Adhi Potoba

I studied Applied Art at Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalaya in Pune. If you've ever driven past it, you know it takes real courage to admit that one studied there. During my fourth year, our class was situated in the basement of the college. This was great for two reasons. If it rained, the water in class came up at least waist level and all the tables would be floating. And if there was no electricity, it would be pitch dark. In any event, classes would be cancelled for the day. When this happened, there were two options. Either place yourself among some permanent fixtures at Vaishali. Or pig out on some of the most decadent Mutton Biryani at Durga Biryani House. Durga, which is situated on Tilak Road, right outside Tilak Smarak Mandir, is in a tiny 12' X 12' shop. It has a mezzanine floor which houses three and a half tables. I can bet good money that the mezzanine is an illegal construction. However, this is a minor detail when you consider that this little restaurant churns o...

No matter how many super-highways are built, I still maintain that the best way to travel Bombay-Pune is by Deccan Queen . Whenever I have traveled by the Deccan Queen, I made sure I got the window seat. I am always impressed by the beauty of the Sayadhri Ghats as the trains passes through the mountains, especially in the monsoons. And of course the monkeys . Who doesn't love monkeys. When you're traveling back to Pune from Bombay, the trains stop at Karjat station for 15 min where a second engine is added to the train. This is to help the heavy train climb the ghats. As soon as the train pulls into Karjat Station, one is greeted by some Men in Blue. No, not the ones (the Indian Cricket team) that have been disappointing us year after year with their dismal performances. I am speaking of Divadhkar Vadawala and his men in blue uniforms that bring the hot dumplings of deliciousness into the trains. This is probably the most delicious part of the Bombay-Pune train journey and a...

A long, long time ago, before the construction of the architectural eyesore that is the Z bridge that links Junglee Maharaj Road to Narayan Peth, there used to be a cute little cause way. It may have been 12 feet in width, open only to two-wheelers and if you were lucky, not underwater. At the J M Road side of the cause way was the rear end of another extinct Pune landmark, Natraj Talkies (Cinema Theatre). Just outside the gate were two nameless sheds that made the most awesome Pav Bhaji I have ever eaten. It was as close as it gets to a drive-in in Pune. It was all pretty simple. You ride your vehicle as close to the stall as possible. The man behind the 'Tawa' would look at you. You would make eye contact and with a show of fingers suggest the quantity of your order. There were also some unmentionable ways to indicate how spicy you wanted your food to be— and it involved fingers. But let's not get into that. Soon the order would arrive via a waiter, usually an over-conf...

I attended the opening of Hotel Darshan on Prabhat Road back in 1976. A huge tumbler of Mosambi Juice (sweet-lime) was only 80 Paise (2 cents) back then. It was one of the first hotels to grace Prabhat road. It had a long orange door that has to be taken apart and reassembled to open and close the restaurant. Clearly no one's considered the option of replacing it with a collapsible gate. Darshan has some really great dishes on their menu. And they have Maharashtrianized pretty much everything they have taken a stab at. Their pizzas with generous helpings of Amul® Cheese and cashews, as tasty as they are, can scrape the roof of your mouth. It's enough to make any Italian shrivel. Then there is the Good Night Milkshake. A decadent orgy of milk, cream, Chikoo , Figs and pretty much every dry fruit available locally, it will put you into a deep slumber within minutes. And if you choose to go for the special, they'd put a dollop of homemade vanilla ice cream . My girlfriend ...

Residents of Colaba are familiar with the fishy smell of Sassoon Docks near by. Or Eau de Colaba as I prefer to call it. The fishing boats are already docked by early morning and the auction of the day's catch takes place early in the morning around 5:30 a.m. By 11:30 a.m. it arrives at homes in Pune. There are fish mongers that bring the catch straight to your homes on specially fashioned bicycles. The fish is held in large cane baskets filled with ice attached directly to the bicycles. After a decent amount of haggling the over priced fish makes it to the kitchen by noon in time for lunch by 1:00 p.m. Prawns are a favourite among fish mongers as they're expensive and they can carry a good amount in their baskets effortlessly. They are the best way to cheat poor housewives on the weight if they aren't paying attention. There are few recipes for fish in Pune, almost all of which come from the Konkan strip. Fish Koliwada (Fish Fry), Kalvan Bhat (Fish Curry and white rice)...

The down side to having a really great cook for a mother is that eating out is almost always a big let down. Even worse is going out to a restaurant with her. Mine would always talk about how anything we ordered could be improved. And the great thing was that her suggestions were right on the money. There were a few places she would never complain about. Vaishali (till the cook who made the really good sambhar died.) The Oriental Room on Karve Rd. And the Durga Biryani. Mutton or Chicken Biryani is not an easy thing to make. But Vegetable Biryani is even harder to make. But the way mom made it, you wouldn't even miss the meat. My recipe comes nothing close to my my mother's recipe, but it is still pretty decent. Ingredients: 3 cups Basmati Rice (or Brown Rice for a healthier version) 2 large Onions finely chopped 2 large Tomatoes finely chopped 1 large Onion cut lengthwise and deep fried till crispy 1/2 cup Green Peas 1/2 cup Capsicum (Green Pepper) chopped 1/2 cup Carrots cho...

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 ...