for everyday Sheera. You’ll need: I cup Rawa Sooji or Semolina) ½ Sugar (3/4 cup if you like it sweeter) 1 tbsp Ghee ½ cup Dried Fruit (almonds, cashews, raisins) ½ cup
 Milk ½ cup
Water ½ tsp Cardamom powder o...